How Lacrosse Shaped My Life
By Joe Walters

To this day, I still spend hours on the field, keeping my skills up to par. Success at the college level has opened the doors to continuing my playing career at an even higher level — The USA National Team and professionally for the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League.

This past summer, being named an MLL All Star and a member of the All-MLL team, en route to winning MVP of the MLL Championship was crazy, mainly because I am playing alongside many of the players that were/are my lacrosse idols. Just to see my name next to theirs is unimaginable...

Aside from playing, lacrosse is also my day job, because I am founder of a few instructional companies. I find it important to tell my story and give back to the future of lacrosse, passing on what my father and coaches have taught me along the way.

I enjoy what I do; it's a special opportunity to make a living doing something you love. Without lacrosse, my life would be completely different; and not for the better. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my first lacrosse practice, and how I very easily could have quit. But, I stuck with it and fell in love, and here I am today...