Zach Geddes Schools U15 Youth National Team Midfielder Landon Walters

Two Massachusetts products from different points on the lacrosse journey meet in the middle for a conversation about what it takes to reach the highest levels of the game.

U.S. Sixes National Team standout Zach Geddes reflects on his path from Winchester to Georgetown and the pros, offering insight on multi-sport development, adapting to sixes and chasing Olympic aspirations, while U.S. U15 Youth National Team midfielder Landon Walters looks ahead to his own future.

LW: What team did you play for growing up and what high school did you go to?

ZG: I played for 3D New England and, before that, Blues Lacrosse Club. I grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts. I played for [my town] throughout youth and went to Belmont Hill for high school. Did a year at Andover as well. Great experiences at all of them. Definitely helped build me into the player that I am today. Where do you go to school, Landon?

LW: Right now I’m at Tabor. I’m a freshman.

ZG: Oh, awesome, man. That’s great. ISL representing. That’s great.

LW: How do you feel about representing Team USA?

ZG: I put on the red, white and blue, and it’s such an honor. Every time you go out there and represent Team USA, it’s just a great experience, a ton of fun as well and something that I’ve always aspired to my entire life. It’s been such an honor to play for them. And I’ve been lucky enough to play with a great group of guys as well, which has made all the difference.

LW: What sports did you play growing up and how did those help make you into a better player on the lacrosse field?

ZG: I played every sport growing up. I played hockey, I played basketball, I played baseball, football, obviously lacrosse as well. But my primary sport growing up was football. I was a quarterback. A lot of the leadership from being a quarterback and the vision of passing the ball as a quarterback transferred over to lacrosse as well. Basketball also is a sport that translates to almost everything. The zone defense and the man-to-man defense in lacrosse is very similar to basketball. And at the same time, hockey, the stick skills transfer over. Every single sport that I played has had an influence on my game in lacrosse. I promote kids playing every sport they possibly can because I think the best athletes out there are always multi-sport athletes.

LW: What type of kid were you in the classroom?

ZG: My goal with lacrosse was to get me to a better school than I could get into myself. The classroom was the number one thing. My parents harped on it all the time. If I wasn’t succeeding in the classroom, they weren’t going to let me play any sport. Overall, it was academics, academics, academics and then sports. I wasn’t the straight-A student. I tried my best – A’s and B’s and whatever to get me into the best school I possibly could. But that was the most important thing in my household. And I thank my parents for that. Because long-term, that’s what matters. Four years for the next 40 is what all the coaches say about lacrosse. And it’s totally true.

LW: When did you first play sixes?

ZG: The first time that I played sixes was for the USA team this past fall in the Atlas Cup. Awesome experience. Literally showed up the day before. I had some flight issues. I showed up for that first game against Puerto Rico. We got a win, which was awesome. But that was my first experience playing sixes. I’ve gotten to play for a couple of tournaments for USA and then in the PLL Championship Series. Sixes is awesome. It’s going to do wonders for the game in the Olympics.

LW: What do you like better, field or sixes?

ZG: I love sixes because I get to play offense. I’m a d-middie, typically. I don’t get to venture into the offensive end often. In sixes, I get to be someone who carries the ball and can play some offense. I lean towards sixes, but the 10v10 game is something I’ve grown up playing.

LW: How does the pace of sixes help your level of play at normal lacrosse?

ZG: The conditioning is just so intense. That translates well into the 10v10 game. You’re only on the field for 60 seconds at a time in the 10v10 game. Sixes, sometimes you’re on there for two, three minutes if you do a couple double shifts. It really helps when you get over to the 10v10 game.

LW: Knowing the Olympics are coming, does it make you want to work harder to get that opportunity?

ZG: Absolutely. I mean, that’s the end goal, I think, for a lot of guys. I’m currently in Japan playing sixes and I think everyone that’s here, that’s their end goal — getting to represent USA in the Olympics. It motivates everyone.

LW: What was your college experience like?

ZG: Georgetown was an awesome experience, especially being in D.C. and getting to experience the politics and government. I was there for two presidential elections. And Coach Warne was an awesome coach. Really taught me how to play team defense, how to be a team player. Those lessons that I learned at Georgetown were invaluable. I continue to lean on those today as I play in the PLL and for USA.

LW: What advice can you give to help me in my future lacrosse career with recruiting and trying to be successful?

ZG: Be coachable. Coaches like to coach guys who take their lessons, learn from them and improve. Be someone who’s willing to take criticism. But understand that it’s not just criticism, it’s advice. You want that. It’s a privilege to be coached like that.