coach B's Lacrosse blog

The playing time dilema

2012-01-12T09:47:00.003-05:00

Check out this recent question from a concerned parent...

Coach B,

Read an article on your blog and have a real scenario and inquiry for you. My son is in 8th grade with one year experience playing LAX. He is middle level compared to the other players. He made the school team(8th grade, 7th grade, couple of 6th graders) for a total of 18 boys. He has attended every practice(and has been practicing at home). My son was dressed and ready for the first game(with no reasons not to play), but I watched my son stand for 4 quarters on the sidelines, not having played one second of that game. The coach played his choice of players, little rotation, but again my son, was not assigned by the coach to play in the game.

My response...

This is a huge problem nationally at this level. I recently polled the top coaches and lacrosse minds in my database the following question:

1. in your opinion what should is the most important element of a middle school lacrosse program?

to teach players technique and how to play the game correctly 87.5%
to be highly competitive and develop a winning attitude 0.0%
to have fun and make friends 2.5%
to be a feeder program for JV and Varsity programs 10%

0% said wins and being highly competitive was important.

I have coached the U15 level for over a decade. My organization's and my personal philosophy is that playing time is way more important than wins at this level.

I have had 2 sons go through a middle school program. One is 20 and a college player now. What the coach may not know, is the kids don't remembers wins, scores, games, or even coaches for that matter when they get older.

They do remember being benched, being humiliated by coaches, and feeling horrible about not getting on the field. Its the MS coaches job to teach the game and create a love of the game, in my humble opinion.

Playing only a few kids will create the opposite. We carry 23-25 per team and get them all in. In big games we double shift first lines, when playing lesser opponents we bench the first line guys. They are the athletes and have thick skin. If anyone can handle some time off its the gold line guys.

One of my tricks of the trade is I assign newer players to experienced players. The 'captains" are responsible for mentoring the new guys. They have to answer to the coach about the progress of younger a new guys progress. It creates am inclusive atmosphere. Now players learn a teaching role, leadership, and take pride in the progress of "their guy". They no longer feel excluded.

I personally never want to be remembered as a the coach who benched kids or had a win at all cost mentality. What your coach may not know is that will be his legacy.

What happens is kids start believe that standing on a sideline all game while first line players have fun is what the game of lacrosse is all about. Its NOT.

The most important kids on a team are the ones that can't. Its our job as coaches to find out where they can. The game has so many positions that can be utilized by a coach to get kids in. Face offs, wings on face offs, defensive midfield, man down team, man up team, long stick midfielder, crease attack, back up goalie, etc.

The only exception is if a coach, organization, or team explains to all parents and players BEFORE the season they are focusing on wins alone, and that equal playing time will not be addressed,then its the parents and players choice to be part of that and decide.

Offense that works for youth

2011-12-01T12:47:00.003-05:00

Lets face it, you need goals to win games. You can be the best defense on the planet, but if your team is unable to put it in the back of the cage, you will have a long season.

There is no "right" offense or formation. There are things that work and don't work based on your skill level and personnel. When it comes to young lacrosse programs and youth clubs, unfortunately talent and skill are sometimes hard to find.

Instead of blogging about a system that works, I will give you a list of thing that may NOT.

1/ Trying to complete too many passes - Attack the cage. Its great watch Virgina on ESPNU bang it around the horn, but most likely our guys will drop it, throw it away or force a pass to someone who is covered. Get the ball to Mids or Attack who can cradle and drive the cage with out getting stripped.Teach them to make easy feeds to the open man when a slide comes.

2/Running set "plays". Multiple picks, you go here, you cut there, you pass, you don't,etc. usually results in failure with unskilled players. Teach stick protection, moving to open space, rolling away from pressure, climbing the latter and dodging. "Find the fish"-isolate a weak defender long pole or otherwise and iso him.

3/Sets with 2 on the crease- "duces (222) and 141 sets look great on the whiteboard. The problem becomes you need 4 solid players on the perimeter of these sets who can pass the ball the extra distance, who can move to throw and catch and who can feed guys in tight spaces. Any time I see a young team put two on the crease I pressure out on ball and adjacent and watch it implode. Stick with one one crease or even a circle offense with no one on the crease. "wheel" offense means kids are closer together and passes are easier to make.

4/Settling the ball frequently - In youth lacrosse that just might mean "wait until the opposing defense is set up". Teach transition, transition, transition. Practice odd man scenarios all the time. Push the ball hard, especially if you have some kids with wheels on the squad. Catch the defense off guard with players stuck up field who are gassed or not dropping in. I suggest settling a bit only when your defense needs a rest.

Some other key points to youth offense is teaching players how to shoot and more importantly WHERE to shoot. I spend a lot of time and energy on instructing changing planes on shots (high to low) and what I call the "red zone", the area off stick and back pipe on a goal. Make sure shooters learn to shoot for specific areas of the cage and not to see the goalie, but see the twine.

Put every player in the cage for a few tennis ball shots. They will quickly learn what is an easy save and what is not.

more soon, take care

Stick skills - a plan of action

2011-10-16T09:04:00.008-04:00

To play the game well, we must have players who can throw, catch, cradle and shoot well.

I hear coaches all the time complaining that “my kids can’t catch and throw.”

Its like saying “my car isnt running” and there is no fuel in the tank.

Unfortunately we dont have pratices 6 days a week to do stickwork, at the youth and HS levels.
Spring Practices can be infrequent, fields are muddy, weather can be horrible, etc.

Plus we need to work on that offense, rides and clears, defense, face offs, etc. - you get the message.

Here is a plan of action to make a ton of progress in the most important aspect of the game.

1. Bring as many balls as humanly possible.

I live by the rule of 250. I bring 4 ball bags to every practice. Each has 62 or more in there. I will beg, borrow, fundraise, find a rich parent, or get sponsored by a local lax store to get balls. I refill the balls before every practice from my “vat” of balls, which I contant keep at 500+. I once showed up to a U15 practice and the coach had 14 balls in his team ball bag! The players best skill was hunting balls and chasing missed shots. If you are committed to quick improvement you must have the ammunition to do so. "We dont have money " is a lame excuse. Find a way to buy ammunition, otherwise you will lose the battle.

2. Check all sticks BEFORE the season starts.

Pockets wear out. Younger players string them like crap. They think a ton of “whip” is good. It is if you are a crease guy, the rest of the players need two things. Hold and a smooth release. Appoint a stick doctor, if you are not one yourself. Buy a spool of side wall and hockey lace. Make sure EVERYONE has a perfect throwing stick that has a perfect pocket. Dont be afraid to tell parents that their kid needs a new head. They have great heads out there that are inexpensive. I see kids all the time with rotten hand me downs from a bygone era. Send those to the mantle or land fill.

3. Attend passing drills.

Too many coaches think the passing drill is a time socialize with assistants. Teach, teach, teach. I have one drill I love, a simple partner passing drill. Players face each other 10 yards apart and catch and throw passes. The drill allows coaches to "walk the ranks” by moving up and down the line behind the players. Put a pile of balls at their feet. Make sure they are standing correctly. Teach them that the game is played up and behind the body. Teach kids to catch and throw “in the box”. Teach them to “listen to the ball” catching it as it goes past their helmets. This drill is to be done daily.

Catch and throw right,catch and throw left, catch left throw right, catch right throw left. Split dodge and throw, face dodge and throw, throw one handed, back handed, mix it up and make it fun and challenging. DO NOT CHASE BAD PASSES. Pick one up and continue. Keep this drill flowing, and teach every day. They will get better if the get the reps. NOTE: Teach kids to communicate, call for the ball every time. Show a target. Stay on them.

Break up the “we got skills” club. Assign newer players an experienced player as a partner. Instead of hammering a new or struggling player, make the experienced guy accoutable for the development of the newer guy.

4. Simulate game scenarios in passing drills.

Use drills that make kids catch and throw on the run. Make them catch and throw under pressure, light pressure early in the season, heavier as we move on. Get rid of line drills. Replace them with star drills, 4 corner drills, maze drills, break outs, etc. Get 2 to 3 balls going in passing drills. Plan and count “touches”. Make sure drills are short, up tempo and never have more than 6-8 players in lines. I like to have postions work together so they get used to each other in games. i.e. Mids with Mids, Attack with Attack, Close D with Goalies. LSMs go with mids, thats who they pass to in games. Its ok to mix it up, but also good to break it down by postion as well.

Good luck and Good Lax.

-coach B

Play the game with speed

2011-06-29T09:08:00.003-04:00

What a busy Spring. Not much time to blog. Summer is in full swing with travel team action, always a great place to teach.

One of the challenges about a select team is you may have talented players, but the come from many different systems or "lack of systems".

Old habits must be broken and new ones must be taught.

One of the focuses this year is to get players to start playing the game with speed.

Too many hold the ball, dodge too many times, move into double teams, and throw lazy lob passes.

A simple way to change that is to simply have a 3 second count in practices (5 seconds for U15 and younger).

i.e. If you are running a transition drill, or a drill that features game situations, (4v4),(6v6), etc., as soon as a player picks a ball off the ground or receives a pass, start your count out loud. ONE,TWO,THREE.If a player has not moved the ball after the 3 count whistle it dead and start a new ball the other way.

You should see quick results towards an uptempo game. Players who hog the ball will simply be eliminated. Players have to move to space to receive passes and get open.

Stick to you guns, it take discipline to rune the count all day. After time the count won't be needed. The IQ will be built in.

One important note. On even situations such as a 6v6, move the ball through X quickly and attack the back side.

Separating the men from the boys

2011-05-07T09:40:00.005-04:00

Carry, carry, carry, dodge 1, dodge 2, dodge 3 - get hammered or throw a weak pass or bad angle shot, turn it over.

Is this your youth offense? MS Offense? JV Offense?

I scout two to three youth , JV, or Varsity games a week from March to May. I can't tell you how many times I've had the pleasure to see the above mentioned play what seems like a thousand times.

I even heard coaches talk about running drills to teach kids how "to beat a double team”.

The worst scenario is when a kid executes the "ball hog triple team goal", I've seen coaches pat them on the back and throw some congratulatory high fives. The parents (who I love dearly) always reinforce these plays with a chorus of cheers.

Remember the line "stop the insanity?” That applies here.

After observing this as a lacrosse coach for over a decade, I have made teaching players to move the rock one of my top priorities lately.

Here are a couple of quick tips and drills to get it done.

1/ 5 SECOND RULE

If you run alot of O vs. D drills, (6v6,5v5, 4v4, etc) put in the 5 second rule. i.e. in a full field drill or scrimmage, make any player holding the ball more than 5 seconds a violation. Blow the whistle and start a new ball anywhere on the field. This keeps the play moving and gives you an opportunity to work on clears, transition, crease GB's, any number of scenarios simply by blowing the whistle and restarting. If you are trying to break down a serious ball hog, award possession to the other team in a free clear scenario. It won't be long until everyone is telling him "MOVE THE BALL".

