Youth Girls
Theme of the Day – Defense
V-Shuffle in the Alley – Players shuffle (no hopping, no dragging feet, no crossing feet, no sideways running) on a diagonal, back and forth inside about a 7 yard wide alley that is about 20 yards long. The focus is on good defensive positioning, form and footwork. We are looking for our players to shuffle with their backs flat and butts down, with a good plant, drop step and change of direction. When done with sticks, the players should have their top hand back, so as not to have their stick “across the body” and/or “in the sphere” (both fouls).
The 1 v. 1 Bucket Drill (no sticks) has a defender trying to keep the offensive player from getting past her. The offensive player is trying to “dodge” the defender and drop the ball into the bucket. This is a physical drill that emphasizes, “low, legal contact”. Move your feet, stay in front, apply pressure and keep her from getting to the bucket.
Hawk High and Hawk Low stresses the ABCD’s of Defense (Approach, Breakdown, Contact and Direct). As the coach throws a ball to the offensive player, a defender has to react by closing the distance, then breakdown into a good defensive position while establishing “low, legal contact” and “directing” the offensive player away from the middle, “down the side”.
FLG 2024 Girls not phased by the cold weather at FLG’s 1st Spring Training Practice! Selfy by Coach Robyn P.
Middle School Girls
Triangle Passing in a Box – This drill forces three players to move the ball around the perimeter of a 10 yard by 10 yard box. They must be passing and receiving the ball with their stick to the outside. They have to move to the open cone every time the ball moves (making the triangle). They have to be thinking the whole time, moving their feet all while executing throwing and catching.
Goalkeeper Clearing – The Goalie fields a shot which triggers an outlet to a low defender, who catches the ball moving forward and then passes forward to a teammate who then sends the ball to a third clearing player, who is making a forward diagonal cut. This drill simulates the types of passes that need to be executed in girls lacrosse, as they move into the higher levels of play (High School and beyond).
1 v. 1 Box – Here the Offensive player is trying to get from one side of the box to the other, while the defender is working on “overplaying” and forcing her to one side. Defensive form and footwork is stressed. The defender has to employ all of the ABCD’s in order to be successful in this drill, which is a microcosm of the matchups that are often generated in settled 7 v. 7 situations.
3 v. 2’s with the ball coming from behind. This a variation on the more common 3 v. 2 where the ball begins up top. It creates a different look for the goalie and the two defenders and puts the three attackers in a less familiar position, at least to begin with. The offense must move the ball quickly and accurately while the defense must communicate and work together to defend while at the disadvantage – going from “on ball” to off ball or “I got two”. If the defense makes them throw more than one or two passes, they have done a good job.
Small Group Training – Youth/MS
In SGT we are looking to pack as many reps as possible into 60 minutes. This week we began with Partner Passing on the move, focusing on the proper mechanics for the variety of types of passes that may be required to execute in game play.
The 1 v. 1 Pivot Drill is designed to teach players to protect their stick while under defensive pressure. The offensive player must keep one foot (pivot foot) in place while the defender works to try to get to her stick. The Attacker must change her body position while keeping her stick protected from the defender.
Cone Dodges to a Shot – Players have to navigate a series of cones, while maintaining stick protection before ultimately ending with a shot on the run. The player has to focus on footwork while having their head up in order to acquire the target, in order to be a more accurate shooter.
Long Pass, Short Pass, Ground Ball Shuttle – Here the players are getting multiple reps of 3 distinct skills. The lines are 20 to 30 yards apart (depending on age and ability). The drill begins with a long pass (which requires torso rotation and a crow hop to generate the necessary power) to the first player in the opposite line. The ball is returned to the original passer (who has closed the distance by running toward), who then throws a shorter pass (on the move, also requiring the torso turn) to the same player. Finally, a Ground Ball is rolled out for the player to scoop and return it with a third pass.
High School Girls
With High School Tryouts either already under way or beginning the next day, we wanted to create as many ‘game speed” reps with no real contact, as possible. We wanted to help them be ready for their tryouts without making them sore. We opened with 2 Ball Line Drills, which doubles the number of touches, that players get in regular line drills. We then split the girls into two groups and went into “Stations”.
Offense – The Girls did a variety of Dodging and Shooting Drills. Cutting and catching a same side feed, before shooting on the run. Then it was an opposite side feed. The focus was on changing direction on the cuts, and the proper mechanics of catching and shooting on the run.
Defense – First it was the V-Shuffle in the Alley. With the older girls there is more focus on speed and “economy of movement”. We also work in the variation, by alternating between a shuffle and a sprint into a breakdown, with each change of direction. We then moved to a variety of ladder drills. First into Ground Balls then into angled breakdowns, to simulate the ABCD’s. I am pretty sure I heard one HS Junior say “yes, I love ladders!”
