There’s an old sports adage, “defense wins championships” and being a defenseman I agree. I have been playing team sports from the time I was 5 years old and along the way I have been fortunate to be part of several championship teams. Each of the championship teams had one thing in common – WE PLAYED GREAT DEFENSE.

Before I talk in specifics about playing defense, I want to mention that many people believe that when competing in sports, success is determined by the strength and size of the athletes participating. I cannot disagree with this statement more; didn’t David beat Goliath ? The way athletes, big or small, can become successful is by using proper techniques and sound fundamentals. Being an undersized athlete myself (5’7”, 190 lbs.) I had to find ways to compete with those bigger and more “ideal” athletes. Lacrosse, like other sports, requires great skill, technique, and hard work. Players such as Jude Collins (Bayhawks), BJ Prager (Barrage), Brandon Testa (Outlaws) and I are all “undersized” players. I believe that each of us are able to do so because we are hard working athletes who constantly work on our individual lacrosse techniques.

Two of the most important and least praised positions on the lacrosse field are the longstick midfielder and the short stick defensive midfielder. Both of these positions have the difficult task of covering the opposing team’s offensive midfielders – arguable the most athletic players on the field.

An important concept when playing defense against an offensive midfielder is the position of your stick, more specifically the head of your stick. The proper way to hold your stick as you are covering a dodger from up top is to have the head of your stick in an “UPFIELD” position. What does upfield mean you ask ? It means you have the head of your stick towards the midfield line and your butt end towards the goalie. For example, if you are covering a dodger going down the field’s left hand side, the head of your stick should be to your right (hence pointing to the midfield line). If the dodger is going down the right hand side of the field your stick should be to your left (hence pointing to the midfield line).

By having the head of your stick in the UPFIELD position you accomplish a major defensive goal – preventing a dodger from rolling back or getting to the middle of the field. The middle of the field is sacred for a defense and we need to protect it at all cost because it is where offensive players have the best angle to shoot and greatest chance to score. When you can keep an offensive player down the sides and not the middle of the field you decrease your opponent’s shooting angle and make the job of your goalie and fellow defensemen easier.

To be a more complete, even exceptional, defensive midfielder (longstick or short stick) you need to have competent stick skills. Catching, throwing, and picking up ground balls well are extremely important, in fact essential skills, all lacrosse players should aspire to have. Having a good stick makes you a dangerous player and allows you to start transition from the defensive to offensive end of the field making exciting, game changing plays. The best way to improve these skills is hours upon hour of wall ball and having a catch with a friend or teammate.

Good footwork is another critical skill for defensive players. I define footwork as speed, agility, and quickness. Every player (including yours truly) does not naturally possess great speed, agility, or quickness, but every player can gain it. You can do this by jumping rope, wind sprints, shuttles runs, and playing pick-up basketball.

A great defensive midfielder is able to keep up with an offensive player without crossing their feet. How do they do that? Using the simple shuffle technique will prevent tripping yourself as offensive middies change direction as they dodge.

Active feet are essential when you attempt to throw stick checks. Many defensive players make the mistake of stopping their feet as they throw a check. Doing so allows an offensive player to run right by the defenseman if they miss the check. Keeping your feet moving allows you to recover from a missed check and not give up an easy angle to score.

Last is communication. Communicating with your fellow defensemen is vital to a defense’s success. Creative and effective offenses excel at two things – picking and moving without the ball. It is important to communicate with other defensemen during a pick play so you know whether to switch players or maintain your match-ups. If your man is going to set a pick on your fellow defenseman, let them know that a pick is coming and from what direction, and then tell them to either “SWITCH” or “STAY ON MAN”. YOU CAN NEVER TALK TOO MUCH OR TALK TOO LOUDLY ON THE LACROSSE FIELD. A loud and talkative defense is an effective one.

To summarize: 4 keys to being an exceptional defensive midfielder:
1. Keep stick upfield
2. Feet that constantly move and not cross are the best kinds to have
3. Get a better stick by doing WALL BALL
4. Talk! Talk! Talk!

--------------------------------Editor------------------------------

Joe Ceglia has had an extremely successful and prolific playing career that includes Championships at all levels.

He was an All American at both Yorktown High School and Syracuse University. In is senior year in college, he was part of the 2000 NCAA Championship that Syracuse won.

Joe then moved on to play professional indoor lacrosse and was on the NLL’s Philadelphia Wings Championship team in 2001.

He started playing professional lacrosse outdoors with the MLL’s New Jersey Pride in 2001 and has been in the league for 5 years now. He is currently on the Philadelphia Barrage team that won the MLL Championship in 2006.

He is also the Owner and President of Head, Heart, Hustle Lacrosse Camps and Clinics.