2/ 30 SECOND DRILL

Get into a skeleton offense and time how many touches a team can make on the clock.
You can do two teams of 6, 3 teams of 4, even for teams of 3.

The 4's can get into a box or diamond, the 3's can get into triangles. They key here is to make it a competition with losers doing sprints,push ups or crunches, etc. The point is to make 2 teams of the same amount of kids work against the clock and each other.

The biggest difference I,ve noticed between experienced teams and ones who are not is not only the stick skills, but the speed in which they move the ball. Allowing your kids to move slow lazy passes around the perimeter is not helping them. Establish a tempo and make it a goal to greatly increase the speed in which they move the ball. If any of you have ever seen a DI team live, you know what I mean. Their speed of ball movement is unreal.

Staying under control is paramount, make sure they stay under control.

3/ I TOLD YOU SO DEMO.

Get in colors. Put 4 defenders in the hole. Put 6 offensive guys in the circle offense or a formation of your choice. Instruct the O to get 20 touches with no intention of attacking the cage. After you count 20, bring all 10 players in tight.The D guys will be gasping for air. Show the offense what happens when you control the ball and move it quickly.

Another demo is to take the most feared long sticks on the team and run them in an intense footwork or conditioning drill. Get them good and gassed. Now run fresh offensive guys against them 1 v 1. They will be easily dodged and scored on.

Coaches can talk all day about wearing them (the D) down, or yell "move the ball around." Unless we actually show them why, youth players don't get it.

next post we’ll have some more on ball movement...

Build up to 2 on the crease.

2011-04-26T13:50:00.006-04:00

The 1-4-1 is one of my favorite offensive formations. Its a great zone buster and if executed correctly, a real bear to defend.

The question is can a JV or middle school run it? Here are some tips to give it a try.

My experience on running offenses at this level has been good, bad, and ugly.

Lets set up some guide lines and progressions.

I am a strong follower of practicing in progressions. i.e. starting with 1v1s, then 2v1, 2v2, etc. Building up.

The same hold true in teaching youth lacrosse players offense.

1. Make sure you can run a zero on the crease Offense first. (circle)

Does your team understand the concept of moving the ball around the “horn”? I like to start teaching offense in the circle or wheel offense. Passes are shorter, you have 2 behind, and its also a great way to start any other formation, by going to the wheel first. Drills can include running a skeleton offense (no D) or 6 on 3 or 4 first to help get the ball moving. Use 2 “teams” of 6 offensive players, say black vs. white. With a stopwatch see how many touches a team can get in 30 seconds. Teach catching on the outside shoulder, rolling away from pressure to pass, and moving to throw and catch. Have the 2nd “team’ step in for the next 30. Teach tempo, not rushing. “be quick but don’t hurry” is one of my sayings.

2. Next put 1 on the crease and see if we can execute with 5 on the perimeter. The passes get a little longer now around the horn and we can teach basic crease positioning, and exchanging players on the crease. The 231 set is the most common using a middie as your crease man, or you can run a 312 with an attack on the crease. I like having 3 mids topside in youth lacrosse, because of the excessive turn overs. If we have 3 mids topside when (not if, WHEN) we cough up the ball, at least you can defend transition better from this set. Again run a bunch of skeleton to teach quick ball movement, and to get them used to moving it at least 7 or 8 times around the horn before a dodge, picks, or cuts happen.

3. Finally, if you have personnel that can handle it, go to a 2on the crease look. Now we have a new dynamic. The passes are much longer around the diamond, and with only 4 players on the outside, it may be difficult to achieve. The biggest challenge for this formation, is it is MANDATORY that players move to every pass and move to every throw. I do a drill that uses 8 cones to show them where they need to move to catch the ball and a second cone to show them where they need to move to throw a pass. This concept is NON-NEGOTIABLE. Pick the kids that understand this concept.

One drill I stole from Virginia that is very helpful. Set up 4 lines in a diamond formation. The lines should include offensive players, its not important what position goes where. Start with a ton of extra balls in each line. The ball should be passed to the adjacent line by the first player in line. Then he simply goes to the back of the line. The player in the next line catches the ball and moves it adjacent as well. Add a second ball as soon as they understand the drill. The trick to this drill, is the passes should be as hard as the players can throw while maintaining control. (no wind up shots, just hard passes). Be prepared, balls will be flying and kids in line need to be ready or stay back. At first this will seem to be a disastrous drill, but over time they will begin to catch “hot” passes and deliver some “heat”. Of course this is not what we want to do in games, but if they get used to catching and throwing frozen ropes, they will merely need to take down the tempo a bit to execute a sharp pass in games. Variations include changing direction of the ball, making players move 5 yards to throw and back 5 yards past the line to catch. You can also have them fill the lines they throw to to add some cardio.

I will be adding some more ideas on offense on my next post.

if you need details of drills on pdf email me at gpselect@gmail.com

coach B

Important Defensive Basics for youth players

2011-01-27T10:18:00.005-05:00

Hello again, its been awhile. I have been overwhelmingly busy in the lax world and have abandoned my blog. Since November, I have played in a Grand Masters Tournament, run practices across the state at Western Michigan University, instructed goalies at weekly secessions across town, attended a National Coaching convention (IMLCA),started up a brand new instructional program,( First Line Lacrosse Academy), traveled to Ithaca,NY with a Fall Ball team (Club 313 Lax) and have begun scouting winter leagues for my Summer Travel program, (GP Select., Enough said!

So lets get to it. Today's topic will help coaches create better Defensive players by adding a few simple drills at every practice and/or before games.

My take on youth Defenders is they lack the basic fundamentals which are mandatory to create good long sticks, middies on the defensive side of the ball and riding attackmen.

Most youth players make common these common mistakes.

1. Checking to strip the ball.
2. Poor technique when approaching the ball.
3. Poor stance and footwork.
4. Allowing offense to dictate where the ball goes.

I believe we need to teach Defensive players daily, through repetition, to create proper footwork and to build a solid core of Defensive skills.

Try these 2 basic drills to correct and improve your kids.

1. Addressing the ball.

From the youngest age, players need to learn how critical approaching the ball carrier is. We need to stress that coming out to defend a player has a precise method that should be repeated EVERY time. Start by identifying which hand the offensive player is carrying in. When we address the ball three thing must happen.

a. Move to the ball under control with our stick OUT AND IN FRONT of the body.
b. Break down in an athletic stance with our knees bent, wide stance, and the top of our helmet under the chin of our opponent.
c. Overplay the strong hand of the offensive player simply by lining up our inside foot on their outside foot. make sure our stance is slightly in a drop step position.

ADDRESS DRILL

Players form a line on the end line. The first player steps out and drops back to the back side of the crease facing the coach who is standing to the right or left.
On the whistle, the player addresses the next player in line according to which hand their stick is in. Approach, break down, under control, with conviction every time.
On the whistle the player heads to the back of the line and the next one hustles out.

Repeat with each player 5- 10 reps each.

2. DEFENDING GLE

Youth players tend to lunge and get beat at X. We need to stress to players that addressing the ball is the first step of defense, the second is the footwork required to beat an offensive player to the spot. As a player drives from behind, we need to teach defenders how to sprint to the crease and close the gate. It is important that we use the advantage of being allowed to step in the crease to our advantage.

GLE SKELETON DRILL

Set up cones on both sides of the crease arcing out to 3 yards, and then back to GLE.
Players start at X, facing the end line. The coach should stand where an offensive player will be at X. On the whistle, we address the ball, and sprint to the spot where the O will attack, (GLE at the crease). Once we get to "the spot", we close the gate by getting in a stance wher our feet are facing the end line cone. Shuffle out to approx 4 yards then repeat the motion on the other side cutting through the crease to the opposite spot. Close the gate and shuffle to the far cone.

Players can be sent one after another in rapid succession.

Note: Teach that the "island" if 5 yards out and 5 yards up. Stress we never want players to get above 3 yards.

I guarantee players will improve rapidly if you run these 2 simple drills daily.

I will add more in the days to come.

coach B

passing drill blues

2010-03-03T10:42:00.002-05:00

Line drill or not to line drill...that is the question.

Getting some coaches to give them up is like trying to get someone to stop eating big mac's.

They think they are good, but in reality they have 540 calories and 39 grams of fat.

Line drills clog up your teams arteries and do not prepare them for game like situations.

With all the great information out there, you tube, DVD'd, coaching clinics, etc., surely we can find some alternatives to two lines of 12 kids facing each other and trudging through a drill ina situation they may never see on the field.

Think about it, how many times are you jogging half speed towards a guy 20 yards away and catching a ball?

Youth kids lose interest in what, 14 seconds? Why have 8 kids waiting to catch a pass, that may be over thrown, creating another 45 second wait. Unless you like breaking up sword fights, it may be time to shelf the classic drill for good.

A lacrosse game is chaotic, players are cutting, feeding, trying to catch a ball in traffic, running full speed, and V cutting to get open for passes. When we catch a pass, someone is usually hammering them with poke checks. Defenses rarely "get in the hub" and let guys swing around with out any pressure as in the good old days.

Here are a few tips to break the line drill addiction:

1/ Simulate game situations. Star passing drills, 4 corner break outs, even triangles are more game like. Find drills that focus on a ton of touches in game situations.

2/ Plan your touches. They need reps at the youth level and a ton of them. I talked to a coach one time that had success converting baseball and football players to lacrosse as late at the varsity level. He basically figured out how many touches his experienced players had in their life time and came up with an approximate number. If a kid has been playing lax since 5th grade, it is safe to say he's had 15,000 touches. His plan - get the new guys to "catch up".

30 sessions of wall ball with 500 touches = 15,000. If you start a player indoor in Novemeber with only 2 sessions a week he will have 15,000 by March 1st. If he gets 3 sessions in a week with 500 touches a day that's 24,000 touches. 500 touches can be done in a relatively short time.

3/Drill catching and throwing full speed. Teach them to catch while breaking away, over the shoulder, cutting of a cone to get a look, cutting to the cage ,etc.
Slow static drills = slow static game play.

4/Make the drills fun. Add multiple balls, split up groups and have competitions. Time how many completed passes can happen in 30 seconds, 60 seconds, etc. Losers do push ups. Introduce a "money ball". Throw a ball of a strange color and yell "MONEY BALL". If they drop it or throw it away the player has to run a lap or do crunches, etc. It put some pressure on the players, and is a fun addition to a daily drill.

5/ BALLS, BALLS, and MORE BALLS. Show up with 60 -120 daily. Don't make players chase balls. Have coaches, assistants, parents, or injured players constantly feeding balls that are dropped or overthrown. Make sure there are piles of balls by each line. Keep it up tempo. Keep them moving.

