5 Tips for Long-Pole Defenders – Coach Speak – Presented by Coalition Lacrosse
5 Tips for Long-Pole Defenders
I often find myself attempting to teach the same fundamental things to defenders each year I get a new group. A lot of them come to me with bad habits or unsure of how to use their long-stick properly. Through the years of coaching and learning I’ve developed a few techniques that we teach our guys to help them be more effective defenders. Before you read, you should know this is how WE teach our guys. That doesn’t mean it’s the ONLY way. Every coach has their own style, and the following tips are what we believe in.
1. Don’t switch hands or bring your stick over the opponent’s body (when you are on the ball).
– When you switch hands you take away the focus of your body positioning and rely too much on your stick.
You should be comfortable with your stick in your dominant hand and learn how to defend every spot on the field. A lot of times guys will bring their stick over and it will either slow their feet or actually send the opponent to an area you should be defending.
2. Use the 2-45’s.
On Ball – When you’re on the ball your stick should be away from your body at about a 45-degree angle. This allows you to create a cushion that forces the dodger to make his move away from you while playing in a nice wide stance. This is a middle ground between two ways you don’t want to play. If you play with your stick to your side, it gives the opponent too much room to operate and can cause you to throw wild checks that lead to penalties. If you play with your stick straight out (which is what A LOT of coaches teach) it jams up your arms and makes it harder to control the dodger with your hands.
2015 Blue Crew Defender – Charlie Przybylo
Off Ball – Off ball stance/posture is very underrated.
A lot of players will think of it as a time to relax and take a break. Some will let their stick hang to the side or even on the ground. In order to help maintain an athletic posture, put your stick up at a 45-degree angle. This is also a time you can/should switch hands to make sure your stick is in a passing lane. It may seem minor but by simply having your stick up in a passing lane, you can make life very difficult for opponents.
3. Learn how to pass/catch with your hands choked up and on the bottom of the stick.
– Handling the ball is paramount for TEAM defense. Turnovers in the clearing game lead to goals. Top defenders can handle any situation and make the necessary play. Some ground balls are better choked up. Some are more effective with using the length of your stick. You should be able to move the ball quickly no matter how you’re holding the stick.
4. Banana
– Approaching the ball is a skill that takes YEARS of training and practice..jpg)
It’s something that you can do perfect for 95% of the game but it only takes one bad approach to give your opponent the edge. Make it easier on yourself by taking a curved route (like a banana) to the ball. You should always come from the area you DON’T want him to go and then finish your approach. If you go straight at your opponent, you are giving him an equal chance to go in either direction. If you take a curved approach, even if he begins his dodge early, you are standing in the area you are trying to defend.
5. Don’t be one-dimensional
– Some beginners or young players pigeon-hole themselves into a position too early. I’ll ask new guys what position they play and I’m always amazed when they answer with “crease attack” or “right wing D”. Take the attitude that you are a lacrosse player–not a position. When the ball is in your stick, you have a responsibility to make the right play. If that means carrying it over to the offense and putting one in the back of the net–DO IT.
Have it in your mind that you’re going to make the right play no matter the situation. THEN practice and train so you have the ability to make any play the team needs. One way to add a dimension to your game is by playing with a short stick during the off-season. Either in box lacrosse or maybe in a league. Have some fun and learn what it’s like on the other side of the field. You’ll be a better overall player for it.
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On boys’ lacrosse teams such as Westwood and Needham, the long sticks aren’t just for defense anymore
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“He baits people into doing things they don’t want to do, and creates unsettled opportunities for us,” said Westwood coach Todd Zahurak. “He’s a shooter. He moves the goalie and shoots to spots with purpose.”
Typically, teams will use three players with long poles as designated defenders, with an LSM functioning as an extra defender who can transition between the offensive and defensive ends.
Coaches might call for an extra pole when their team is shorthanded, but using an extra pole on man-up scenarios is rarely seen.
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‘They are all hunters and ambush guys.’
Needham boys’ lacrosse coach Dave Wainwright, on the offensive impact of his long-stick midfielders: Jimmy Kenney, Jack Curran and Jack Wadja
At Needham, some dynamic long-pole players also are breaking the mold. Juniors Jimmy Kenney (6 goals, 5 assists), Jack Curran (5 goals 4 assists), and Jack Wajda (4 goals, 2 assists) are often involved in Needham’s standard offense and man-up packages.
