Best Exercise to Be Dominate as a Faceoff Athlete in Lacrosse
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A lacrosse game starts in a dynamic impartial, strategic fashion, where the lacrosse faceoff comes into play. The faceoff, an aggressive way to start the game, offers both teams, more so the chosen dynamic athletes, a fair chance to earn possession of the ball, which should be an aggressive and exciting start to the game. But, unfortunately, many coaches need to teach or train physicality; more so, the skill set so the team can feed off of momentum through a small window of opportunity.
A common practice for many faceoff athletes is to aggressively get the ball, which is the mindset most athletes need to gain. The lacrosse athlete has been taught to snag the ball in their pocket to control where it will go on the field. The faceoff player can win the ball forward or backward to afford their team the best opportunity to scoop up the loose ball and possibly score.
The faceoff should be a massive, chaotic scramble, where players encompass wrestling, basketball, and football techniques to constantly box, push, and control their opponent’s body and stick to aggressively check the opposition and dominate the loose ball among the turmoil.
Although it is tough to judge which team will come out with possession of the ball, using a straightforward exercise at the end will ensure success on your faceoffs.
What makes faceoffs more exciting is the benefit of the Long Stick Middies (LSMs), that can get involved using their speed and aggressiveness with the ground ball battle until possession is established. Great faceoff athletes, coupled with a great wingman, in that of a good LSM, can lay a firm foundation for successful faceoff contenders and bring intimidation to start at the youth level.
There are several strategies for winning the faceoff in lacrosse; therefore, following the guidelines will improve your chances.
Have a Plan
Although your coaches might have a specific faceoff style, please follow that; as you practice, it might be best to have your unique style for effective results. Decide on implementing both strategies for winning the faceoff. Furthermore, communication is vital, so your teammates know what to expect, so they can react and learn how to react.
Finally, having a plan allows you to beat your opponent.
Your Grip Strength is Weak
Once you have decided on your plan of attack, it’s now to accompany it with the appropriate grip strength. If you draw the ball out in various directions, having a solid grip enhances your stick stills and gives you the advantage because your opponent might not have adequate grip strength. Therefore, to improve grip strength, there are various ways to work on it (direct exercises, exercises using fat grips and wrist roll exercises, and indirect exercises squeezing tennis balls, etc.), where the forearms are targeted through various exercises that provide a holistic approach to practice and the game.
Have a Power Position
Before getting into the faceoff circle, you should be mentally ready and strong. Therefore, when you get down into the circle, work to maintain balance by staying low, using quickness, and staying aggressive. It would be best if you had adequate leverage to win.
Mental Focus
If you focus on the goal, your opponent’s stick, or anything else, you will lose the faceoff.
Speed Matters
As soon as the whistle is blown, the athlete must react quickly to be the first player to the ball; urgency. Athletes can train their reaction and reflex of speed through various speed training techniques or by a qualified professional to build self-confidence. It sends a strong message to everyone that lacrosse is an aggressive sport, and you are ready to win.
Apply Leverage; It’s An Art!
Whoever uses their entire body as leverage and generates more torque (force) than their opponent will ultimately be the one to win the faceoff battle. A good strength and conditioning program can teach athletes how to utilize every muscle to gain an advantage over their opponents.
Don’t Be Soft!
Your attitude as a faceoff athlete can shift the game’s momentum.
For this reason, as mentioned above, those more aggressive athletes would typically win the faceoff.
This strategy demands a certain kind of mentality. But unfortunately, this mentality can only come with aggression, strength, and explosive exercises developed in the weight room. Unfortunately, one exercise many faceoff lacrosse athletes lack to develop strength and power is dynamic sled exercises; however, there is one sled exercise that builds explosiveness and toughness, which is the sled push forward and backward.
The sled pushes forward and backward and loads the lower body (glutes, quadriceps, and calves), not the spine. As a result, the sled trains your legs for power and explosiveness. Additionally, the sled propels you forward, which helps you dominate your opponent (as seen in the video).
If you don’t have access to the sled, you are out of luck!
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A lacrosse game starts in a dynamic impartial, strategic fashion, where the lacrosse faceoff comes into play. The faceoff, an aggressive way to start the game, offers both teams, more so the chosen dynamic athletes, a fair chance to earn possession of the ball, which should be an aggressive and exciting start to the game. But, unfortunately, many coaches need to teach or train physicality; more so, the skill set so the team can feed off of momentum through a small window of opportunity.
A common practice for many faceoff athletes is to aggressively get the ball, which is the mindset most athletes need to gain. The lacrosse athlete has been taught to snag the ball in their pocket to control where it will go on the field. The faceoff player can win the ball forward or backward to afford their team the best opportunity to scoop up the loose ball and possibly score.
