A lacrosse training program must carefully balance the demands of one of the most strenuous team sports. This sport requires the physical and performance qualities of most other sports combined.
Very few studies have been carried out on lacrosse athletes and little scientific information is available. From research that has been completed, it is clear that players must possess size, strength, power, speed, agility and endurance. Players are almost constantly moving as they attempt to maneuver the ball into the goal.
On the whole, players have been shown to have average aerobic capacities, similar to basketball and football players but less than distance runners or swimmers. Midfielders, on the other hand, have significantly greater endurance than attackers or defensive players and their aerobic endurance compares favorably to more traditional distance athletes. This makes sense as midfielders are the only group of players most often moving up and down the entire length of the field.
Lacrosse players require a high bodyweight to cope with the aggressive physical contact in the game. However, a higher than average bodyweight must be coupled with a low body fat percentage as players are required to move quickly around the field of play. Lacrosse players tend to have a lower body fat percentage compared to other athletes such as football, basketball and ice hockey players.
From a conditioning point of view, lacrosse players are one of the few groups of athletes that will benefit from a phase of hypertrophy strength training to increase lean muscle mass. However, size is not the only objective. Maximal strength, explosive power and endurance are important outcomes of a strength training program. Not surprisingly attackers and defensive players tend to have greater need for strength and power compared to midfield players.
All positions will benefit from both aerobic and anaerobic endurance training, and while this may be more predominant for the midfielders, attacking and defensive players could also improve their performance over 60 minutes with greater stamina.
Speed and agility training is also an important element of a lacrosse training program - for all positions. As with soccer or rugby for example, one of the challenges of designing a suitable lacrosse conditioning plan is combining all the required elements of fitness without one negatively affecting the other.
Active #41 Nicky Polanco, D Biography:
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2008 Season: Polanco played in all 12 games for the Lizards and recorded 38 groundballs. He once again was the ultimate intimidator in professional lacrosse bringing intensity and passion to every game.
2007 Season: Polanco and his intimidating playing style help to lead the Lizards Defense to be one of the bests in the League. Polanco Registered 35 ground balls,
one which he took coast to coast for a goal.
2006 Season: Nicky anchored the team's defense in 2006 and collected 40 ground balls in 10 games for the Lizards.
2005 Season: Lizards pulled off one of hte biggest trades in MLL history in 2005
to bring Polanco home to Long Island. Polanco was named Warrior Defensive Player
of the Year for the second consecutive year. Registered 1 goal and 47 ground balls.
2004 Season: Nicky played in all 12 games and had 44 ground balls for Philadelphia and earned his first Warrior Defensive Player of the Year Award. .
2003 Season: Polanco appeared in all 12 games and had one goal and one assist.
He also scooped up 53 ground balls for Bridgeport.
2002 Season: In his rookie season saw action in four games and added 2 goals
and 7 ground balls. Nick also represented Team USA at the World Games in 2006.
At Hofstra: Polanco was a two-sport star at Hofstra, playing wide receiver for the Pride's football team as well. In his Senior year, Nicky was named NCAA Player of
the Year, as well as his Conference's Defensemen of the Year. Polanco took home first-team All-American honors and was also a candidate for the Inaugural Tewaarton Trophy award. Nicky also played one season of indoor lacrosse for the New York Saints (2003), starting all 16 games and scooping 91 loose balls.
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