“They are all hunters and ambush guys,” said Needham coach Dave Wainwright. “We trust them with everything. All three of them have scored multiple goals. We don’t want our best players off the field.”
So where do the offensive opportunities come from for LSMs? The common answer from players and coaches was “chaos.
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“The best part of [Varnerin’s] game is between the boxes,” said Zahurak. “He wreaks havoc everywhere.”
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‘I think LSMs can play offense without a doubt, and it’s evolving in the game more than ever.’
Donald Vanerin, Westwood’s senior long-stick midfielder
Varnerin loves the freedom that the LSM position allows. With a combination of size and quickness, he can catch people in the open field to jar the ball loose or swat down passes to create transition opportunities.
Varnerin’s stick skills enable him to stay on the field in six-on-six situations, and he has the potential to trap an offensive midfielder in the defensive end. Dodging as a short stick is difficult, but dodging as a long pole is nearly unheard of, yet Varnerin has that skill set.
“I think LSMs can play offense without a doubt, and it’s evolving in the game more than ever,” said Varnerin.
Westwood’s long-stick midfielder Donald Varnerin, a Boston University commit, amassed 28 points (17 goals, 11 assists) during his junior season, and has 10 goals this year during Westwood’s 6-3 start, raising his career total to 39 goals in three years.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Wainwright trusts his poles and encourages them to be confident with the ball in transition and in the offensive end.
“We are lucky enough that Wainwright has embraced the modern strategy called NASCAR lacrosse,” said Kenney, who is committed to Notre Dame. “It gives the LSM the freedom to create in transition and create slow breaks, and we’ve been lucky enough to get the green light to take it to the rack if we can.”
Kenney and Curran both play on the man-up opportunities with their long poles for Needham, and Varnerin is the sole LSM on Westwood’s man-up line. While that is a small part of their offensive contributions, it is an unexpected wrinkle that often catches opponents off-guard.
⋅ The MIAA debuted power rankings for all spring sports recently and updated them Tuesday. The top 32 teams in all four divisions qualify for the statewide tournament if eligible.
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Defending D1 state champion St.
John’s Prep sits atop the rankings, with two-time finalist BC High right behind. Acton-Boxborough, Franklin, Hingham, and Lincoln-Sudbury follow in Division 1. Reading holds a slight lead over Duxbury, Nauset, and 2022 state finalist Billerica in Division 2. Defending state champion Norwell holds a sizable lead atop D3 and Cohasset leads the field in D4, with Sandwich closely following.
Related: Globe Top 20 boys’ lacrosse poll
⋅ Nauset senior captain Andrew Berardi compiled a program-record 12 goals during Saturday’s 16-8 win over Bridgewater-Raynham … Old Colony junior Stu Burnham topped 100 career goals during Monday’s 14-4 win over Southeastern … Hanover freshman Charlie Campbell scored four goals in his varsity debut to lift the Hawks in an 8-6 win over Pembroke Tuesday … Hingham freshman Cam McKenna scored four goals to help the Harbormen seal an 11-8 win over archrival Duxbury.
⋅ Ryan Quinn has been named interim coach at Xaverian for the remainder of the season, replacing Daggett Morse .
.. Weston coach Jim Wilcon earned his 150th career win Tuesday … Reading climbed out of a 6-0 hole for a 9-6 win over Lincoln-Sudbury Monday, earning the program’s first win over the Warriors.
▪ Thursday: BC High at St. John’s Prep, 5:30 p.m. This is the second meeting between the Catholic Conference powers that battled in consecutive Division 1 state finals. Prep took the first, 15-9, in Boston April 11.
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▪ Thursday: Sandwich at Nauset, 5:30 p.m. When these Cape & Islands contenders met last month, Sandwich emerged with an 12-11 overtime win to gain the inside track toward a league title.
▪ Friday: Andover at Chelmsford, 5 p.m. Suddenly these two teams are looking to upend the status quo in the Merrimack Valley Conference, with Andover (7-2) coming off an OT win over defending league champion Billerica and Chelmsford riding a three-game win streak that includes a gritty win over North Andover.
▪ Monday: Acton-Boxborough at North Andover, 6:30 p.