The Game WITHIN The Game — While the game of lacrosse is most certainly a team sport, there is one specialized position within that game that impacts everyone else's play: the face off man.

The battle resembles two Greco Roman wrestlers or gladiators doing battle in the middle of the field. Each one is fighting for their team's possession, to put their team in the best position to win the game. And though each face off man is only on the field for less than a minute, at a time he can be out there fighting 30, 40, even 50 times per game. Face off men can start runs for their team and, just as easily, stop runs of the other team. Being able to control the game in this way makes the face off man one of the most valuable players on the lacrosse field and a pivotal role within the team.

Most students of the game fail to realize that winning face offs isn't about size, strength or speed as much as it is about

developing detailed technique. Many face off men, myself included, battle it out with opponents who are much bigger and even more athletic. When this occurs, a dominant face off man needs to rely on his technique. Spending time practicing technique is the best way a face off man can continue to improve his game. Take it from one who has spent thousands of hours paying attention to the details of the position. And although you can learn moves like the clamp, rake, jam, plunger, pinch and pop, and the grab, a lot of the successful face off men make their name by anticipating the whistle well.

This skill, in addition to having fast hands, can make the difference between a good face off man and a great one. But, this requires practice. When I was in high school, I bought a tape recorder and recorded "down... set... whistle" to use to practice my timing. In addition, I worked in the weight room on wrist and forearm strength to develop quicker hands.