Good morning to our Weekly Thought subscribers,

This week’s thought is for the defenders. A couple weeks back we talked about how to stand out as an off-ball player on offense. Today we flip it.

We break down five ways defenders can separate themselves at showcases. It’s not just about causing turnovers or getting stops. It’s about mindset, communication, toughness, and how you make the guys around you better.

Other notable callouts:

Let’s get into it. Happy Friday ☕️,
Matt & Deemer

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Two weeks ago, our weekly thought was about how to standout at a showcase as an off-ball player on offense. This week following that same thought, we will talk about how to stand out as a defender.

It is easy to say that you standout by causing turnovers, not getting scored on, securing tough ground balls or scoring in transition. This is true, but the reality is coaches are looking at many more things.

Great defense starts with your mindset. Owning your matchup means taking pride in containing the player you are guarding. It is about dictating the terms of every possession. It means that you want the challenge of guarding the best player on the field. Every rep is a chance to deny space, chew up the shot clock, or to break the rhythm of the offense.

Take pride in dictating what shots you allow. Force the offense to take shots that you trust your goalie to save. Make the offense feel uncomfortable, hesitant, or rushed.

You can achieve this by playing with your feet first, and your stick second. Use your body to deny dangerous areas of the field and use your approach to encourage dodgers to go to their weak hand. Play the ball in space, close the gap on dodgers so that you give yourself more room to play defense. Challenge the offense to go through you, not at you.

You do not need to cause turnovers in order to win your matchup, although often times that can be a byproduct. The real win is taking away the offense’s ability to generate high quality shots. It’s all about taking control, being disciplined, and playing with confidence.

Defense is like building a house of cards - you start from the bottom and build up from there. If owning your matchup is the foundation, being great at off-ball defense is the second floor.

Owning your matchup is about dictating; off-ball defense is about connection.

It’s about being in the right place so your teammates can own their matchup. It is embracing a team first mentality. It is no longer, “I must prevent my man from scoring,” instead it is “I must help my teammates prevent their man from scoring.”

In a showcase, this may seem like a tall task, but there are steps you can take to achieve this.

Watch Jordyn Harrison of Michigan anticipate the throwback as a backside defender here.

If you would like to read more on how to standout off-ball, we recently publish a blog where we list out the keys to executing this: Link to the blog here.

Causing turnovers as an on-ball defender is not the only way to be a playmaker. Being a playmaker is collapsing on a crease feed to prevent a shot. It’s running past a player in transition (showing your athleticism). It’s running the ball out after a shot. It’s taking advantage of a bad matchup (pole on faceoff athlete). It’s hunting for double teams.

In essence, it’s understanding when to make a play. It’s understanding when on-ball pressure is the right thing to do given the situation. It’s recognizing that the shot clock is low, and that one slide or double team will stall the offense long enough to end the possession. It’s understanding that you only have five more seconds to clear the ball, and only one opposing player is between you and the midline. It’s recognizing the situation, taking advantage of it, and then proving that you are athletic enough to finish the play.

Coaches notice players that play with toughness. Toughness is not about how big, strong, or athletic you are. Toughness is about doing the little things right every time.

Sit in a great stance throughout the entire possession. Communicate when you are tired. Get organized and set before the whistle blows. Get the ball back in play quickly when it goes out of bounds. Always have your stick in a passing lane off-ball and in the hands of your man when playing the ball. Never complain to the officials. Never assign blame after a goal. Echo the calls from the sideline and calls from the defense. Embrace “We, not I.” Never let the last play affect the next play.

Sometimes toughness is seeing two with great head turns like Colin Burlace below.

Toughness is about always finding a way, taking ownership, and not making excuses.

Elite players are versatile. They make the most of their opportunity every time they step on the field. They find a way to add value to the team and don’t care what role they get thrown into.

If you typically play close defense and your coach asks you to take a run at LSM, don’t think of it as a waste of time; see it as a challenge that you are willingly accepting and do your best. If your team is low on defensive middies, volunteer to take a run at SSDM.

Coaches understand that when you are asked to go outside of your comfort zone, it might not look perfect. Also understand that a coach would not ask you to do something that they think your are not capable of doing. Believe in yourself. Coaches are looking for the players that truly care more about the success of the team than their own individual success.

None of the points above matter if you leave any room that questions your level of compete, effort, or desire to win. Be coachable, come with an open mind, and come ready to leave every ounce of energy out there on the field.

How about this play from Will Schaller and AJ Larkin last Spring… would you recruit these guys?!

Coach Class and Coach Dunn

Our Fall Showcase is this Sunday for the Class of 2028 + 2029! Let’s take a look back at some of the top 2027 players from last year’s Fall Showcase plus the All-Star Game selections and where they ended up committing.

Check out our @fclbestinclass Instagram page for the best highlights and content during our Fall Showcase this Sunday!

Check out this clip from Richmond head coach Dan Chemotti on the importance of fundamentals, including re-teaching his players one of the most basic skills in the sport!

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