Anthony Shields '20 Recruiting Profile

Lacrosse has been a part of my life for a very long time, ever since I first picked up a stick back when I was 11. I saw lacrosse as an opportunity to escape the monotony of baseball; I wanted to play a fast sport, like football. Little did I know what I was in for. Lacrosse is fast, physical, and very demanding, which was what I loved about it. I had played midfield up until sixth grade until I fell in love with defense. As a football player, I love contact. While I learned the nuances of being a competent defenseman, my love for the contact never faded. There truly is nothing like the sport of lacrosse, and it has helped me develop as an athlete and a person.

Before discussing my high school lacrosse history, I would like to mention my academics first. I have a 4.3 GPA, and currently have 4 Honors classes. This upcoming school year I am taking one Honors class and two AP courses. I am also in advanced Italian.

During my freshman year, I only had one goal: make the varsity lacrosse team. I had many doubters, mainly because of my height. Even some of my coaches doubted me, for after the three days of tryouts, I was not on the varsity roster, but the JV roster. However, one of my coaches, Matt Severino, saw potential in me. I needed to show my tenacity and speed on the field to him as he kept a close eye on me. Three games into the season, I got my first minutes in a varsity game. Six games in, I got my first start. What I bring to the table is tenacity, scrappiness, and heart to everything I do. I am going to mess up sometimes, but I will always do it going at 100%.

I believe that the greatest asset I bring within a game is communication. As defensemen need to talk to one another and to the defensive middies, I am almost always the catalyst of that communication. After a goal, I bring in all six guys and our goalie to talk about what went wrong, and most of the time it is because we had a breakdown in communication. Another asset that I bring is my feet. Defensemen need great feet to stay with their attackmen, and I feel that my feet are my greatest ally. I am not the guy to turn someone over, but rather frustrate them and make them lose the ball themselves.

In conclusion, I am a tenacious player with great feet and a commanding voice to help a defensive unit. I also bring great academic achievement wherever I go. I love lacrosse, there is no other game quite like it.