6/ Make sure youth players see a lot on long passes in drills. Use cones to enforce distance and deter cheaters. Players who master 30 yard passes, can easily hit a 20 or 10 yard pass in a game. Players who practice only 10 yard passes will struggle with a 20 yard look in a game.

see you next time...

monkey see monkey do

2010-02-02T10:16:00.011-05:00

Next time you are in front of the team, ask the boys what the highest level live game they have ever attended live. Then get ready for a surprise.

Don't be shocked if you hear " I've never been to a college game". You may hear "My brothers varsity team", not good if that team 1-14 in a weak conference. The point is, most youth players don't get to see much great lacrosse, especially in areas of the country where there are no NCAA, MCLA or legendary HS programs.

Here in Michigan we only have one DI school (Detroit Mercy) and only a handful of DII and DIII schools combined. The MCLA has a some very good teams playing at or near NCAA levels and features some excellent live games. We have some good HS as well. Still, its spread out thin.

All that being said, if kids never see great lacrosse in person , they are at a huge disadvantage. In some regions the MLL on ESPN is all they see and maybe the NCAA tournament in May when their season is over. ESPNU has saved the day with a ton of lacrosse broadcasts, but some cable companies don't even offer it in many markets.

The other challenge is getting a youth or HS player to watch an entire lacrosse game and actually gain something from it.

Here's a couple of tips to see some decent live lacrosse and use it to teach some players in the process.

1/ Make a local college game or very good HS game a team outing. Take the coaching staff with you. I make sure the kids get to run around a bit and goof off before corralling them for some commentary. A good suggestion is to let them hang out first half and then meet for the 3rd quarter as a team. I have found you can get maybe 15 minutes of actual teaching time in a game situation. Wearing team jerseys as a show of unity is a nice touch, it promotes the organization and will spawn some interest from other kids. A good idea might be to have the coaches break up the kids by age group or position in the bleachers and simply comment on the game as they watch.

I took my oldest son to a MLL game back in 2004 in Baltimore. Gary Gait, Tom Marachek, and Mark Million where first line attack on the Bay Hawks that year. Neither of us where the same after seeing that game live! The speed in which they played, dodged, and shot the ball alone was enlightening. Some of the hits which were made, and the overall level of play was next to miraculous. My son can saying he saw Gary Gait play live was the icing.

I suggest researching lax power an mapping out some NCAA, MCLA and top HS programs to take the team to, or at the very least have a schedule of "local games to see" on your web site or distributed to the parents. If you search you will find some great games almost everywhere today, On laxpower, don't forget to search MCLA, NCLL, GLL, and "teams of interest". Its amazing how many clubs are out there to see live.

2/ Film is the next best thing. Youth players rarely get to be in film sessions. Watching a game with Dad on DVR is not a film session. The MLL is great on ESPN to entertain , but 2 point shots and 60 second shot clocks aren't a reality at every other level. I once had an 8th grader do a vicious one handed round house check on a ride that nearly got him ejected. I asked him what the heck he was thinking? He said "that's my MLL check coach". Great league, and I'm a fan, but they let the pro's murder each other. I don't believe MLL refs have flags, do they?

Watching film is a great opportunity to show kids the right way. Find a NCAA DI game and simply tape it. The secret is to memorize the game you are showing, and break it down to short 2-3 minutes "you-tube" type clips. Show a middie executing a proper split dodge. Isolate an attackman who is doing a COD, inside roll, or question mark dodge. Show kids a college level player, with perfect form, ripping a time and room shot. Show theses clips, rewind them, and show them several times over to your group to make a point. Showing an entire game is not as effective.

Bring a DVD player to the practice field or a lap top to show a few kids a concept on film.That is an added bonus that can be quite effective. Pod casts, Mac Books, etc., make it easy to take the classroom to them. Show them before a practice starts in small groups.

I personally like a showing film (old school) where they can assemble indoors, in a classroom setting. That way we can use a laser pointer, slow motion, and/or pause. The key is to use short clips, stop, and focus your commentary on a specific concept. You choose the topic and focus. It can be riding, clearing, an offensive formation, or face off and wing play, etc.

Showing them the way lacrosse is palyed at the highest level on film is a great help, especially to new and young players. "Model after success" works. Its how kids learn today. They search you-tube and learn via video on virtually every subject.

Finally, after a film session or live game session, take it right to the field next practice and work on it live while its still fresh in their memories.

One more tip, don't do film on rainy days, as we all know lacrosse is played in the rain and we need to practice in it.

coach B

reminder for middle school and youth coaches

2010-01-20T16:29:00.004-05:00

Fired up yet?

Its getting closer everyday and we all all ready to hit the field running. Hopefully we have had a chance to do some research, go to a clinic or two, or simply hit youtube and kudda.com for some ammo.

I've got a simple check list which might come in handy this spring. Its a review for you "seasoned veterans", and some good info for the new coach on the block.

1/The game is changing at a fast pace. Its time to get creative and organized. Most Importantly,
if you are not writing a seasonal practice plan, you are behind the curve, big time. Time your drills, and focus on conditioning, fundamentals, individual and team concepts every practice. In that order. Get the kids as many touches as you possibly can every day.

2/ No long drills. 7 -12 minutes per drill. The "Y Gen" kids are stimuli addicts. I believe any thing over 12 minutes is not productive. Forget the speeches and 20 minute "white board" presentations. These kids tune you out after 20 seconds. I "ATTEND" players with short 10 -15 second tips and demos. Pull them aside one on one to stress points.

3/ Introduce techniques and rules in before demonstrating. Give the kids a chance to do some research on their own when breaking something new to them. One of my tips is to give kids an assignment at the end of practice and see what they come up with. i.e. "we are working on rides tomorrow, I need everyone to have something for me at practice. You'll be surprised how much they can dig up on the web, from siblings, etc.

4/ Buy a ton of balls. Have a fundraiser, beg for donations, panhandle, or use any means necessary to get 50 or more balls on the field every day. I prefer 120, but that's out of reach for some programs. I throw alumni games and get donations to finance balls every year. There is nothing worse than a ball bag with 14 balls in it.

5/Have a plan for goalies. A coach ripping shots at a first time goalie is not a plan. Throwing the big kid in there who doesn't like to run is not a plan. Working on agility drills, having some pre-practice drills and separate field drills is a plan. A proper warm up routine is essential to cultivating goalies. Use tennis balls whenever possible. Kids will play the position if they don't get injured in the process.

6/Keep fundamental drills fresh. I suggest 6-8 passing drills. Teach all dodges in detail. All kids at the middle school level should know the face dodge, bull dodge, roll dodge, COD, question mark, zig zag, and swim dodges. Offensive Wizardry by Mark Million is still the single best DVD to teach kids offensive skills out there. Buy one and study it. I watch that DVD obsessively. It shows you HOW to teach the techniques. Have multiple drills for shooting, GB's, Transition, conditioning, etc.

7/ NO line drills. Its not 1985. That drill is obsolete. Find a replacement. Star drill, maze drill and 4 corner drill are so much better, get 10 times the amount of touches and create better sticks quicker. Email me at gpselect@gmail.com if you need them on pdf.

8/ Find young coaches who know the modern game to help. If a kids played in the NCAA or MCLA chances are he's been in a great program that teaches the sport at a high level. If you can grap a kid, even to do a clinic or 2 do it. Players from poor programs with antiquated teaching methods may not be helpful, and may unknowingly hurt a youth program.

9/ Replace STATIC STRETCHES or move them to the end of practice. Use dynamic stretches instead. They are all over the internet if you want to introduce them to your program.

good luck until next time...

5 GOALS for the Middle school Offense

2009-11-02T10:24:00.009-05:00

The problem with most middle school kids is they have never seen great lacrosse being played.

Unless you live in a lacrosse hot bed like Baltimore, Long Island, or Upstate New York, your exposure may be limited. Colorado, California, Texas and many other states are blowing up as far as the game is considered. EPSN U, FOX, and other networks are showing more and more LAX games each year.

Although we see growth, trying to get a seventh grader to "break down" game film is a challenge. You can lead a horse to water....

I was inspired to post this blog while watching a recent fall ball game featuring Johns Hopkins and Ohio State University in Columbus, OH at Upper Arlington HS.

AS I watched, in awe, I noticed 30 or 40 kids running around the bleachers, doing what kids do, paying no attention to the game or absolutely incredible skill level of a NCAA DI lacrosse game.

They had the once in a lifetime opportunity to see near perfection on a field, but were more impressed by a free lanyard at the STX booth.

I watched the first line Hopkins offence swinging that ball around the horn and was in heaven. Great ball movement can be accomplished by many teams, at all levels, but watching JHU live is like a visit to the Ferrari dealer.

That brings me top the point of today's post.

As a coach at all levels, I get to see youth, JV, Varsity, and Collegiate lacrosse players in action. I am amazed by the bad habits which are formed and carried thru the ranks.

Kids who never see the top level or dont ever receive the proper training get better and better at doing it wrong.

As coaches, we need to "stop the insanity" and get these boys doing the right thing.

Here are 5 youth lax coaching goals in no particular order for the upcoming season.

1/ PROTECT THE STICK

Hanging it, crossing it in front of the body, starting a dodge too close to a defender, and going blindly in to a double team are a sure way to lose the ball. Stress stick protection. Teach palyers to catch they ball on the outside of their body away from pressure. Frequently drill vertical, one handed cradling. Teach defender-body-stick. A great drill is a stationary drill where the ball carrier must keep one foot "nailed to the floor". The another circles around him trying to get a clean check. Run it for 30 seceonds then switch the ball to the opposite player. It teaches them to get their stick in close and keep their bodies between the defender and the stick.

2/STOP CARRYING THE BALL

Holding on to a ball and attempting to "beat" every defender on the field is flat out a BAD HABIT. Kids get used to playing a certain way against poor defenders and new players in rec leagues at the lower levels. They dont see the field, dont go to open space, and dont listen to wide open players calling for the ball. If you want to do something to truly help a youth player, teach them to get the ball up and moving ASAP. I run a drill that features 4 lines called Harvard. 2 players fight for a lose ball, who ever wins in curls to open space. The 2 other lines are help 1 and help 2. When the GB is won, the winner imediately moves to space, and finds help 1 who imediately finds help 2.
Work on proper spacing with the help lines and stress moving the ball quickly up the field.

One note - do not "reward" a kid who bull dodges through numerous players. The fans and bench will frequently cheer on players who make these plays. Let them know there is a better way.

3/ GET IT HOT 101

I had a youth coach tell me last year, "these guys have trouble getting it around the horn one time". After observing the team, I knew why. They where in too close to the defenders, they were throwing lazy passes on the inside, and they were all flat footed.

