Photo cred: Brian A. Westerholt
To run through the accolades that Kyle Harrison has received in his lacrosse career would not do enough justice to explain what he has meant to the modern midfield position. He is a trend setter and a game changer who can cause problems on both sides of the field for the opposing team. Kyle played collegiately at Johns Hopkins University where he amassed 57 goals and 25 assists while winning the Tawaaraton Award in 2005 and leading his team to a National Championship. Professionally, Kyle has competed in the MLL and the LXM PRO Tour. In the MLL, Kyle is a mainstay on the first midfield line with the Ohio Machine leading them to the playoffs the last two seasons. He has 102 goals in his entire MLL career.
What head and shaft are you using?
I’m currently using an STX Stallion head & handle.
What kind of pocket are you using?
- Mesh: I’m rockin’ with the STX Dry Mesh Lite right now.
- Pocket placement: I use a mid-pocket with mild/little whip. Nothing crazy so it allows me to get the ball out of my stick quickly, but can snap a shot with a little more pace as well.
How do you tape your sticks?
As far as taping my handle goes, nothing overly exciting here. Just a bit of tape forwards the bottom of my stick as a reminder where my top hand should be when shooting, and a butt end made of tape about 2 inches above the bottom of the handle.
Why do you like this set up?
As for why I like that set up, like most athletes I’m a creature of habit. It’s how I’ve always taped my stick, for the most part. The butt end made of tape is move a bit over the years (up a little, down a little), but other than that, it’s been how I’ve always tape it.
How has your stick changed since college?
I played with a damn tennis racket in college, so, my pocket has certainly gotten bigger. I was always so afraid of having an illegal stick when I was younger (youth league) that I just learned to play with no pocket. It stuck with me until I became a pro and needed to put a little zip on the ball.
Any superstitions or funny stories?
No crazy superstitions or anything like that. I say a prayer before leaving the locker room, and another once I step on the field.
You were the first modern midfielder to make the jump shot integral in your game, where did it come from?
The jump shot, for me, came pretty naturally. When I was younger, I was a pretty confident basketball player in terms of going to the hoop and trying to explode to the bucket. So, when I saw someone take a jump shot for the first time, it looked like a similar motion to me as exploding to the hoop in basketball. It instantly made sense. For me, the jump or hop into the shot made it easier for me rotate my hips while shooing on the run.
What drills are you doing to prepare for the MLL season?
As far as training goes for this MLL season, obviously, it’s a grind. From weights, to cardio, to agility, to speed, to recovery, and that’s not even including the parts of my game I’ve worked to improve. I think you can ask any MLL player about off season training, and you’d get a lot of the same answers. We all love the process of preparing for the season and everything that goes into it. So, as hard as it is, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
You’ve had a partnership with STX for many years now, what has been the best part about working with such a respected company?
I’m entering my 10th year as an STX athlete and it certainly has been a dream come true. From creating my own equipment line, to building a brand, it’s been an incredible learning environment for me. We’ve got a few projects in the works for my 10th anniversary that I’m fired up about! Stay tuned….
What is the most important thing you stress to young midfielders?
For younger midfielders, don’t specialize. Stay on the field and play defense, play offense, jump on the wings of face offs. Play every part of the game you can. Obviously as you get to higher levels of the sport (college, Pro), guys are put in the positions that they do best, but while you’re game is developing, you should be staying on the field as a midfielder. And lastly (but maybe most importantly), stay on the wall! Work on that stick work EVERY SINGLE DAY.