The faceoff should be a massive, chaotic scramble, where players encompass wrestling, basketball, and football techniques to constantly box, push, and control their opponent’s body and stick to aggressively check the opposition and dominate the loose ball among the turmoil. Although it is tough to judge which team will come out with possession of the ball, using a straightforward exercise at the end will ensure success on your faceoffs.
What makes faceoffs more exciting is the benefit of the Long Stick Middies (LSMs), that can get involved using their speed and aggressiveness with the ground ball battle until possession is established. Great faceoff athletes, coupled with a great wingman, in that of a good LSM, can lay a firm foundation for successful faceoff contenders and bring intimidation to start at the youth level.
There are several strategies for winning the faceoff in lacrosse; therefore, following the guidelines will improve your chances.
Have a Plan
Although your coaches might have a specific faceoff style, please follow that; as you practice, it might be best to have your unique style for effective results.
Decide on implementing both strategies for winning the faceoff. Furthermore, communication is vital, so your teammates know what to expect, so they can react and learn how to react. Finally, having a plan allows you to beat your opponent.
Your Grip Strength is Weak
Once you have decided on your plan of attack, it’s now to accompany it with the appropriate grip strength. If you draw the ball out in various directions, having a solid grip enhances your stick stills and gives you the advantage because your opponent might not have adequate grip strength. Therefore, to improve grip strength, there are various ways to work on it (direct exercises, exercises using fat grips and wrist roll exercises, and indirect exercises squeezing tennis balls, etc.), where the forearms are targeted through various exercises that provide a holistic approach to practice and the game.
Have a Power Position
Before getting into the faceoff circle, you should be mentally ready and strong.
Therefore, when you get down into the circle, work to maintain balance by staying low, using quickness, and staying aggressive. It would be best if you had adequate leverage to win.
Mental Focus
If you focus on the goal, your opponent’s stick, or anything else, you will lose the faceoff.
Speed Matters
As soon as the whistle is blown, the athlete must react quickly to be the first player to the ball; urgency. Athletes can train their reaction and reflex of speed through various speed training techniques or by a qualified professional to build self-confidence. It sends a strong message to everyone that lacrosse is an aggressive sport, and you are ready to win.
Apply Leverage; It’s An Art!
Whoever uses their entire body as leverage and generates more torque (force) than their opponent will ultimately be the one to win the faceoff battle. A good strength and conditioning program can teach athletes how to utilize every muscle to gain an advantage over their opponents.
Don’t Be Soft!
Your attitude as a faceoff athlete can shift the game’s momentum. For this reason, as mentioned above, those more aggressive athletes would typically win the faceoff.
This strategy demands a certain kind of mentality. But unfortunately, this mentality can only come with aggression, strength, and explosive exercises developed in the weight room. Unfortunately, one exercise many faceoff lacrosse athletes lack to develop strength and power is dynamic sled exercises; however, there is one sled exercise that builds explosiveness and toughness, which is the sled push forward and backward.
The sled pushes forward and backward and loads the lower body (glutes, quadriceps, and calves), not the spine. As a result, the sled trains your legs for power and explosiveness. Additionally, the sled propels you forward, which helps you dominate your opponent (as seen in the video).
If you don’t have access to the sled, you are out of luck!
Video 1:
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Elite faceoff specialists often separate the great boys’ lacrosse teams from the rest in the state
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“Definitely be patient,” Alexander offered for those learning faceoff techniques. “Really take in a lot of the advice older guys will give to you. Because you’ll lose, but man, you’ll start to notice over time how to get better. Eventually you can get to the top.”
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At The Faceoff Factory workouts, Alexander met St. John’s Prep faceoff specialist Chris Esposito, Norwell senior John Mullen, the South Shore League’s reigning MVP, and Dracut’s Brock Desmarais, a senior who also benefitted from the mentorship of older players.
The Division 2 state wrestling champion at 152 pounds, Dracut’s Brock Desmarais is a man on the move for the lacrosse program too.Winslow Townson for The Boston Globe
When Desmarais was in eighth grade, he stood on the varsity sideline for every game and watched senior Allyn French take faceoffs and lead the Dracut offense during a run to the Division 3 state semifinals.
French became one of the first Dracut boys’ lacrosse players to play Division I when he enrolled at newly classified Merrimack College in 2020. Every spring after his college season, French returned to Dracut to work with his alma mater’s faceoff specialists and midfielders, a group that has been led by Desmarais the past three years.
“Allyn French was a big inspiration for me,” said Desmarais, who won the 152-pound Division 2 wrestling title this winter.
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“I always looked up to him. He was doing it all, winning faceoffs and scoring and playing defense, and he really showed me that a kid from Dracut can go D1./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/12871521/10183745.jpg)
It’s definitely a lift every time he comes back [to coach]. Our families are super close. He’s my go-to guy for faceoffs, so having him there is awesome.”