Here is a quick drill. Run a skeleton offense as a wheel to add an extra perimeter player. It shortens the passes. USE THE WHOLE FIELD . Youth players need to be taught to GET WIDE. KEY POINT -make kids move to EVERY pass and move to throw EVERY pass. I use 2 cones in each spot to show them where to move to receive a ball and where to go to throw one. As a progression, throw in defenders without sticks or 2 man down to help the offense gain confidence. It will keep players open and give D a great workout too.

TEACH - Catch the ball on the OUTSIDE when pressured. Use Left handed attack players on the left side of the field righty attack players on the right. ALWAYS use your best two handed player at X.

Use a stop watch to have 2 teams compete against each other to see how many touches they can get in 30 seconds. Another way to make it fun is to see who can get the most consecutive catches in a row.

4/ DODGE TO FEED NOT TO SHOOT

Youth middies love to shoot, no matter who is open on the crease. They will "pull up" from MLL range and toss a "beach ball" stick side high when allowed to. Of course pounding the stick on the ground 6 times afterwards is always a nice touch, especially while the opponent is fast breaking the other way.

Who's fault is it? The players? I think its the coaches. When we teach players "dodge to feed". They will learn to see the field. Im not saying dump it when you have a great look and a canon, what I am saying is at least teach them to LOOK. A pump fake shot and a feed, finished up with "one more" is the sweetest play in lacrosse. Drill it, run it, and teach it.

Teach players the advantage of feeding on a break or after you beat a man. Make sure they learn to see where the slide is coming from. Youth teams rarely cold slide well. The first slide usually leaves someone wide open closer to the promissed land.

I do a simple 4 v 3 topside with static D to hone this craft. Line up topside, poles and D mids in black, Offense in white . Start the drill by dropping in defenders to the hole and follow with 4 white, all coming from the topside or wing a few seconds after. Move the ball quickly and have coaches bark "one more" on offense. Finish with a draw and dunk.

5/WORK HARD OFF BALL

Easier said than done. Youth middies tend to ball watch and move too late or too slowly. I have a simple set of rules that makes it east to understand at this level.

If a DODGE is coming towards you MOVE AWAY. If a dodge is going away from you FOLLOW IT.

These two simple rules will create wide open looks and goals. If you have a dodge coming from topside, practice the fade cut from the crease, and a goal cut from the topside adjacent midfielder. Cornell's Jeff Tabroni's tapes are excellent as a resource to teach proper 2 man game and motion offense. Make sure they are deceptive when cutting and finish cuts completely. Youth players tend to cut and then stop bringing a defender with them. Teach them to finish their cuts and pull the defender away from the ball carrier. Stress full speed when cutting.

TIP : Search basketball coaching books for fresh ideas on cutting and off ball play.

email me if you need more detail at gpselect@gmail.com

CU soon....

tips for 7 on 7 play

2009-10-14T21:04:00.006-04:00

Dust off the stick we are going to a 7 on 7 fall lax tourney! Sounds like fun, right?

I've been doing these for several years now and always have some fun.

Here's a news flash, if your in the north country it will be cold, maybe wet, and the players will be rusty. Combine that with the small fields and seven man format and you may create some potential misery.

Here are a few quick pointers to make it a success.

1. Pick your team carefully.

A team of players who can actually make some practices and will work hard is the key. "Fifty percenters" are probably not the best pick for a one day event that could feature 4 or 5 short, tough games. Get the guys that you know will crank it up if you can.

2. Get a strong goalie if possible.

They will see plenty of shots with the short field minus one long stick. Sorry but I suggest leaving the "I'm still learning" kid at home. Get him to work on his game in winter leagues or next spring. You will need a stopper to make up for that long slide that never comes.

3. Dress warm in cold climate.

Make sure players bring plenty of dry clothing changes, hats, sweats, blankets, whatever it takes. A great team can easily lose a game if they are wet and freezing. We bring warming tents and healthy food for breaks between games. Trust me it helps. For you guys in warm weather, we hate you, don't forget the sun screen.

4. Get in some practices prior to the event.

A lot of lacrosse players "retire" in May or June. A few play summer league or travel, but chances are you may have some guys who haven't touched a stick in months. I do three 2 hours practices, focusing on a ton of touches. Use long passing drills, a ton of shooting, and a lot of odd man looks like 2v1's, 3v2's, and 4v3's.

5. Have a game plan.

7 on 7 features a ton of fast breaks and a lot of two man games. The offensive and defensive sets become 4 v 4's. Run plays from a 2-1-1, a 2-2 with 2 behind , 2-2 topside. Take the time to pencil in some motion offense plays on a legal pad and see if you can create some looks. Pick and rolls, off ball screens, and give and go's work well in a 4v4 scenario. I stress having all 4 players on offense be in scoring position whenever possible.

6. Make it fun.

I have never heard of a 7 v 7 national champion. Have fun. Nothing is worse than an adult supervisor or volunteer coach losing his cool at one of these events. Keep the freaking out to a minimum. Its fall ball, its supposed to be fun and its the greatest game in the world.

-coachB

game end planning

2009-05-12T10:19:00.004-04:00

Youth players get excited when the game is on the line. Coaches get excited. The timekeeper, the referees and the spectators all can be sucked in to the firestorm at the end of a close one.

I was on the side line of a recent game in which some last minute plays ended up giving a game back to a team which was outplayed for 90% of the game.

Although it ended in a tie, the players and coaches learned a valuable lesson.

This was not a case of players giving up, or running out of steam.

It was a case not preparing young players to finish poised and with a plan.

Because I am the coach, I have to reevaluate my actions and put the blame on myself.

In earlier posts, I write that coaching is 90% preparation. I did not practice what I preach and it cost me.

On the positive side, what I did get is and excellent opportunity to teach my players in the next couple of practices the right way to finish in the future.

Here are a few key pointers to help you close the door on a comeback when ahead at the end of a game.

1/OFFENSE - Have a two minute plan and practice it. Know what personnel should be on the field. Have your best ball handler take the ball on an in bounds play. Be specific what should be done with a last possession. Practice "keeping it in". Players have to work hard to make passes shorter and more precise. Runs some drills that double team players and lock off adjacent players. Teach kids that end of game shots taken to finish an opponent, if saved are an opportunity for the opposing team to tie or get win. The best way to stop a comeback is to maintain possession of the ball. Young players do not know this is some cases.

If they perfect 2 minute drills in practice it becomes easier in a live game.

2/ DEFENSE - If you do cough it up ( it will happen, trust me) and an opponent is threatening, have a two minute plan to protect a lead. It is very important to have the proper match ups on defense. Make sure you are communicating when marking up. Match size with size, speed with speed etc. Have your best LSM or Defenseman on their biggest threat. Lock off if necessary, the best way to stop a great shooter is to deny them the ball. Have a "special team" of defense middies and long sticks ready to clamp down on a late surge. In the confusion and excitement of a thriller, the ball and crease may be left wide open. Younger players may tend to "let some else" take ball or the crease man.

3/ Stay calm - Players feed off confident and calm coaches. Panic, screaming, and losing your mind on a side line only "freaks out" youth players. If you are melting down, what do you expect from them? Stress the importance of being intense, but cool under fire. It is a life lesson that can be taught during a game to young men. Win , lose, or draw if we stay composed we all win.
I try not to make a huge deal out of a last minute win or loss. What comes around goes around.

Over celebrating or falling in to a deep depression after any game is not good. Of course we need to be excited at a last minute win, but we also need to congratulate an opponent that gave you a great experience.

I will post on how to make a comeback in the future.

sure fire man up offense for youth

2009-05-06T21:25:00.012-04:00

Man Up. Music to a lax coach's ears.

We've all seen them "bang it around" at the HS and college level with precision and skill. I run a 3-3 with my U19 guys who will give you 24 passes in 20 seconds and finish with 2 skip passes and a lay up. A defense is rendered powerless when run correctly. Its a thing of beauty.

Not so easy with a rag tag middle school bunch. They have another idea on how to "get it done". Here are some of my favorite "hall of shame" plays from years of watching EMO's dissolve in seconds.

Play #1 Don't pass, don't look, attempt to dodge a few poles and lose the rock. Usually in 10 seconds.

Play # 2 Make one pass to a weak shooter and toss up a "beach ball" to a goalie stick side high.

Play #3 Stand around the perimeter near the top of the box and run a stall. Yes on the EMO.

Play #4 Shoot a wild side arm shot or better yet underhand high. Make sure no one is backing you up. If you do have a chance do beat the goalie to the end line, don't try to.

Any of these bad boys bring back memories? I lay awake at night trying to forget them.

I've seen futile attempts at 1-4-1 sets and 3-3 sets by many coaches at this level for years. They are great in theory, but unless you've got the stick skills and a group of kids who have great field presence, the results have not been too impressive. These sets are difficult with newer and younger players, even when blessed with one less defender.

The "one four" is a great EMO, but for the most part kids don't know how to position themselves well on the crease at this age. Passing around the perimeter with only 4 players will be more challenging as well. The longer passes get sloppy and picked off frequently.

The 3-3 is also a set which takes skills, a lot of practice time, and above all very quick movement of the ball. On top of that you must have the ability to complete two precise skip passes. If that's not enough, the chance a sixth grader will back up a shot when he is topside is also a long shot.

So what do we do? I suggest a simple 2-3-1 ( I call it from topside) with a twist.

Here's how you set it up:

1. Put your best player at X with the ball. Notice I said player not attack.
2. Put a lefty shooter bottom left, a righty shooter bottom right.
3. Put your "cannon" top center.
4. If you are blessed with another lefty stick him top left and place another decent righty top right.
5. The crease guy should have great hands and a quick release.

You are now basically 5 on 5 topside with your ace at X.

Most middle school man down units are a 2-3 or a box and one. They don't rotate well at this age, slide late, communicate poorly, and rarely recover.

Drive your man from X and try to beat the slide. Accomplish that and you've got a marker.

If the slide comes adjacent, feed a wide open shooter in the slot. If the slide comes from the crease, feed a wide open quick stick on the doorstep. If the D recovers to the crease from the top Hit any one of the topside guys , especially the top center, and feed for a blast from him.

If a coma slide comes and get's there you must be in Baltimore or on Long Island.

If you've got nothing, circle back, reset, move around the horn back to X, and attack the opposite side.

Keep it simple, get your best player the rock and relax, your most likely going to be getting one.

Take care.

teach the culture

2009-03-30T12:56:00.004-04:00

Lacrosse is an exciting and "new" sport in many areas of the country. I just saw a note that California has over 170 High Schools now playing the game.

In my region, youth, middle school and Varsity programs are popping up all over the place. Summer travel teams and camps are growing at an alarming rate.

With all this new activity, my biggest fear is the history and culture of this great sport will be forgotten. Most young players have no clue of the significance of the sport's origin.

