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Garrett Smith’s lacrosse career began not unlike that of his brother, Brad, a 2015 Under Armour All-American and now a freshman at Duke University.

Just like his brother, Garrett played midfield.

But then came a change in position sparked by another family member.

“When my rec team needed a goalie in fifth grade, I decided to give it a try because my sister was also a goalie,” Smith said.

Now a sophomore at Mountain Lakes High School (NJ), Smith is one of the nation’s top varsity netminders. This past week, he decided where he will be making his saves in college, giving a verbal commitment to Notre Dame, a decision first reported by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section. 

The 6-foot, 175-pound Smith, a righty, is coming off a strong summer in which he was an all-star at both FLG3D and the NXT Summer Invitational. He also performed well at the Maverik Showtime National Lacrosse Recruiting Spotlight.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Garrett on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
I wanted a school that was very competitive academically and had a strong lacrosse program – Notre Dame has both.

Meeting the coaches and players sealed the deal as everything about my visit gave me the feeling Notre Dame was the right fit for me.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I was considering and visited Harvard, Brown, Yale and Georgetown.

Have you decided what academic major you plan to pursue?
Although I’m still undecided, I enjoy chemistry and math and think I will look into a major in engineering or business.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I quarterback the defense by having a good read on the whole field and communicating well with my defensemen. I think I have a high lacrosse IQ as well.

What area of your game do you need to work on?
I want to continue improving my technique and reaction time.

How did you get introduced to lacrosse and what other sports have you played?
My dad (Michael Smith) played lacrosse at Hobart, so my sisters, Sarah and Lauren, my brother, Brad, and I were all introduced to the sport at a very young age.

I also began playing soccer and basketball at a young age and have been playing ever since.

What travel team do you play on what showcase events did you participate in?
I play for Laker Future and STEPS lacrosse.  In the past year I attended Maverik Showtime, the Prep School Showcase, the Philly Showcase, FLG3D, and NXT.

Any final thoughts and people you want to thank for helping you reach this point?
I’d love to thank my parents and family for all their support through this process and especially my brother for shooting on me.  I’d also like to thank Coach Flynn and the rest of the Mountain Lakes coaching staff, and Coach Kovachik and the rest of the STEPS coaches.

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