The best defense stems from solid foot work. At Georgetown, I was introduced to exercises known as plyometrics. This is a resistance-based agility program that builds your explosive muscles. I highly recommend looking into this because they are exercises you can do on your own and don't need to buy any fancy equipment. Also, I attribute a large majority of my success to jumping rope with a weighted leather jump rope (not too much weight).

Stick quickness will come in time as I am still working on improving my stick skills and speed. The stronger you become, the simpler it is to wave the stick around, and I continue to lift weights to achieve higher levels of strength. The more you practice throwing checks the easier they become to land. Make sure you focus on keeping your feet moving while throwing checks. I'm by no means the strongest guy in the world so it goes to show that hard work is the key ingredient.