I always make a point to mention a bit of History to my youth players, and make an attempt to educate parents and players about the game from the native american and first nation perspective.

Here are a few points you can make during a team talk or practice break.

1/ Lacrosse is the oldest North American game, dating back hundreds of years prior to settlers coming to the continent. I remind players this game was once played by 1000 men over miles of fields to settle conflicts and was know as "the little brother of war".

2/Native Americans believe the game is played to make the creator happy. Legend says when we walk on a lacrosse field for the first time , the spirit of the creator comes thru the stick and in to our soul. Many of us may not believe in the great spirt or may say this is merely folklore.

I simply tell players we should honor that belief and respect that culture, after all it was their game long before it became "our game". The first record of a game by european settlers was'nt until 1636. The native Americans were playing a long, long time before Jean Brebeuf saw the Hurons playing in a game.

3/Iroquois legend says "every brave is born a lacrosse player" Respecting the cultural beliefs are as important as walking in to a church or temple to many native americans. I always stress to current players - we honor the game, and the field each time we play the game. Sportsmanship, respect of the opponent, officials and fellow players is paramount. I never leave trash on a lacrosse field regardless of who left it there out of respect.

4/Reminding players, even if its in the most limited way is important. It seems our kids get caught up in hot dogging, trash talking, lacrosse company marketing, wearing the "bling"and all that is not important about this great and historical game. I believe educating them of the true meaning of this game is significant.

One of the best clinics I ever attended had nothing to do with X's and O's, formations, riding or clearing, or any lacrosse strategy. It was a History and Culture of the game hosted by Sid Jameison who was then President of team Iroquois Lacrosse. His stories and views of the sport greatly enlightened me and I was grateful for having had the chance to hear about the sport from the Native American point of view. If you ever have a chance to see him speak, do it.

A brief history of the sport can be viewed on US lacrosse's web site.

For those who want a deeper historical view check out the book - Lacrosse: A History of the game by Donald M. Fisher.

until next time...honor the game.

Fall Ball

2008-10-03T20:59:00.003-04:00

Nothing better than some lacrosse in the cool air with the colors changing.

The burn out is over from summer and its time to get back on the field for some autumn lax.

We run a successful fall program grades K thru 8 in our community. Our numbers keep growing every fall and our kids are getting better at a younger age each year.

Here is how we run our program to keep it fun, teach skills, and get a good turnout every week.

1/The program is run through the community youth program, and I basically volunteered to direct the entire program. These organizations have big mailing lists and supply the necessary support to make it happen. If you are lucky enough to have one in your community and they dont have lacrosse, there is an opportunity waiting for you.

I always have a meeting for the parents and new players to explain the basics or the game and get them comfortable with the sport. Parents who do not know the sport are always concerned about injuries. Most of them who have seen a game or two on TV are worried about the swinging of sticks and take out checks. I explain in detail, the equipment we wear and what a legal check is. We do not allow any body checks in our program, its not needed in my humble opinion.

2/ Use Local Varsity and JV Players as your coaching staff, with a parent supervisor. The players know the game, a lot of the parents don't. I stress to all players that coaching the sport is as important or more than just playing. Some players make great coaches and are naturals.
Giving back by teaching youth the sport is rewarding for player and coaches alike. Having a parent on the side line will stop a 1oth grader from acking like the 2nd grader hes coaching.

3/ We schedule practice and games on the same day, I have found Sunday afternoons work great in our neck of the woods. Kids and parents tend to have too many events going on in the fall such as homework, other sports, school activities, etc. Scheduling a lacrosse practice on a weeknight then a game on a weekend promotes no-shows.

Our format is a 50 minute practice followed by a 40 to 50 minute game based on age group.

Here is how we break down our groups:

Freshman Grades 2 and 3
JV Grade 4 and 5 with select 6th graders
Varsity Select 6th graders with Grade 7 and 8

I suggest you evaluate your 6th graders and place them up or down based on size and experience.

4/ Practice can be good or bad based on how much the director supervised it.

I use a horn every 10 minutes to have all coaches stop a set of drills and begin another.

A typical pre-game practice goes like this:

Warm up and stretch quick coaches talk 5 minutes
Ground balls 10 minutes
Passing and catching skills 10 minutes
Shooting, feeding & cutting skills 10 minutes
1 v 1 and 2 v 2 -(dodging, defense) 10 minutes
Team concepts ( 3 v 3, 4 v 3, etc) 10 minutes

I sound the horn and tell each Head coach when and what to do every ten minutes. Young coaches tend to stay in drills too long. Keeping it moving breaks up the boredom and keeps it fun.

More soon...good luck!

end of the season tips

2008-05-20T13:23:00.003-04:00

this time of year is always a challenge. here are some ideas to keep it fresh and fun for the players regardless of how the season has gone

1/ dig deep in the the drill book. kids burn out, especially if you run the the same drills at them all year. i like to through in fun, new drills this time of year that focus on game like situations or competitive inter squad games. i like "meat grinder", "back to back", "3 on 4" or "Iroquois lacrosse". these are fun and competitive. email me at gpselect@gmail.com and i will send you them on pdf. make your drills fun and focus on team play. i suggest reducing some of the repetitive fundamental stuff this late in the season. if you must run them, shorten them up and find some creative new passing, shooting and individual drills.

2/ bring in some games and bonus stuff. stick throwing contests, farthest ball throw, target practice, or radar guns are fun and make year end practices enjoyable. one of my personal favorites is the trick shot contest, where everyone tries to do something "tricky" i guarantee some hilarious moments when some of these guys mess it up.

3/ do an inventory- make sure you spoken one on one with every player by this time each year. go down a roster and make notes. have you worked with everyone? do you owe someone an apology from earlier in the year? did you live up to your promises? if you guaranteed a long stick a shift on attack or something similar, make sure you get it in by the end of the season.

4/ make a 3rd line 1st line for a half or a game. unless you are in the league playoff or playing against an old rival, it may be time to give the players their shot. all should have improved by now and should be able to start your game or run your man up. players gain confidence and will respond to being moved up.

5/ give a goalie a break- put in your number two or three guy and let the number one play attack or long stick middie- they have earned it.

6/ reward them- this time of year is a good time for snacks, Gatorade's, pizza's, what ever. surprise them with a treat for working so hard all year. two of my favorites are canceling a practice as a reward or i bring ice cold cokes in a glass bottles ( they still make 'em) for what i call "old school" refreshments. you may be surprised by how many kids never had coke thats not a twist off or from a can

hope your season has gone well, more soon....

middle school clears

2008-04-24T09:32:00.007-04:00

If I see one more 8th grader yell "gilman" and throw the ball as far as they can to nobody, I might take up coaching baseball.

Of course I am kidding. The dreaded middle school clearing game can be frustrating to a new coaching staff or a experienced bunch as well.

Here are some basics to help get it past the "midfield wall".

I will start with the dead ball clear.

Teach the players to relax. Middle school rules for the most part have no counts on how much time to get in the box. Teach your goalie to redirect and walk it up. Nervous goalies that rush passes lead to certain turnovers and uncontested goals. Practice long passes with defense everyday and include the goalies. The farther apart they throw in practice the better. Get them a ton of touches to cut down on drops and panics. Make sure everyones sticks are throwing perfectly, especially the keepers. I check how their sticks are throwing all the time. Middle school players tend to over tighten their shooting strings or frequently have bad pockets.

1/ Get the weakest long stick of the field. Very few inexperienced coaches use a clearing middie.
Having the 4th short stick out there makes a world of difference. The only challenge is making sure one stays back and does not get offside. Stress in practice to keep the furtherest man back onside.

2/ Use the horn. I call for a horn to set up my dead ball clears. This allows you to get your long stick off and the proper group on. In tight games or critical situations I use my three first line mids and the best stick handler from my second line. We call "RAZER" which wakes everyone up and signals we are in the clear.

3/ Get the 2 long sticks in the alley, and the Goalie backside to field a redirect pass. ( Middle School goalies in front of the cage make me nervous). Have your middies spread out 4 across outside the box or just inside the midfield line. Start the ball with the long stick who has the best stick skills. If you don't have one, start the ball with your best or fastest middie. Put the long stick at the midfield in this scenario. On the whistle you will be surprised that you normally have a middie wide open. If your opponent is covering a mid with attack look for a redirect pass or long pass to the open D. I rarely see a good ride against this clear, but if up against a team that "gets it", we use off ball screens, v-cuts, and hustle to get our mids in the clear.

4/Last resort clears. If you are chucking one up field because middies aren't working hard or you are up against a superior ride, do it with a purpose. We rarely "gilman" the ball, but if forced to make sure you teach "up and over". Have two of the attack drop back a bit to get their man away from the ground ball area. Designate a clearing attackman. Have him use v-cuts or off ball screens from other attack to get open. I teach our goalies to throw an "up and over pass", picking a spot past upfield middie and just in front of the designated clearing attack player. This normally creates a man-ball situation with your mid and attack vs. their long stick. Its good to know which one of their long sticks is the weakest on GB's. We communicate who that is and plan the pass to fall in his area.

I will talk about in bound clears soon...

tips for youth goalies

2008-03-27T13:54:00.004-04:00

over the years I have seen hundreds of games at the youth level. I am always surprised by the number of players in the cage with poor fundamental skills, poor techniques, and little knowledge of the position.

being a goalie myself, I know that although many of us have played this great sport, only a small percentage have actually spent any time between the pipes. most youth coaches don't have the knowledge or the time to spend on goalie development

In the most basic of terms, here are 3 key pointers to teach young players as they experience one of the most unique positions in all sports.

1/ holding the stick correctly.

one of the most overlooked fundamental skills is simply the way they hold the stick. it should be held with the thumb and forefinger or with two fingers and the thumb. choking the stick or a full hand grip limits flexibility.

the hands must be 12-14 inches apart, with the top hand near or on the plastic "throat". I teach goalies the "eye, thumb, ball" method. make sure the stick is kept at eye level, use the thumb as a gauge how high to hold the stick head. a low stick means a goalie has to make two moves to make a save. if you have to make a move up then over its too late. make sure the arms are away from the body and the bottom hand is extended further out then the top.

note: tapping the pipes too much is a bad habit and spinning the goalie stick should be discouraged as well.

2/ footwork.

unfortunately i have seen youth goalies jumping all around the cage, wandering outside the pipes, standing out in front 3 -4 yards, or standing in the middle when the ball is at GLE.

I stress the "short track" or just a slight arc for youth keepers. the less movement from pipe to pipe the better. they also need to learn at a early age how important it is to step towards every save. drills teaching kids to step every time are critical to making saves and developing an "attack the ball" mentality. I stress sticking tight to the pipe as long as possible to goalies this age. young shooters tend to get nervous when moving towards the hole area and miss wide quite a bit. staying on that post decreases shooting angles and increases saves.

