How to Standout as a Defender (Vol. 2)

In 2021, I wrote a blog called “How to Stand Out as a High School Defender at a Showcase.” Every year since, I’ve sent it to the defenders I work with as they enter their recruiting season.

How to Standout as a Defender (volume 2)

By Matt Dunn

The blog I wrote a few years back still holds true. But each year, I see new patterns, new habits that separate players who make real progress from those who don’t. So I wanted to build on that message and add a few thoughts for sophomore defenders heading into the fall.

A Quick Preface
I believe we “stand out” by becoming the best defender we can be. I don't love that phrase itself, but I get why it's on so many young players' minds. I remember the challenge as a young player going through the recruiting process. I didn’t stand out much (probably why I didn’t commit until May of my junior year). I write articles like these to try and help young defenders learn from the perspective I have gained over the years. 

I know defenders sometimes feel powerless: "I didn't get dodged on", "Do I have to score?", "I feel like I need to make something happen".

These feelings are valid, but there is much more meat on the bone than most young defenders realize.

College coaches and evaluators are sophisticated. They notice the things you might not even realize are important. Let’s dive in and give you some power back over your defensive performance.

Tip 1: Be a backside all-american

Being the best backside defender at the event is the low-hanging fruit nobody else cares about. The funny part is - it’s also one of the most important things to a team defense at any level.

So if almost nobody is focused on it, and college coaches value it, that’s an opportunity sitting right in front of you.

When I say “backside defender,” I’m talking about the players away from the ball. We often break defense into two sides: the ballside and the backside. On the ballside, you’ve got the on-ball defender, the adjacent, and usually the slider. That leaves three or four players on the backside at any given moment.

Trust me, you’ll have plenty of chances to make an impact from there. But most high school defenders don’t. At showcases and recruiting events, it’s rare to find someone who consistently plays great backside defense. That’s exactly why it stands out.

How to Be a Great Backside Defender

1. Stay engaged when the ball isn’t near you. This is a mindset. Don’t rest. Read the play. You should feel like you’re part of every dodge and every rotation. Focus on having great knee bend in an athletic stance. It must be important to you.

2. See both man and ball. Stay sideways -- turn your head and hips so you can react fast. Lazy eye discipline gets exposed.

3. Flow with the ball. As the offense shifts, shift with it. Your positioning should change every second the ball moves. Don't get too man conscious, after all, it is the ball that scores. (but don't ball watch - see point #2 above)

4. Communicate early. Call out who’s hot, who’s two, and who’s filling. You can organize your entire defense from the backside.

5. Be ready to slide or recover. Anticipate, don’t react late. The best backside players make plays because they’re already moving.

6. Be a pusher. Take initiative to push the slider if needed. Be proactive and command the field. This helps to connect the defense. Don't fear being wrong, fear being indecisive. 
   
   

7. Protect the heart. Always work back toward the middle of the field. If you’re inside and connected, your defense can survive almost anything.

If you do those things with effort and attention, you’ll separate yourself fast. Most players chase the ball or follow their man around. Great defenders connect the defense.

Tip: use a self-talk phrase like: "I'm going to be the best backside defender here." Say it over and over. This will help you lock in when everybody else drifts off on the backside. Remember, this is a mentality. You need to reframe your mindset to make this important when everyone else overlooks it. 

Tip 2: Compete Level & Body Language

You can’t control how tall you are or how many ground balls you get in a small showcase window. But you can control how hard you compete and how you carry yourself.

When your team gives up a goal, don’t sulk. Sprint to the crease, tap your goalie’s stick, and get ready for the next possession. When you lose a matchup, recover and make the next play.

Coaches don’t expect perfection... they expect consistency. Your body language tells them if you can handle adversity. The best defenders look the same in success and failure.

Compete Tips: try to cover the opposing team's best player whenever possible. Look for opportunities to steal run outs if you can beat your attackmen to the endline. Win the whistle off the endline. Attack 50/50 groundballs with everything you have. 

Body Language Tip: think "big" body language -- chest up, chin up. We shrink when we lose confidence; we are big when we are confident. Catch yourself shrinking and re-establish big body language whenever you are on the field. 

Tip 3: Pressure with Your Feet, Not your stick

Every young defender wants to show aggression. That’s fine, and can be good. But you don’t need to swing your stick every time to prove it. In fact, a "stick first" mindset often leaves us chasing and out of position.

I love the phrase "pressure with your feet". Sometimes just being there when they catch the ball and forcing them to have to make passes on the run is disruption in itself, even if you don't land a check. I tell players I coach often that if you can force the player you are guarding to have to throw weak hand passes while moving at full speed there is high likelihood of a turnover, even if you don't throw a check.

This doesn't mean you can't or shouldn't throw any checks, they just should be complimentary to your footwork, not at the expense of it. Think about being surgical  with your checks and using them with intention at the right moments. Not poorly timed slaps and whacks, but a well timed poke or left as the player is about to move the ball. 

Coaches notice defenders who can apply pressure with control. Plus, if you have great feet and never show it, how will a coach know? Make the offensive player feel your presence, and they will likely make some mistakes. 

Pressure Tip: Learn how to arrive with the ball to force the offensive player to catch it in a retreating position when possible. This might require you to work hard to get out. It's harder to press if they can attack you before you are set. 

Tip 4: Understand Real toughness and show it

Jay Bilas once wrote that toughness isn’t about yelling or hitting; it’s about doing the right thing every time, regardless of the situation. (side note: read the Jay Bilas "Toughness" article here, it's incredible).

In lacrosse, real toughness is competing in the last minute the same way you did in the first. It’s holding your standard when tired: great off-ball stance, work in and work out (flow), connect and communicate with teammates, punch your hands and roll away from pressure, etc. It's being focused enough to be a backside All-American, and cover your two slide, even when that feels boring and unimportant (it's not, see tip #1).

Reframe what you think toughness is. Jay Bilas says toughness is a skill, and I agree. It's not a late hit, a foul or running your mouth. Toughness means giving everything you have and staying disciplined enough to do it the right way, even when you don't want to. This is what the most elite operators in the world do. 

That kind of toughness translates to the next level. It shows up in every environment, and it’s what college coaches trust.

Perspective: Water Finds its level

At the end of the day, you end up where you’re supposed to be. We had a Best in Class Parent Panel and Coach Taylor Wray of Penn dropped this line: water finds its level.

If you want to play at a certain type of school, you need to deserve to be recruited by that school. You need to be strong enough, fast enough, skilled enough, committed enough, focused enough, and the kind of person that program values.

That’s just the truth. There are small things that can move the needle—relationships, timing, exposure—but if a staff doesn’t believe you can make a positive impact on their program, it won’t matter.

So spend less time worrying about being seen and more time becoming the kind of player worth seeing. There is no magic bullet here.

What really Matters

When college coaches leave a showcase, they talk about who competes, who communicates, and who they’d want in their locker room.

Standing out isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things, over and over, with conviction. Sure athleticism, size and skill certainly do matter, but they aren't the only things and they're not enough on their own.

Be a great teammate. Compete on every rep. Learn how to organize a defense. Carry yourself with confidence, not ego.

That’s how you stand out this fall, and more importantly, that’s how you build a foundation for the player you’re becoming.

- Coach Dunn

Get Premium content for players, parents or coaches

Check out our community and become a member to view drills, webinars, film breakdowns, courses and more. Use code BLOG15 for an exclusive discount to our membership community on Circle!

Check Out Our 14 Day Free Trial