Desmarais — who will play lacrosse at Rutgers — is paying it forward by training French’s younger brother, Owen, a freshman. Sophomore Derek Shwerchesky is also learning the ropes, and Desmarais gives both pupils a ride to The Faceoff Factory workouts in North Andover every Wednesday night.
French and Swerchesky also joined the wrestling team this winter, a sport Desmairas said has helped with his faceoff technique.
“To have so many resources dedicated to that part of the game is a huge help,” Dracut coach Paul Ganley said of his faceoff unit.
“I’m a huge fan of the wrestling program at Dracut, so we always try to encourage our kids that aren’t tied to a winter sport to gravitate towards it. Usually the best faceoffs kids are also wrestlers and those two kids behind [Desmarais] are ready to pick up the slack.
”
Like French, Desmarais is Dracut’s leading scorer on top of his role taking faceoffs.
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‘If [Justin Alexander’s] not the best in the state, he’s 1B behind [John] Mullen in Norwell. He just gives us so many possessions. He really works at his craft.’
Franklin boys’ lacrosse coach Lou Verrochi on faceoff specialist Justin Alexander
For many programs, winning a high percentage of faceoffs is too important for that player to get tired out playing in the midfield, so top prospects like Alexander often become specialists in their craft before their high school careers even begin.
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Using Alexander in that role has allowed Franklin’s attacking line to put up gaudy numbers, including a 17-point first quarter in the Panthers’ opening win over Attleboro. Franklin coach Lou Verrochi believes his starting trio of Luke Davis, Jayden Consigli, and Tyler Sacchetti form the best attack in the state, and Alexander is the engine that makes that offense run.
“If [Alexander’s] not the best in the state, he’s 1B behind [Mullen] in Norwell,” said Verrochi. “He just gives us so many possessions. He really works at his craft. He’s just one of those kids who is totally dedicated and his brother was the same way. He came in as a freshman as the heir apparent and it’s been a seamless transition from Jacob to Justin.”
“If [Justin Alexander’s] not the best in the state, he’s 1B behind [Jphn Mullen] in Norwell. He just gives us so many possessions. He really works at his craft,” said Franklin boys’ lacrosse coach Lou Verrochi of Alexander (left).VARUN DESAI
⋅ Cape Cod Academy defeated previously-unbeaten Monomoy, 16-15, Monday with seven different scorers contributing.
“It took all 10 players out on the field to work together and pull off this win,” said CCA coach Christian Sears.
Even though the Seahawks only won 25 percent of faceoffs, Jack Bunnell led an excellent defensive effort with John Valerio (15 saves) excelling in net.
“Going into this game, we knew [Monomoy] had a good faceoff middie and some fire power with their shots, so we were apprehensive from the start,” said Sears.
With the game tied in the waning seconds, Brady Livingston intercepted a pass and scored with nine seconds remaining in a Cape & Islands battle.
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Related: Globe Top 20 boys’ lacrosse poll
⋅ Vacation week brings a slate of traditional tournaments headlined by the Coaches Cup, Players Cup, and Chowda Cup. All three tournaments run on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday with eight-team fields advancing to try and win the championship. The Coaches Cup opens at Wellesley Tuesday, moves to Bridgewater-Raynham Thursday, and concludes at Hingham Saturday. The Players Cup starts at host sites Tuesday, moves to Needham and BC High Thursday, and concludes Saturday at North Andover. The Chowda Cup is at Hanover Tuesday, Marshfield Thursday, and Norwell Saturday.
⋅ Arlington moved to 3-0 Saturday after defeating Wakefield, 5-3.
It was the first time the Spy Ponders had beaten Wakefield since joining the Middlesex League in 2011 . . . Duxbury continued to win games in dramatic fashion with Sam Wien providing the OT winner in an 8-7 comeback at Longmeadow on Saturday, as well as the tying goal and winner in a 15-14 OT win at Lincoln-Sudbury Tuesday . . . Weston pulled out an 8-7 OT win over Westford Tuesday with sophomore Quinn Garry providing the tying goal and sophomore Joe LaDosci netting the winner
Friday, Andover at No. 11 North Andover, 6:30 p.m. — These border rivals are both on the rise with the Scarlet Knights posting some huge offensive numbers early in the season; Andover (3-0) edged Chelmsford, 10-9, before cruising vs. Tewksbury and Central Catholic.
Friday, No. 4 Franklin at No. 6 Acton-Boxborough, 7 p.m. — Franklin has a loaded schedule over vacation week with nonleague matchups against No. 12 Medfield and top-ranked St. John’s Prep to follow. The Panthers open the slate with a tough matchup against a disciplined and talented Revolution squad.