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MLL New York Lizards

For the Love of the Game: Steve Holmes

December 21, 2015 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New York Lizards News Release


There is much to be said about the Major League Lacrosse players that are constantly in the spotlight - the standouts. They're constantly winning awards and more often than not, they are NOT defenseman. Defenseman, though, play a huge role on the team but their numbers, tallied in groundballs and turnovers, are not met with the same awe as goals or saves. Nevertheless, these athletes are just as committed to making lacrosse a world-renowned sport.

Steve Holmes is one such defenseman for the New York Lizards. One of the best in the league as far as we're concerned, but he rarely holds the spotlight. Since joining the Lizards in 2014, Steve has started 24 games, picking up 45 groundballs and causing countless turnovers. He was, most recently, invited to training camp for the U.S. Indoor National Team, and serves as a mentor to younger defenseman like 2015 Defensive Player of the Year Joe Fletcher.

Steve was one of the first on the Lizards to jump at the opportunity to be a part of this content series because he felt that there was a lot to be said about working full-time in lacrosse and pouring everything you have into a sport just to see it grow.

When not on the Lizards turf, Steve is still on the playing field coaching young lacrosse athletes as the founder and defensive specialist for Fusion Lacrosse. We sat down with him to discuss the overarching benefits of organizations like Fusion to the world of lacrosse, the perspectives of a coach vs. athlete and why covering Rob Pannell in practice is one of his least favorite parts of his job.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about where you grew up?

SH: I grew up in a suburban area outside of Philadelphia, called Lower Gwynedd. It was a pretty nice place to grow up living near a lot of friends, pretty close to school and all sorts of youth sports teams in the area to play for. Growing up as a Philadelphia sports fan was a lot of fun and I was lucky enough to go to a lot of professional games for a bunch of the local sports teams.

Q: Did you play any other sport besides lacrosse?

SH: I was a big football guy growing up. I have a lot of great memories playing high school football. I spent a year playing football at the University of Virginia before deciding to focus on lacrosse full-time.

Q: Who originally introduced you to lacrosse?

SH: My 7th grade buddies in middle school.

Q: Why did you decide to play lacrosse professionally after playing at the University of Virginia?

SH: As a competitive athlete, it was a no brainer to continue playing the game you love at the highest level. On top of that, playing professionally gave me the opportunity to live in California and Colorado and travel the country.

Q: MLL is a league in which players play mostly for the love of the game, how does this speak to the passion players have for lacrosse?

SH: There's no question that all the players in the league love playing the game of lacrosse and trying to help their team win an MLL championship. I also think there is a collective passion to see the sport grow. Because we love the sport we want to see others have the opportunity to be a part of this game as well and one day see the pro league get national recognition. So I think that also has something to do with the motivation to play professionally.

Q: Can you speak about your organization, Fusion Lacrosse?

SH: I've always had a passion for coaching and it is something I just love to do. I've dedicated most of my time after college to coaching and have learned so much over the past 10 years from so many incredible lacrosse minds and players. With the experience I accumulated and love for coaching it seemed natural to try and make a career out of it.

In 2013 I teamed up with fellow professional Kevin Crowley, and we formed Fusion Lacrosse which is a youth-high school training, travel, and events company based out of West Chester, PA. Fusion lacrosse was named in part, for the idea of combining or 'fuzing' field and box lacrosse skills. We believe training with both box lacrosse and field lacrosse from our experts is a huge developmental advantage.

Our company has been very successful in the past few years and we are still young. The unexpected great parts of the job are the bonds we form with fellow coaches, young players, and families, which has been incredibly rewarding.

Q: How do you believe Fusion Lacrosse is helping grow the game?

SH: I think in a couple ways. Our young players in the Fusion program have a direct line to the professional game, as Myself (Lizards), Kevin Crowley (Charlotte Hounds), Luke Wiles (Buffalo Bandits), Eric Hoffman (Phila. Wings), and Alex Turner (Colorado Mammoth), are all former or current professional players (both MLL and NLL) on staff that the kids see every day at practice. Our Fusion families are great supporters of our professional careers and regularly travel to New York or down to Chesapeake for our games. We keep everyone aware of our schedule and when games are on TV. We also have Ryan Sankey on staff, who is a talented coach and offensive coordinator at Conestoga High School and his brother Joey (Hounds) will help us out from time to time. I think first and foremost we are growing the game amongst our players and families because we love the game and are passionate about it, and that rubs off.