3/ warm up and practice shots

youth goalies are generally inexperienced. they need shots they can save and need to be told where they are coming from. warm ups are for goalies NOT SHOOTERS. it is crutial to take the time to warm up goalies thoroughly. start with easy shots 8-10 in each area. start stick high, then in progression, off stick high, stick side hip, off stick hip, stick side low, off stick low, bounce shots and finally 5 hole. I use the same progression every time. take this time to teach stance, stepping, stick position, etc. if you don't have enough time reduce the shots to 5 or 6 in each spot.

shoot with tennis balls to eliminate young keepers from ducking, blinking, and fear of the ball.

I must thank Jon Weston, Bill Pilat, and Mark Ward for their excellent teaching clinics, camps, and DVD's. Many of my teaching skills have been "borrowed" from them.

i will list some great drills soon to help them improve...

breaking bad habits

2008-02-28T10:30:00.009-05:00

here are a few of my "favorite" youth players:

"the bull" tries to dodge 3 or 4 defender's no matter who is wide open

"lumberjack" likes big chopping inaccurate checks usually on the helmet

"gilman" his clear is always a 50 yard pass to no one

"stone hands" drops every other pass

"serious trickster" unsuccessfully attempts ice picks, swim dodges, rusty gate checks, anything he saw on the internet

and finally "the gun slinger" he shoots underhand, sidearm or behind the back, but never on the cage.

years of watching these player types has left me frustrated to say the least. the question is how do we break a young player of these and other bad habits before it becomes part of who he is as a lacrosse player.

my father had a great saying. "he's getting better and better at doing it wrong" this is not what we as coaches want to happen.

i have broken many players on bad habits with a simple , effective practice technique called "the gauntlet" not only will it get them to change bad habits, it will condition them and improve their footwork and stick skills

heres how its done: simply set up 4 cones off the field 20 yards apart in a box formation.

when your player keeps repeating some type of fixable error, send him to the gauntlet.

have them sprint to the first cone, shuffle or karaoke to the second, back pedal to the third and sprint out to the fourth. have them carry a ball if you'd like or change the distance between cones to make it more or less difficult.

a great option is to have a mini-wall or use a wall you may have close by. after they finish the run, have them do 25 or 30 opposite hand wall reps to complete the task.

in my experience, the gauntlet works as well or better than laps, push ups, or suicides. they are carrying a ball and finishing with wall ball - always a plus.

i have actually seen players make a mistake and just take off by themselves to the gauntlet.

i hope this helps some bad habits disappear. one note, make sure they know specifically why they are going by explaining what they did wrong. always take the time to demonstrate the proper techniques.

team final placements

2008-02-20T13:23:00.006-05:00

assuming you have run your evaluations or tryouts, now what? you have rated every player and you are ready for the ultimate challenge as a coach!

you can drive yourself crazy second guessing yourself on where to place kids or who to cut

try these tips to help make it easier

1/do what is best for the player. i am a strong believer in placing players where they will benefit the most. a player is better off as as 1st line middie on a "B" team than being a 4th line middie on an "A" team. playing a ton in every game on JV is better than "riding the pine" on Varsity. also, it a disservice to a very good player to stay down simply because of age or grade

2/ have coaches make the decisions. parents will drop suggestive comments or even directly ask to for their sons to be put on certain teams. some players may even approach the coaches. make your decisions based on evaluation not outside pressure. never evaluate or place a relative no matter how distant. let your assistants do that by committee.

3/when in doubt go to the intangibles. flat-out effort or how "coachable" a player is help in deciding on the "grey area" players. was he late for tryouts? is he a bad apple? is lacrosse a priority? will he take on the role of a utility player? ask these questions to separate potential candidates. i love a player who will play # 2 goalie, long stick or short, or be a defensive midfielder. "i only play attack" types may be better off elsewhere.

4/ stick to your guns. someone will be unhappy where they are placed. parents will complain that there son is "better" than a player who is moved up, and players will be disappointed if moved down. trust me, the "sting" wears off after a practice or two and most kids forget about it after a few sessions on the new team. don't make the mistake of telling a player he may "move up" later. make your rosters definitive.

5/ cuts are not the end of the world. if your system includes cuts, remember some of the best players in sports may have been cut at one time or another. cutting a player is a hard decision, but also creates opportunity. unfortunately they now know exactly where they stand. they will respond by finding other interests in life or working very hard to be considered the next time.

good luck in finding your way...

tryouts and player evaluations

2008-02-19T09:00:00.007-05:00

one of the hardest thing to do as a coach is to evaluate talent and potential. there are only a certain number of players you can effectively put on any given team and many players are equal in skill level.

how do you decide who goes "up" or if your program has "A", "B", and/or "C" teams, and who goes where? who gets cut?

its even harder to cut players if that is how your system works.

i have several ideas to make the task less painful at the middle school level and beyond

1/ hold a separate day for evaluations. make the groups small by breaking them down by position. ideally you want to look at 10-12 players at a time if possible. too many middies? split them by grade and then by alpha to reduce the size. 25 kids in a gym is next to impossible to give the proper attention.

2/ use help. recruit varsity players, assistant coaches, the 5/6 coaches, even a high school JV or Varsity coaching staff may have interest. the more eyes on the players the better. i am often surprised when i see the range in evaluations by different coaches

3/be prepared. i tape last names on helmets, first names on the back. especially if you have people helping who does'nt know the players. the last thing you want is to keep asking someone "whats your name again?" also, bring multiple rosters on spreadsheet to hand out. have columns for "stick skills", "dodge", "speed", etc. i like a 1 -5 rating system. print the number on each column so a evaluator merely has to circle a number. you can use 1-10, A-F grades, whatever works for you.

4/ run short, skill based drills to quickly evaluate the degree of skill. i start with wall ball to check both hands, then do several passing drills - preferably on the run working both hands and over the shoulder. i like to see shooting from all positions, its a good gauge for athleticism and strength. its important do do individual skills such as 1v1 or 2v2, etc if you have the space and of course team concepts such as 6v5 and 6v6. some players show well in a gym shooting and dodging, but may not see the field well or hog the ball. seeing what they are made of in a ground ball session is also recommended if you are on turf or grass

5/ use a video camera. film never lies. if you forget a player or start wondering what he did in tryouts, go to the tape. its nearly impossible to remember every player.

i will break down techniques to make your final team placements next blog...

indoor pre season

2008-01-30T12:33:00.000-05:00

if you are from an area in the country that has inclement weather, you may be forced indoors for a few sessions. lax coaches are always practicing in gyms, church rec centers, in roller rinks and at golf domes.

if you are in a confined space, and are trying to figure it out, here are a few ideas to make it work.

1/keep the groups small. the smaller your venue the smaller the group needs to be. too many kids running around in a gym creates a dangerous scenario. i like to split them up by position, alphabetically, by grade, whatever works to get groups of 12-20 max.

2/ forget the pads. helmets, gloves, and short sticks ONLY. long poles are useless indoors for the most part. maybe give the goalies a break in the pre-season by letting him in on some passing, catching, feeds, and shots. they will improve the stick skills and have some fun doing it.

3/ wall ball. how many times have you heard a coach say "you need to get to the wall". good advise, but what do they do there? i see kids out there all the time mindlessly facing the wall and throwing and catching only strong handed. not what you want. like everything else in lacrosse, technique is what is most important. use the indoor facility to show the players the right way to do wall work. kudda.com has some great stuff posted. come up with your own wall ball program

4/ get them a ton of touches. i run all types of passing drills. keep the drills at 6-8 minutes, and constantly coach techniques. make sure you have plenty of balls. keep them moving. you can do 4 corners, criss-crosses, drill using cones, etc. work right hand, left hand and over the shoulders.

5/ use no bounce lacrosse balls. no bounce balls tend to work better in gyms or anywhere you have hard surface. great if you need to control where the balls end up. i was once denied use of a gym until i showed the director the no-bounce balls. switch to tennis balls as a last resort if a hard ball is not allowed. one note on no-bounce balls. they work great for strengthening shooting muscles. have a shooter stand 10 feet or so from a wall and try to bounce and catch a NBB. it takes a big wind up and follow through to get a NBB to come back to the shooter.

6. shooting drills. a natural for indoors. i run 3 to 4 drills (see my shooting drill post) approx. 6-8 minutes each. they love to shoot and will do it the whole hour if your let them. middies, attack, defense and goalies should all have their short sticks in hand and be firing at will. i have found d poles and goalies get a special treat when allowed to be shooters. rage cage makes an collapsible cage that is perfect for indoors. if you need to drag one in from out doors, use foam pipe insulation or a carpet remnant on the bottom rails to prevent scratching the floors

7. what about defense? plays? formations? save it for outdoors. focus on the stick skills. of course indoors can be use to do conditioning, more on that later.

see you at the gym...

shooting frenzy

2008-01-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

My kids love to shoot. I made the mistake of buying a radar gun several years ago, and I have been cursed with the question "coach did you bring the radar gun ?"

Actually it has become a valuable tool to measure the progress of the boys throughout the year and doubles as a reward at the end of practice. They will actually work hard in practice if I tempt them with a radar session.

Youth coaches are challenged with limited practice time. We are trying to teach so much with so little time. I am a strong believer in making shooting a priority and delegating some serious time to the developing this skill. Most coaches do not have the team shoot nearly enough.

Here are a few simple tips and drills to to make shooters out of all of your players.

1/ You need a lot of balls. Buy them out of pocket, find a donor, beg the organization for them, do a "car wash for balls", whatever it takes to get a ton on the field. I bring 150 minimum to every practice. Set up your cage in front of a baseball back stop or far enough away from a cyclone fence so the can barely reach it after a shot. Do a ball hunt after the balls are exhausted or have chasers continuously bring balls back in to the drill.

Shooting drills need to flow and without a lot of balls they become choppy and inefficient.

2/ Use shooting as a warm up. Line drills and static stretches are boring and ineffective. Warm them up with a lap or two and get everyone to the cage to "rip a few". It creates energy and makes warming up fun. Have an important practice coming up you want everyone to attend?
Tell them "we will be shooting a million balls on Tuesday before practice. " No shows usually decrease.

3/ Game situation Drills

Standing 15 yards in front of the cage, picking a ball out of a bucket, and taking a four second wind up never occurs in a game. Its critical to shoot off feeds, on the move, with a quick release. Shooting drills must simulate game scenarios. Make sure long sticks and goalies get in on drills. I never put goalies in the cage on these, I make them bring a short stick. They have a riot shooting.

Here are four killer shooting drills complements on the University of Michigan Lacrosse coaching staff.

All drills start in two line with every player holding a ball 12 to 15 yards out. Each line feeds the other, with the shots alternating from both sides. After you pass to the other line you receive a ball from that line to shoot.

