Built, Not Born: The Character Traits of a Great Draw Athlete

Great draw athletes are built, not born, and the traits that matter most are ones you can start training this week.

Maybe you've been in the stands watching a women's lacrosse game, eyes locked on the center circle, thinking, I want to be the one out there. If that sounds like you, keep reading.

Every possession starts with the draw. Win it, and your team has the ball. So it's no surprise that players, parents, and coaches all ask me the same thing: Do I have what it takes?

After more than 20 years of coaching, here's my honest answer. Quick hands help. But character is what separates a good draw athlete from a great one. Skills can be taught. Character decides whether you keep showing up, keep improving, and keep winning the next draw, especially right after you've lost one.

And here's the best part: every trait in this post can be developed. You don't need all of them today. You just need to understand what the role asks of you and be willing to put in the reps.

What Does a Draw Athlete Actually Do?

The draw athlete steps into the center circle to start the game and again after every goal. The goal is easy to say and hard to master: control the ball off the draw and give your team the best possible chance to gain possession and score.

Each draw lasts only a moment, but that moment comes up again and again over a game. That's why the role is as much about mindset as it is about mechanics.

Quick Self-Check: Does This Sound Like You?

Read through the list below and check off whatever fits you right now. Be honest. This isn't a test; it's a starting line.

• Dedication: I show up, put in the work, and actually love the grind.
• Persistence: Win or lose, I'm already thinking about the next draw.
• Competitiveness: I love going head to head, and I hate losing.
• Drive: I want to get better without anyone telling me to.
• Pursuit of excellence: Progress, not perfection. I make small improvements every day.
• Passion: I genuinely love this game.
• Discipline: I stick to the plan and the routine, and I know my priorities.
• Resilience and composure: I stay calm in big moments and bounce back from mistakes.
• Accountability and confidence: I own my results and trust my preparation.
• Humility and leadership: I take coaching well and communicate with my teammates.

Checked a few? Great start. Checked most of them? You're ahead of the game. Checked almost none? Stick with me, because every one of these can be built.

The 10 Character Traits of a Great Draw Athlete

1. Dedication

The draw is a repetition skill. Control comes from reps, and reps come from showing up.

How to build it:

• Set a simple weekly rep goal and write it down.
• Train on the days you don't feel like it. Even a short session counts.
• Follow a structured plan, like printable draw workouts, so you always know what to do next.

2. Persistence

You're going to lose draws. Every draw athlete does. Persistence is what keeps you working through the stretches when it just isn't clicking.

How to build it:

• Pick one thing to fix and stay on it until it improves.
• Use one-handed and two-handed draws to slow down and focus on control instead of rushing past what's hard.
• Track your sessions so you can see progress that won't show up in a single game.

3. Competitiveness

The draw is a one-on-one battle. You have to want it more than the player across from you.

How to build it:

• Compete in practice. Keep score against a partner or against yourself.
• Play ping pong draws, going back and forth for quick, repeated head-to-head battles.
• Channel it the right way: fierce on the whistle, respectful after it.

4. Drive

Drive is what gets you out the door for extra reps when nobody is checking.

How to build it:

• Set a specific goal for the season and break it into weekly targets.
• After every session, ask yourself: what did I do today to get better?
• Find a training partner who pushes you.

5. Pursuit of Excellence

Draw taking comes down to small details: your setup, your timing, your control. Excellence lives in those details.

How to build it:

• Treat every rep like it counts, even warm-up reps.
• Use power draws to practice a clean, controlled finish, not just a hard one.
• End each session by naming your best rep and why it worked.

6. Passion

Passion turns repetition into practice you actually want to do. It's the fuel behind everything else on this list.

How to build it:

• Watch draws at higher levels and study what you like.
• Keep practice fun with games like waterfall draws, x marks the spot, or ping pong draws.
• Remember why you started, and keep that vision in front of you.

7. Discipline

Discipline means doing it the right way every time, including when it's boring.

How to build it:

• Use the same pre-draw routine on every single rep.
• Follow the plan you set before practice starts.
• Rest, eat, and recover like it's part of training, because it is.

8. Resilience and Composure Under Pressure

The draw happens in tense moments, often right after a goal. You need to reset fast and stay calm.

How to build it:

• Build a reset routine: one breath, one cue word, next draw.
• Practice under pressure by adding a score, a count, or a consequence to your reps.
• After a lost draw, give yourself five seconds, then move on.

9. Accountability and Confidence

Confidence isn't bragging. It's trust in the work you've put in. Accountability means owning your misses, because that's how you fix them.

How to build it:

• After each game or session, name one thing you did well and one thing to fix.
• Don't blame the opponent, the whistle, or the field. Look at your own rep.
• Let your preparation be the source of your confidence.

10. Humility, Coachability, and Leadership

No draw athlete works alone. Humility helps you learn, and leadership helps everyone around the circle know the plan.

How to build it:

• Ask your coach for one piece of feedback, then apply it on your very next rep.
• Talk through the plan with your teammates before the whistle.
• Try shot caller draws, where a teammate calls the target or direction, so you practice communicating and responding in real time.

Don't Forget the Skill Side

Character gets you to the circle and keeps you improving, but you still need the physical tools. Here's a quick checklist to pair with the traits above:

• Quick hands and explosiveness: Practice quick pop draws and short bursts. Think fast hands, not big hands.
• Timing and reaction: Use a whistle-start video on YouTube to sharpen your reaction to the whistle.
• Wrist and forearm strength: Add grip and forearm work that fits your age and level. Check with your coach or a trainer first.
• Footwork and positioning: Get set the same way every time, and film yourself to check your stance.

So, Are You a Fit?

You're likely a strong fit if you thrive in small, high-pressure moments, you enjoy mastering one skill deeply, and you show up for reps when no one is watching.

You can still become a great fit if you're new to the draw but curious, a few of these traits feel weak right now but you're willing to work on them, and you take feedback well.

Either way, the path forward is the same: put in the work.

Getting the Reps In: Where Training Equipment Fits

Character shows up in the reps, but getting enough reps is hard when you're waiting on a full team practice. That's exactly why I created the Draw Pro Lacrosse Trainer.

Draw Pro lets you practice draws from a range of heights, and two to three players can train on one unit at the same time. It sets up and breaks down in under 30 seconds, so your time goes to reps, not setup. To round out your training, Draw Pro also offers printable draw workouts to guide your sessions and a 25 lb DP weight plate for strength work.

Your Next Step

Don't try to fix everything at once. Pick one trait from the checklist, choose one drill that builds it, and start this week.

Ready to get serious about your draw? Check out the Draw Pro Lacrosse Trainer, printable workouts, and more at www.drawprolacrosse.com.

Build the reps. Build the character. Win the draw.