About Lacrosse - Boy's Player Positions
There are four positions in boy's lacrosse; attack, midfield, defense and goalie. Players at each position must master the basic stick skills of catching, throwing, cradling and scooping. Only the goalie is allowed to touch the ball with his hands. Unlike any other sport, each position does not require an athlete of a specific size. Lacrosse players come in all different sizes and shapes.
Attack: The attackman's responsibility is to score goals. Attackman should demonstrate good stick work with either hand and have quick feet to maneuver around the goal in heavy traffic. Effective attackmen have good peripheral vision, precision passes, and can effectively dodge, screen and shoot. An attackman should be quick, alert, confident in one-on-one situations and be able to withstand physical punishment by the opposing defensemen. Attackmen generally restrict their play to the offensive half of the field.
Midfield: The midfielder is considered by many to be the backbone of the lacrosse team. Good midfielders need speed, stamina, hustle and determination. The position requires players to cover the entire field and play offense and defense. A midfielder should be able to shift quickly from offense to defense. Midfielders are key to the "transition" game and need to be good stick handlers and adept at playing ground balls. Midfielders do not have to be proficient scorers, but should be able to "read" what is about to happen next.
Defense: The defenseman's responsibility is to defend the goal. Although size aids the defenseman, more importantly, defensemen should be quick, agile and aggressive. Speed is always a valuable commodity, but the ability to act and react, to judiciously apply pressure and to recover are the key ingredients to an effective defenseman. Effective defensemen need to be accomplished stick handlers.
Goalie: The goalie is ultimately responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goalie is also responsible for leading the defense, directing the clearing patterns and providing intangible cohesion that binds a team together. A goalie should be quick, agile, alert, confident, have mental and physical toughness, have excellent hand-eye coordination, be able to concentrate on the ball at all times and simultaneously anticipate and lead the team. A goalie must be willing to stop shots on goal anyway he legally can, even with his body.
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