A. Time and space. A simple feed, catch and shoot drill. Teach the kids proper technique. Hands away from the body, stick up high, twist the body while shooting. Stress overhand shooting at all times. KEY POINT: Have the players finish with a backwards run after each shot. It forces them to twist and rotate their hips and body all the way through.

B. Catch, split dodge and shoot. A hard shot off a split dodge can become a players best weapon. Set up a large cone, a stationary player or coach, or my favorite - another cage 15 yards out. Make them split off the pipe as they approach.

C. Catch, plant, roll, and shoot. In this one players run east west after the catch, plant, roll back and shoot. Make sure they plant hard as to shake a defender, change direction and shoot quickly as soon as their "hands are free". I sometimes throw a passive defender in this drill who is only allowed to check some one if they show their stick.

D.Fade, hitch and shoot. This one is great for middies, but attack will especially find it critical to get off shots in traffic. Players should come in from the wings, catch, pump fake a shot, step and shoot. Teach a good , hard, fake shot as they approach the imaginary defender ( a passive defender or coach can be used.) They must "sell" the fake.

Until next time, keep shooting....

playing strong opponents

2008-01-02T13:26:00.000-05:00

It happens at every level, you end up playing a team that seems like they are in a different league, or sometimes from a different planet. I have been on the wrong side of this scenario more than once, its no fun for anyone to be on the down side of a lopsided blow out.

The best or worst in a coach can come out during a route, I have a few tips to help keep your sanity during a game and keep the experience positive for the players while in the process.

In middle school, the level of talent varies dramatically from team to team. At times it is good to be prepared when a team of very skilled opponents show up on game day.

1. Slow the game down by controlling the ball as much as possible. Try to have your offense avoid fast breaking and early shots. Settle, move the ball around the horn, and make the extra pass.

2. Drop quickly on defense, get the midfield back to play team D. Trying to play the ball or get takeaways usually results in someone getting beat one on one way up the field. The result is an odd man rush and a quick goal against. Stress that the rides have to be deep and aggressive to slow transition. Attack must get into a defensive mindset from beginning to end.

3. Teach a zone D to clog up the middle and force outside shots. A box and two with four poles and two short sticks on the crease can slow a powerful offense. You will get the goalie some good looks and eliminate some dunks. One tip, don't stay in zone all game, use it as a look or to rest the D.

4. If you are playing man to man defense, anticipate getting beat. Slide early and often. make sure the second slide comes early as well. I like to double a very strong offensive player and leave the weakest player open. Even great teams have new players or poor stick handlers.
You want the ball in their hands. It is key that you identify who they are and that your team knows as well.

5. Praise your team for what they are doing right. Praise hustle, never quiting, ground balls, good shots, whatever you see as a good play from a coaching standpoint. Minimize the focus on the score, and maximize focusing on the teams effort and attitude.

6. Give credit where credit is due. The Iroquois played this game hundreds of years before we came here. They believed it was an honor to play a better team. Legend says the creator rewarded them by showing them the next level. I always mention this to young players.

There is nothing wrong with taking the high road when superior players make outstanding plays. Teach your boys to throw in an occasional "nice play" or "great shot". It works better than showing frustration or trash talking. You can play hard and respect an opponent at the same time.

7. Concede the face off if necessary. When getting killed at the X, it is sometimes fruitless to continue to send your face off player on mission impossible. Put your long stick middie or your best D middie on the face off and play D from the whistle. players who are used to winning a draw and starting the break are usually surprised by a LSM playing hard D on them the second they pick up the ball. It will slow the pace of the game and give you time to set up on the defensive end. Win the ball by winning end line chases, saves or grabbing ground balls.

8. Lastly, win the small battles. Break down the game in to segments. "Lets see if we can win this quarter", or "lets shut them down for the next 2 minutes". Above all show class when dealing with a one sided contest. Lead by example and show your team that winning at all cost is not the most important thing in the game of lacrosse. Some one has to win and lose every game.

Learning how to do both with class is paramount.

Extra man Offense from the 3-3 formation

2007-12-20T11:34:00.000-05:00

Man up opportunities give the players a chance to get a quick goal and sometimes turn the momentum in a game. Teams who have a high scoring percentage when up a man can get back into games when behind, or close the door on a team in a close contest.

Taking advantage of the extra player takes patience, good ball movement, and finishing when the time is right.

I try to practice EMO daily and have a few simple drills that improve the youth player quickly.

Recently I have been running the 3-3 formation on the man up and have found it works well for this age group. Having all 6 players top side and in scoring position sometimes overwhelms a middle school defense.

Here is some basics to try with your group.

Start with the players in the 3-3 set with no defense on the field (skeleton). I put 3 middies on the top of the formation, 1 attack on the crease and 2 attack on the wings. Make sure the wings are high enough above GLE to have a shot angle, but not too far out to back up shots.

In our 3-3 the crease attack rotates with the movement of the ball, basically "posting up" on the crease defender. Teach your crease player to have his stick up and to be ready at all time for a feed, turn, and shoot move.

I like using my best 6 stick handlers on the EMO, its may way of rewarding the players who have worked hard off field to get their skill level up.

Grab a stopwatch and start the ball moving on your whistle. See how many touches they can accomplish in 20, 30, or 45 seconds. Make sure they pass adjacent, skip pass, and feed the crease as they move it around. If the ball is dropped, have them hustle for control and continue on. Have "teams" of 6 compete with each other and against the clock. Count the passes out loud and count down the seconds left in the drill.

Another variation is to move the ball until until you call "shot". The shot should come off a skip pass or a crease feed.

Gradually work in defenders, I put in 3 to start , and build up to 6 on 5 as they get better and gain confidence. Its OK to use 5 poles on this drill to increase difficulty.

Here are a couple of important keys to running the 3-3.

1. BACK IT UP. The 3-3 is designed to get the D out of place for a wide open look. Teach the boys "one more" so they are open when shooting. Discourage a lot of dodging on this set. Make sure guys are not shooting when covered or taking shots from too far out.
The off ball wing attack players are responsible for the back up of a missed shot. Make sure they are acutely aware they cannot be beat to the end line by the goalie.

2. STRETCH. Just moving the ball around the perimeter is not enough. Stretch the defense by making a move to the goal every time you touch the ball in rotation. By becoming a threat, the D is forced to react and will leave some one open every time.

3.QUICK SHOT. Fire shots early in the penalty before the defense has time to settle in and gain confidence. Defenders at this level are usually confused when they are setting up a Man Down.
A early shot can surprise a goalie or a MDD player.

As they progress you can move them in an out of new formations to create looks on your EMO.

Thats all for now...

sticks & pockets

2007-12-04T11:04:00.000-05:00

"hey coach, look I restrung my own stick last night"

This may possibly be the worst thing you can hear game from a middle school lacrosse player right before the big game.

Many lacrosse players are obsessed with their pockets. It seems every year some one on the team gets designated as the "stick doctor". Many players are very gifted at the fine art of stringing pockets. Unfortunately they are extremely rare in middle school.

Here is a checklist to make sure a bad pocket or string job doesn't ruin a players practice, game, or season.

1/ Throw and catch with every players stick a few times in the beginning of the season. I throw and catch with 4 or 5 every practice to see how they feel. Check sidewall strings, shooting strings, pocket depth, (or lack there of) and head condition. Many players get hand me downs or abandoned sticks from older brothers, the kid next door, etc. Some are worn out or cracked.

2/ I forbid the players to do any "custom stringing"on their game stick. There is a reason Warrior, STX, and Brine offer simple stringing versions on new heads - they work. Most of the variations seen in forums or on line are made by kids with too much time on their hands or by lacrosse peddlers trying to add a few bucks to the sale. If you want a weird pocket, do on your back up or an extra head lying around the house. A factory string job is fine. They are simple to tweak. Sidewalls and shooting strings can be easily and quickly adjusted.

Complex pockets with multiple twists and several extra shooting strings are virtually impossible to adjust on the fly.

I have been to MLL, NCAA, and NLL games. I can honestly say I have never seen any "custom pockets" at this level. Its always 6 diamond, hard or dura mesh, or sometimes an occasional traditional pocket.

3/ Back ups. I keep two short sticks in my truck, a long stick, and a goalie stick. Sidewalls strings break, heads crack, and sticks get soggy in games. Not to mention that kid who shows up at an away game with no stick at all. Having these extras are life savers. Make sure they are throwing and catching perfectly.

Its a good idea to introduce youth players to the fact they will, at one time or another need to get a back up stick or head. Especially in the future when they move on to the next level. I don't advocate Parents buying two sticks at the MS level, but if they can get a back up cheap or used, it may be a good idea.

hope this makes sense...

simple middle school offense

2007-11-30T12:50:00.000-05:00

there are many philosophies on what kind of offense to run at the MS level. the internet is full of "set" plays run from various formations, featuring picks, double picks, sweeps, motion, etc.

set plays are great, if you have the entire team show up on play day, and have the luxury of practicing them multiple times to get everyone on the same page.

i have watched offensive coaches put in plays for years. i have yet to see more than a handful ever executed with players at the MS level.

i get a kick out of coaches yelling "GET IN HOPKINS" or "RUN SYRACUSE" from the sidelines, only to see a mass of confusion ending in a turnover complete with a fast break goal the other way.

lets face it, you may get 50% of a seventh or eighth grade team to remember a set play at best. that leaves three or your six offensive guys without a clue.

here are some remedies:

1/ teach formations not plays. kids will catch on to a 1-4-1 set or a 2-3-1 quickly. simply moving from one formation to another creates looks and goals.

2/ stay away from tricky names. calling one set Hobart and the next set Hopkins tends to lose some of the pack. I use "14" for the 1-4-1, "23" for the 2-3-1, "22" for the 2-2-2 and "33" for the 3-3 if we run it. The other sideline will know the formation as well. Not a big deal at this level. I you want to disguise it just throw in a word that means nothing, i.e. "jack 14" or
"23 crash".

3/ get it hot. its always a huge frustration when youth players refuse to move the ball around the horn. I have a simple call that virtually eliminated the 1 pass and a shot mentality.
i simply call a color and number combination. for instance "white 7" means we need 7 touches before any one dodges or shoots, i will call "blue 6" or "red 5" etc., etc.

it sounds too simple to work, but it does. like magic sometimes.

4/ "XRAY" . Need to get it to X or settle it to sub? call XRAY. i make a big deal out of this call. make sure the whole team barks it out and respects the call. it will help you settle, get the ball to your best ball handler or feeder and give you time to get a pole off or sub fresh middies.

we always joke OBEY XRAY it sounds goofy, but works like a charm.

