Stick skills are practice. Game IQ is to a great extent just repetition and good coaching. People make this sport sound like it is the SAT in cleats. I'd say the liability for kids is poor coaching, bad habits. Great coaching getting to great habits are just being confused with this lacrosse IQ drivel. Most elite lacrosse players aren't elite in other sports. They may be strong athletes but if they are not coached and don't get reps in say soccer, they will look like the crude low soccer IQ kids out there. There are plenty of posters here who think great football players can't be good lacrosse players and it confuses a point when they back that up pointing at football kids who pick up lacrosse late and would be great lacrosse players if focused on it. It's just practice.

It always pays to be a great athlete AND have physical stature. There are positional exceptions. An NFL receiver can be 5'9 weigh 80 pounds less than linebackers, and so can cornerbacks. But those players have to be fast as sin. Speed kills and size matters little at those positions. Except for these positions and kickers, football players at a high level need to have a oh shiva stature. In basketball and many other sports it is also needed. I think in lacrosse an attackman can be small but must be fast as sin. At all other positions I have no doubt that these kids have to be both skilled and have the physical stature. I doubt any early verbal at middie, defense or goalie at 5'7 and rail thin will ever play unless they fill out into the stature that strong players in college have. I think this is especially true at defense and goalie. In future years with the growth of the game I think a college defender or goalie under 6'0 and 190-200 will become as rare as a big time college or pro QB in football shorter than 6'0.

Lacrosse will reach a point soon where diminutive size means kids can't play D1 or pro just like other developed sports.