Curtis Ward

Curtis Ward
No Spotlight Required — Just Get the Job Done

Position: Defence / Transition
MSL Team: Brampton Excelsiors

The Players Every Team Needs

Watch a lacrosse game long enough and eventually you'll notice something.

The players who receive the most attention aren't necessarily the only ones determining who wins.

Someone has to defend.

Someone has to battle through picks.

Someone has to get into the shooting lane.

Someone has to fight for the loose ball in the corner and somehow come out with it.

And when possession changes, somebody has to get the ball safely into the hands of the offense.

Those jobs don't always produce highlights.
But they produce wins.

That's where a player like Curtis Ward comes in.

Defence First

There's something I appreciate about players who understand exactly what they're being asked to do.

Ward isn't on the floor trying to become something he isn't.

His responsibility begins at the defensive end.
Stay structured.

Communicate.

Make the opposition uncomfortable.

Force the offense to work for every opportunity.

And when the ball hits the floor, compete for it.
It sounds straightforward.
Against Major Series Lacrosse offenses, it certainly isn't.

Every night can mean dealing with NLL stars and some of the best box lacrosse players in the world.

There are no easy assignments.

Wearing the Brampton Jersey

Playing for the Brampton Excelsiors carries its own significance.

This is one of Canadian lacrosse's historic organizations.

The names.

The championships.

The players who have worn that jersey.

There's history everywhere.

For the current generation of Excelsiors, the challenge is building the next chapter.

That requires offensive talent.

It requires goaltending.

But it also requires players willing to establish an identity at the defensive end.

Ward is part of that group.

Life as an MSL Defender

There's no hiding in Major Series Lacrosse.

Look around the league.

One night you're trying to contain Six Nations.

Another night it's Peterborough.

Then Oakville, Cobourg or Brooklin.

Every lineup contains players capable of taking over a game.

A defender can play nearly perfect lacrosse for 20 seconds.

Then make one mistake.

That's all an elite offensive player needs.

So the job requires concentration.

Possession after possession.

Shift after shift.

And if you make a mistake?

Forget it.

Because the next shift is coming.

Turning Defence Into Offence

The modern defensive player can't simply stop at his own restraining line.

Possession changes quickly.

A loose ball becomes a breakout.

A turnover becomes a transition opportunity.

Suddenly, the defender who was battling in his own end seconds earlier is racing the other direction.

That's why I like the term defence/transition.

The two jobs are connected.

Winning possession isn't enough.

What happens next matters too.

Get the ball moving.

Recognize numbers.

Join the rush when it's available.

Or make the smart decision and get off the floor so the offensive unit can go to work.

Sometimes the best play is knowing which one to choose.

Leadership Through Work

Not every leader wears a letter.
And not every leader gives speeches.

Sometimes leadership is much simpler.

Show up.
Prepare.
Do your assignment.
Compete.
Then do it again.

Young teams need those examples.

Brampton has been developing a young group, and players willing to accept difficult defensive responsibilities become particularly valuable in that environment.

Because younger players are watching.
They're learning what Major Series Lacrosse requires.

And sometimes the best lesson isn't something a coach says.

It's watching how the player beside you handles his job.

A Different Kind of Star

That's one of the reasons I wanted players like Curtis Ward included in this series.

If Stars of MSL only means the league's leading scorers, then we're missing an enormous part of the game.

We know who scores.

It's right there on the scoresheet.

But who made the defensive play that started the possession?

Who forced the turnover?

Who won the battle along the boards?

Who prevented the opposition's best player from getting to the middle?

Those players deserve recognition too.

Because their teammates certainly understand their value.

By the Numbers

Position: Defence / Transition
MSL Team: Brampton Excelsiors

Gary Groob's Take

I've said this a few times during this series, and I'll probably say it many more.

You can't understand lacrosse by only looking at the scoring leaders.

Curtis Ward is exactly why.

When I'm covering a game, obviously I'm recording the goals.

Who scored?

Who assisted?

What time?

But I'm also watching what's happening at the other end.

And sometimes there are players doing an excellent job who I barely mention in the article.

That's the nature of game recaps.

A defender might have a terrific night and never appear on the scoresheet.

That doesn't mean I didn't notice him.

Curtis is one of those players.

Playing defense in Major Series Lacrosse isn't exactly an easy way to spend a summer evening.

Look at the offensive players around this league.

Dhane Smith.
Lyle Thompson.
Josh Byrne.
Ryan Lanchbury.
Alex Simmons.
Alex Marinier.
Reilly O'Connor.

And the list keeps going.
Somebody has to defend them.

That's the assignment.

You're probably not going to win every battle.

Nobody does against players at this level.

The question is what happens after you lose one.
Do you recover?

Do you keep competing?

Are you ready for the next shift?

That's what I look for.

I also think players like Curtis are important for Brampton right now.

The Excelsiors are building.

There are young players learning what it takes to compete at this level.

You need stars.

But you also need people willing to do the work that allows those stars to succeed.

That's why I wanted Stars of MSL to be more than a collection of biographies about guys scoring 100 points in the NLL.

The name says Stars of MSL.

To me, that means the people who make Major Series Lacrosse worth watching.

Scorers.

Goalies.

Faceoff players.

Transition players.

Defenders.

Everybody has a story.

And Curtis Ward's story gives us an opportunity to shine some light on the players who usually do their best work away from it.

That's why Curtis Ward belongs among the Stars of MSL.

— Gary Groob