Lacrosse is one of the most exciting sports to both watch and take part in because it requires so much skill as well as a ton of endurance and strength.

As a coach, you’re going to be looking for a few ways to really tell your lacrosse players apart from one another. Above all else, there are two aspects of the game to evaluate for each and every player. First is a skill set called ‘running’ – this includes speed, agility, quickness and footwork on the field. It’s one thing to be fast, and another to be able to evade the other team’s defenders.

The second factor falls under ‘stick skills’ – just as important as running is what the player can do with his stick, whether it’s throwing, catching, cradling the ball as he runs, etc. The stick and the skills that come along with it are essential to a solid lacrosse skill set and you’ll want to check out how each player handles these areas.

Next up are the player’s offensive and defensive skills. How can he shoot the ball or block shots? Can he dish out effective checks and cut past defenders when necessary? How are the player’s movement skills – lacrosse is a fluid game and if the player lags behind or is not filling his positions well, that is a very telling indication of his overall lacrosse mindset.

Sometimes an attack-minded player will have a wicked and targeted shot, but not have the right footwork for the position, and adjustments must be made. Breaking down the evaluation into these categories will help to place each position in the spot best suited for his skills.

Movement is key to properly filling out any of the lacrosse positions, but attitude is essential as well. When a coach believes a player will excel best at a certain position, how does the player react? Does the evaluation of the player’s skills point towards a position change. There are several different positions in a lacrosse squad and all of the above factors must be assessed for the attackers, defenders and the goalies.

Let’s not forget about those skills that are invaluable in any sport: “coach ability” and hustle. Does the player listen and learn from his coaches? Does he show initiative in drills and during games? Sometimes these two areas can be more helpful than gauging speed or stick work.

Once you look at each player through all of these different categories it will be much better to make a proper evaluation and know just what you need about each of your lacrosse players.