L.I. Lizards Defenseman Coaches on MTV’s 'MADE'

In between training sessions for the upcoming professional lacrosse season, Long Island Lizards defenseman Nicky Polanco paid a visit to a Long Island teen looking to make her high school lacrosse team for MTV's MADE reality series.

In the episode that aired on Sept. 29, Polanco, who is a Hofstra graduate, was given five weeks to coach Miranda, a teen preparing for her school's varsity lacrosse tryouts. In his role as a MADE coach, Polanco included running, boxing and elements of mixed martial arts into Miranda's conditioning, ultimately guiding her to a spot on the school's varsity team. 

In a pivotal scene in the episode — as well as a testament to Polanco's work ethic and dedication to lacrosse — Miranda told him she was skipping practice to attend a basketball game with her friends. "I just finished training myself," Polanco told the teen. "You're going to have plenty of time to go to basketball games and hang out with your friends all you want, but if you want to be an athlete, this is what it takes."

According to his Long Island Lizards biography, Polanco began his professional lacrosse career in 2002 after he graduated from Hofstra, and was named NCAA Player of the Year, as well the conference's Defensemen of the Year. In addition to his accomplishments in college and with the Lizards, Polanco went on to represent Team USA in the World Games in 2006.

Casey Hilpert, general manager of the Long Island Lizards, said Polanco did a good job of representing the team on MADE. "He is never satisfied with his performance and always strives to be the best on and off the field," Hilpert explained. "He fully understands the game and is able to communicate while teaching it. It doesn't hurt that he has the personality for TV as well."