Q: You have had much success as a coach at the High School level and as an assistant at Virginia. How gratifying is it seeing your teams having so much success?

SH: Coaching is awesome because you can see a level a player, or a team can reach that they might not necessarily see themselves. The art of coaching and the fun part is helping them see it for themselves and I enjoy that process. During that process you create great bonds with players and teams as a whole. Watching players succeed and reach these heights is extremely gratifying.

A National Championship or League Championship is never the goal at the start of the season; it is about recognizing potential and setting goals that players and the team may not even see at first. I've been lucky enough to be a part of two championship teams as a coach, the 2011 UVA National Championship team, and the #1 Nationally ranked 2013 Malvern Prep team. I continue to coach at Malvern Prep as their defensive coordinator today along with extremely talented coaches; Head Coach John McEvoy and Assistants Matt McCormick and Matt Mackrides.

Q: Do you receive more gratification out of winning as a coach or player?

SH: Good question! I think they're just different. Winning as a player is a little more personal because a lot of times it's you against yourself. Especially in the MLL you spend countless hours by yourself in the gym or on the track, and you need to constantly be pushing yourself without a coach yelling at you to do something. And when you know your teammates are doing the same thing and giving everything they have week in and week out there is a great bond that develops. Coaching is different because you're sort of projecting your belief onto other people and acting as a guide. I would assume its a little like being what a parent is like, you believe in your kids and root them on and give them all the tools you can to succeed, and when they do you feel great.

Q: Is it difficult working full-time and still having to train as a professional athlete?

SH: Yes, but not as difficult as an office job would be. I spend plenty of time in front of the computer but I also spend a lot of time coaching on a lacrosse field with a stick in my hands. Coaching 10 hours a week with a stick in my hands kind of takes care of wall ball for the week and many times I'll workout before or after a Fusion practice.

Time management is always the most difficult part for me and I assume most of the other players and coaches as well, as there rarely seems to be enough time to do everything. But if you plan your time properly leading into the week I find I really enjoy the balance of working, and working-out.

Q: As someone who lives outside of the New York area, how challenging is it to travel to practices and home games in Long Island?

SH: It's probably the number one hazard of the job. But at least I don't have to fly, right?!

Q: Can you take us through your schedule while in season?

SH: Mon-Thurs 8am-2pm office work with Fusion; 2pm-4pm workouts; 4-6pm Malvern Practice; 7pm- 10pm dinner and emails; Friday travel and Friday night practice; Saturday game time! Sunday, sleep in and coach our Fusion teams in the afternoon.

Q: What is your favorite and least favorite part about playing in the MLL?

SH: I'll start with my least favorite in no particular order. Delayed and cancelled flights. New York/Long Island traffic. Having to figure out how to cover Rob Pannell in practice. Best parts are a lot. The bonds you form with teammates and finding ways to win against the best competition in the world.

Q: What are your thoughts on expansion? Do you think a team can be successful in non-traditional market like Atlanta?

SH: Yes, I think the sport can flourish anywhere because the sport itself is great and the pro game is fun to watch. The vision and commitment of the owners and front office is key though - in how they are selling the product and how they are delivering the product. There are plenty of lacrosse families and prospective fans in Atlanta.

Q: Lastly, what is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

SH: I like to travel and Im a big outdoors guy. If I can find time for those things thats what I like to do.

Fusion lacrosse is hosting a winter box tournament on Jan 16th and 17th in the Philadelphia area and only a few spots remain. Click HERE to register.

Catch Steve and the rest of their Lizards as they fight to defend the Lizards MLL title during the 2016 season. Season tickets can be purchased by calling 1-855-NYLizards. Individual game tickets coming soon.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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