I hope this helps...

finding a spot

2007-11-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

at the youth level, playing time should be more important than wins. the problem is not winning is hard on teams.

its very hard to throw in a 3rd line group of players when the game is on the line. over the years i have tried several methods to evenly distribute playing time, it is always challenging from a coaches perspective.

here are a few tips which may make the task less painful.

1. determine before the season starts what your team goal is. do you want to win games? or do you want to get kids on the field? let players and parents know before you start the season. if you are going to double shift first line middies or give your best players a ton of minutes, it cannot be a secret. parents may opt not to sign up if their kids are not guaranteed playing time.if your philosophy is geared towards instructional and skill development , you have to stick to the program as well. waining back and forth will result in agony for parents and player alike.

be realistic. it is next to impossible to guarantee every player equal minutes.

2. if you have way too many kids, consider a second or third team. if that is not possible make cuts. 30 kids on a sideline is never a good scenario.
if forming "A" "B" and/or "C" squads is an option, and you can get coaches, go for it. my rule of thumb is 18 minimum, 25 maximum. cutting is not the end of the world, some of the best players in the world were cut a one time or another.

you can have more on a team is you have the luxury of a long stick middie or 2 and a 2nd goalie. some believe 15 is enough, but if you factor in no shows, other sports, injuries or other issues that effect attendance, you may end up at a game with 11 kids showing up. I rarely see 100% attendance at this level.

3. specialized positions. if you are blessed with too many lacrosse players, or need a place to put a kids who needs to gain some confidence try these:

FOGO - face off, get off. if a player is OK with this role, assign one player this important role or rotate a few players in each game

long stick middies - a great position that requires a great stick, speed and intelligence. try not to give this spot to a slower kid or one with an average stick

man down defense specialists- that 4th pole that is still learning? put him on the crease or at the lefty shooter spot. have them call off the middies at get it set up- its a great role i have had great sucess in the past with my "man down captain"

defensive midfielders,- not real good with the stick but a great athelete? D Middie! beleive it or not, not every kid in the world wants to get a goal, some would much rather be a stopper

man up players- got a lazy kid with a cannon? let him rip it on the EMO.

back up goalies - this is a great spot for a kid who will accept the challenge. make sure to teach the position in detail, and to work them in slowly. see my youth goalie post for some ideas.

crease attack - the best place in the world for that kid who won't run or doesn't have the world best stick skills. teach to set picks, screen the goalie, grab some ground balls, catch turn and shoot, or get a few garbage goals.

more next week...

sure fire youth practice

2007-10-23T14:18:00.000-04:00

coaching is 90 % preparation, or so i have been told. i am nuts about having smooth running practices. it is important to get players lots of touches, to disguise conditioning as lacrosse drills, and to build skills.

my typical middle school practice runs 1 1/2 hours. here are some key pointers which may help you run a productive session:

its important map out a seasonal practice grid at the beginning of the year. i try to introduce new concepts weekly. its easier when you bring in the following concepts in stages:

week 1 & 2 - conditioning, fundamentals, offense, defense
week 3 & 4 - rides, clears, EMO, MDD
week 5 & 6 - 2 man down, wing play, set plays

once i introduce a concept , i will continue to schedule drills for it and do it for the remainder of the season. i skip certain things on certain days, except conditioning and fundamentals which should be done every practice. i always abort any drills which are they cannot grasp or are having difficulty running.

here is a typical practice i will run on a given day:

5 min- team talk / practice preview / game recap

10 min- stretches / conditioning

15 min- fundamentals - passing and catching/ shooting / ground balls

20 min - individual skills- middies go to east goal / attack and long sticks go to west goal

work on 1v1's / 2v1's / 2v2's / 3v2's / and 3v3's / work on dodging / 2 man game/ finding space/ D footwork and slides/picks and screens

5 min - water break/ split team/ black vs gold

10 min - EMO vs MDD every practice! don't forget 2 man down

20 min- TEAM transition 4 v 3 / 5 v4 / 6 v 5 / full field drills / scrimmage

5 min - Cool down practice re-cap / daily awards for effort

90 minutes total.

obviously i can't work every scenario listed in one day, so i will rotate the drills daily to include as much as i can from the plan in a week. i.e. i will do 4 v 3 and full field drills on monday, 5 v4 and a scrimmage on tuesday, 6 v5 and another full field drill on wednesday, etc.

here are some pointers to keep a practice running smoothly:

1. time all drills, stick to the program. make comments short and save the details and lectures for the cool down.

2. tons of balls- bring 120 to practice. don't spend time chasing balls or doing ball hunts during practice. make the slackers or the disrupter's do the hunt after practice.

NEVER make a shooter chase a ball - i want to die when i see coaches do this - it teaches them to shoot in the middle of the cage so they don't have to chase balls. use extra goalies, assistant coaches, players, and parents for shot chasers. train shooters to "pick corners", not "don't miss the cage"

3. find what i call "coachable moments" when a player get frustrated or is struggling with a skill, pull them aside, compliment the effort and assist them 1 on 1. have assistants or captains work to improve new or inexperienced player

more specific stuff later....

coaching middle school level players

2007-10-11T14:27:00.001-04:00

the first group that i ever personally coached was a grade 7 travel squad of 27 kids. at that time it seemed to me that every level above middle school was the more difficult to coach, and that pro or college coaches had the hardest jobs by far.

at the varsity and college level coaches must teach many offensive sets, numerous plays, multiple slide packages, several rides and clears., etc. there is no denying that it does take the most knowledgeable people in the game. all that being said, the middle school level coach is not the "cake walk" some may expect. challenges exist at this level which can rival any age group. i have coached every level , and found that grades 6, 7, & 8 can present some unique problems as a coach.

the middle school player does not have strong stick skills. they have a short attention span. they want to horseplay continuously. they forget helmets, gloves, sticks, cups, and pads it seems like every practice. i had an 8th grade goalie show up for a game with no stick or helmet once!
they can get out of control quickly and disrupt practices and games- if you let them.

in my day if we strayed from the program, coach just ran us until we collapsed. that doesn't work with todays crafty bunch, it may be effective occasionally, but cannot be the only weapon in the arsenal.

i have several tips to aid the MS coach that may come in handy when dealing with this crowd

1. be more familiar than friendly. being "buddies" with kids at this level tends to have an adverse effect on discipline. give them and inch they will take a mile. you don't have to be a drill Sargent, but it is important to be firm and in control of games and practices. use a whistle and blow it loud. i have seen plenty of coaches spending way too much time yelling "stop, stop,stop" or "quiet please!" a strong loud whistle means both.

2. remember the "R.E.F" system

respect, effort, focus- we explain this in detail before and during the season

i stress teaching players all ages these 3 important values

respect teammates, coaches, and parents of your team and the opposition's. unconditional respect of referees is a must at all times - regardless of questionable calls.
as a coach your must lead by example, abide by your own rules

effort- less than 100% is not tolerated. i reward effort, never talent. make a point that we we need to see effort in drills, scrimmages, and games. make sure players are rewarded for hustle

focus- players that come to practice or a game, must focus on lacrosse.
i do not allow cell phones to be on, sword fights, talking during coaches demonstrations, or any other distractive conduct. if you have a habitual violator, sit him at the face off X and have the entire team run full field suicides while he watches. i guarantee this will fix the problem, the whole team becomes your watch dogs

3. introduce concepts a day before you actually explain and demonstrate

i use this one religiously . lets say you want to work on rides and clearing. at the end of the practice have a meeting to let everyone know, " at the next practice we will be working on rides and clears". ask the players to research the topic and be ready to ask questions or share what they have learned. you will be pleasantly surprised on the info you will get at the next practice. kids at this age tend to do well at getting information quickly with the internet and so many web sites out there

they will be much better prepared when you start showing the skills and demonstrating the next day, and quicker to grasp and learn a new skill.

more later...

developing youth goalies

2007-10-10T12:52:00.000-04:00

coaches and parents always ask me "how do you get kids to play goalie"

my experience has taught me there are some dos and donts when it comes to "manufacturing" goalies. i was taught first hand when my oldest son who is 17 now was hit by a shot in the neck in practice when he was in grade 5, never to return to the cage again.

here are some of the things i do to find first time goalies, train them, and keep them safe at the same time.

first I always use the "flinch drill" with the youngest players and first time players

line them up with their helmets on and slow toss a ball at their face masks. it seems the ones who don't flinch or laugh at the ball hitting them qualify for a shot at keeper. kids who duck or cower in fear seem to be less apt to step in.

here are key points i use when training new kids to play goal for the first time, it goes with out saying they must have a cup, chest protector and throat guard - no exceptions. i dont like arm pads on youth goalies because it slows their movement, but it's ok if the parent insists.

1. teach them the proper stance and to how to hold the stick properly. make sure it is high and away from the body. show them what an athletic or "ready" stance is, and remind them continuously to keep the stick up. teach to have the thumb at eye level or "eye, thumb, ball."

2 . start out with tennis balls. i get bags of "dead" balls from my local tennis clubs, they are glad to give them away for the most part. i have the goalies tell me when they are ready for a real ball.
this lets you take plenty of shots with out any "stingers". it builds confidence and technique

3. teach them the "arc" and to "step" in to every shot. start by hand tossing shots. use a lot of balls, don't have them waisting time retrieving balls from the cage. i ignore when they miss saves and remind them "forget that one" "get ready" "stance" and i call "shot" on every toss
take the balls out when the cage is full for a short break.

4. i believe youth players need shin guards, make sure they are in the coaches bags. they simply don't have the mechanics to stop low and hard shots. the thin soccer type are fine.also, wearing sweats takes the sting out of shots and can hide shin guards for the older kids who complain about being embarrassed to wear them.

5. set up cones players must stay behind when doing shooting drills. start out far enough where the goalies can make easy saves and only agree to move them in when the goalie says he is ready for closer looks. quick stick drills and close in shots should be done with no goalie. i like to put them behind the cage making "saves" by trying to react where the ball is going.

more goalie stuff later...

youth leagues tips

2007-10-08T09:16:00.000-04:00

I run a youth program in spring and fall in my community. Lacrosse is growing at an alarming speed in our community with 90 - 100 boys showing up to play each season. Grades 2 through 8 play in fall, in spring we run 2nd - 6th.
We have been lucky enough to have the High School JV and Varsity players come out (along with many adult volunteers) and help teach the youth players. Finding qualified coaches at the youth level is certainly a challenge. I want the instruction to get better but have to resign to the fact it will take time for that to evolve.
To get parents involved, I have found teaching each "newbie" parent 1 skill set at a time is the easiest way to work them in. Teach a partent one on one to work on ground balls, another passing and catching skills, and maybe a third dodging or finding space. When faced with just 1 task to learn, they normally catch on quickly and are not overwhelmed with a sport they do not know well.As they master teaching a skill, rotate them to learn the next. In time they can run a group of boys unassisted.