Yup I played field in high-school while in canada, generally played middie with a preference for defence. We took second place two consecutive years in provicials and three of us were offered a place on the national team.
Stupidly, I declined thinking working and University was going to be more important.
Later I had a short stint as practice coach during graduate studies. Totally out of shape I was able to walk all over the team players. When I say walk I mean literally, since they were in far better shape than I was. But no skills nor commitment, it just really sucked. 8-years of not playing I could still handle the ball better than they could and they were not willing to even run ball drills, posession tactics, slots... needless to say the team sucked. But what can you do when the coach is just figurative and won't even come to practice.
My best suggestion for field or box players, get two alum sticks, a piece of 3/8" steel rod stock, some wood dowel, and epoxy.
For practice use the very heavy handle...
Remove the head, fill the handle with some of epxoy before it hardens insert the steel rod stock 3" shorter than the stick, fill with rest with epoxy.
Its a bitch to practice with but, run patterns, pass, drills, slots, ball control, etc, don't bother shooting with it. You'll get the upper body, forearm, wrist, strength to have what it takes. Try not to hurt your team in practice.
Then for a game/after practice scrims use the exact same head with a wood dowel driven down the center of the stick. It will feel like a feather and hit like a brick. Your opponents will have no problem dropping the ball for you. Remember to practice with this stick as well since the heavy handle won't pass or shoot the same as the wood handle.
Light sticks and shafts are for pussies, I still have my alum with a wood dowel... yup still bent like a banana from years of hitting people with it. Gotta love a game where 50% of the skills required includes hitting the opposing team with a stick.
BTW, in the original LaCrosse game. They were played in a fields over a mile long with sticks about 10 feet long. The captain of the winning team had the choice of decapitating or hitting the opposing teams captain in the head with his stick. No they didn't wear helmets...