Key Position Skills Young Players Should be Developing
By Duke University Men's Lacrosse Coach, John Danowski

As for game sense, you will learn the lessons of spacing/positioning, stick protection, riding and game management a lot easier as your stick skills improve. The attack man is a quarterback on the field. He is responsible for pushing the tempo or slowing it down. He understands the responsibilities of playing the position. He must study defensive play and goalie play in order to outthink his opponents.

And while you can have a lot of fun playing without the development of some basic fundamental skills, you will ultimately get frustrated as you compete against more experienced or more athletic opponents or teammates.

Midfield Play: This is the most demanding position in our sport. The midfielders are usually the best all-around athletes. The best midfielders can "do it All!" It all begins with their ability to scoop, pass and catch with either hand.

The ability to run through a ground ball, or catch a break out pass over the shoulder is just as big as scoring a goal. Shooting, particularly on the run, must be the backbone of a midfielder's bag of tricks. Time and room shooting is another fundamental that must be practiced over and over again. Game sense comes in as the vital ability to see creases in the defense and cut to open areas.

Dodging, the art of faking a defender to create a shot, comes with repeated practice vs. imaginary defenders, then under "live" conditions. And, learning to play with your head up makes you a better player in any sport.

As a midfielder, you can help the team in so many ways. You can be a great ground ball man, an awesome defender, an elusive member of the clearing team, a face-off specialist, a shooter, a cutter, a garbage man around the crease who has enough poise to pick up ground ball and then score a goal, a skillful dodger, a slick feeder,