As we turn the page from the spring season to the summer circuit, we want to share some lacrosse-specific advice on where to focus your energy over the next few months.

These are things that you can focus on to help you elevate your game, but don’t require long term development (such as strength or speed).

To become a great off-ball player, you must desire to be a great off-ball player. Great off-ball defenders are rare, and coaches notice them. One powerful way to make an impact off the ball is by “stealing space”.

Stealing space is all about your stance and anticipation. It means you can cover more ground and split gaps more effectively. Through your stance and readiness you can either slide or hedge and get back to the player you are guarding. You can cover the backside skip and help to the crease.

It begins with a great stance: knee bend, proper hip orientation, stick position, and head turns. Your stance is, in essence, your readiness to make a play.

If you are standing tall and flat footed, you have to “get athletic” before you can move. Eliminate that lag time by maintaining a stance where you are always ready to be explosive.

Once your stance is locked in, you can start stealing space.

When you steal space, you shorten slides. When slides are shorter, you have a greater ability to disrupt offensive players before they move the ball.

Players hear it all the time: "Be more aggressive." But coaches rarely explain how to actually do that without picking up penalties or getting beat.

True aggressiveness is about timing and body language. Save your checks for when offensive players are most vulnerable: the moment they commit to a pass or a shot.

Don't be out of control; aim to be both a pest and surgical.

Quick Rules of Thumb:

By focusing of affecting shots or passes, you immediately become more disruptive.

Coaches value players with urgency — “winning the whistle” shows urgency.

Winning the whistle means taking advantage of the "in-between" moments of a game. This is the short time when the ball goes out of bounds, right after a whistle, or during transition from offense to defense. In these moments, your objective is to get set for what’s about to happen next before your opponent. Here are some scenarios where you can win the whistle:

Don’t waste a second of the game. Always prepare for what is next.

Coaches value leadership and connection. Being the organizer means you are assuming a role of leadership on the field to get your unit on the same page. Connected units are better units. If you show that you can be the connector, you become more interesting.

Communication is such an important skill for organizers to have. You are the field general. Be the first one to speak up. Be the voice that is heard non-stop, louder than anyone else on the field.

Saying something, even if it ends up being the wrong call, is always better than staying silent. Don't hesitate. Say what you see. Make it a personal goal to never have to say in the post-game huddle, "Guys, we need to communicate more."

The great thing about all of the things above is they are controllable and attainable. Sure, they require skill to execute very well. But we’re not sitting here telling you “don’t get beat and score a lot of goals” (although that wouldn’t hurt).

With focus and intent, you can steal space off the ball, disrupt passers and shooters, win the whistle and be the organizer.

The reality often is that defenders can’t control when they get dodged. You might go through a tournament or showcase with minimal dodging reps, but you can add value in other areas.

If you commit to mastering these four skills this summer, we believe you can have a greater impact as a complete defender.

Let's get to work.

Coach Class and Coach Dunn

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A school with a stronger lacrosse reputation, higher ranking, or better RPI may not be the best place for you or your child. The last thing any parent wants is for their son or daughter to end up somewhere that looks great from the outside, but does not feel right once they are there.

Fit includes lacrosse, of course. But it also includes academics, location, coaching style, team culture, campus life, financial reality, and whether your child can truly see herself being happy there.

Action item: Before the summer gets too emotional, take a few minutes to write down what you really want for your child. Not just athletically, but as a whole person. Keep that list somewhere you can come back to when the process feels stressful.

Katie Chrest Erbe

Year 7 of our Fall Training kicks off in September!

Locations include:

All registrations posted on the link below.

From game-changing LSM’s from Georgia, top attackmen from Texas, to marquee midfielders and goalies from Maryland, these are some of the best prospects in the Class of 2028 that will be attending Best in Class this summer.

Check it out below!

✅ Want to see more lacrosse drills, tips and breakdowns? Check out our YouTube page!

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It includes over 40 college coach webinars, 150+ drills for offense, defense, and full-team compete, as well as sessions focused on schemes and strategies.

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