FLG Families,

It was exciting to take the fields this past Sunday. The Spring is time for our FLG Select Teams to ramp up our team training, develop team chemistry, review team concepts from the Fall, learn team concepts to prepare for the Summer Tournaments, and continue developing as individual lacrosse players.

As a Program Director, it’s important our families understand why we do what we do at practice. Below is a detailed description of what we worked on this past weekend. As you can see, a lot of time and attention goes into our practice planning. It’s important that you understand everything we do is for a reason. Our reasoning is centered around developing smarter lacrosse players, learning what to do in situations, and understanding team concepts.

At practice, our teams worked on a variety of things. Below are some of the drills we worked on, with a description of the drill and an explanation of why we worked on the drill. Are you a PAL Coach? If yes, feel free to reach out if you see a drill you like. If not, hopefully this recap gives you a better understanding for what we are trying to teach and accomplish at FLG’s Spring Training.

Practice Drills

3 to 6 Person Break-outs: This drill gets our players used to breaking out towards the side-lines. These break-out patterns resemble our clear and gets our players in the habit of throwing lead passes to the side-lines, not the middle of the field. Clearing up the side is a safer, more effective option for our teams so we an successfully clear the ball.

Motion Offense Review: skeleton offense, meaning you have your offense run thru situations without a defense, is a great way to get down different patterns/motions and create organization on the offensive end of the field. Motion Offense teaches players spacing, timing, reads, and ways to create great opportunities to score goals in settled situations.

Ride / Clear Scrimmage: This is a full-field scrimmage drill that doesn’t include face-offs. Instead, it’s controlled by the coaches on the field, whose job is to set-up riding and clearing situations. Athletes play out of these situations to show they know where to go and what to do with the ball during a ride or clear.

Harvard Clearing Drill: This is a 3v3 clearing drill that results in transition offense and defense. 3 short sticks compete against 3 defenders to see who can clear the ball quicker and without dropping the rock. When the offensive players clear the ball up the field, they immediately come back down to their defensive end and try to score a goal. Defensemen do the same, they must clear the ball up the field and immediately get back in the hole and defense once they do so. The defense in handicapped in this drill in that they can only put 2 players (maximum) in the hole to defend. The purpose of this drill is to clear the ball quickly, accurately, and under pressure. Also, it works on transition offense and defense (especially if you botch a clear and have to get back in the hole to defend).

1v1 Buckets – This drill starts with the offensive and defensive players head-to-head and on their backs. The offensive player has a ball in their hand. On the coaches whistles, players get up and go 1v1 against one another. The object for the offense is dunk the ball in the bucket, for the defense, the object is to defend the bucket (which is located in the middle of the hole). The purpose of this drill is to learn how to approach, break-down, drop step, use hands to defend, and understand where to defend. Offensively, it’s about setting up your defender, dragging, attacking, and getting underneath to a dangerous position on the field.

Small Group Training Drills – All Positions

Defensive Drills

ND Three Man Handle – Check out a video of it here!

Umbrella Approach By Number – This drill has 3 cones, which represent dodging locations, set-up behind goal line extended. Coach calls out a number and the defensemen have to approach that numbered cone, break down, and then quickly recover back to their starting position. This drill is great to work on body positioning, knowing where the ball is and where your man is, approaching with a good angle, breaking down, and keeping your stick out when you break down.

1v1 Approach Drill  – Similar to approach by number, 3 dodging locations are set-up. Defender start with a ball, throw to who they want to defend, and then they play out of a 1v1 situation. Offense has 5 seconds to score.

Attack Drills 

Diamond Break-out Drill – Start in a tight diamond, the adjacent players must be ready in that they are next to break-out and receive a pass. Work the ball around clock-wise or counter clock focusing on different catching and passing varaitions. This drill works on throwing lead passes, catching while breaking away from a defender, catching and throwing with both hands, catching over the shoulder, throwing shovel passes, and throwing pull passes (passes across your body)

Kamikazee Dodging – Set-up like a line drill. Everyone has a ball. On the coaches whistle, players must run full speed at each other and make the same move last minute. This drill is great to work on understanding when to make your move against a defenseman. This past Sunday we worked on split dodges, studder steps, hockey stops, and fake-shot face-dodges.

1v1 Approach Drill  – 3 dodging locations are set-up. Defender start with a ball, throw to who they want to defend, and then they play out of a 1v1 situation. Offense has 5 seconds to score. Working on reading the defenders approach, making 1 or two hard moves, attacking the cage to score, protecting our stick, and finishing around the crease.

Midfield Drills 

Kamikazee Dodging – Set-up like a line drill. Everyone has a ball. On the coaches whistle, players must run full speed at each other and make the same move last minute. This drill is great to work on understanding when to make your move against a defenseman. This past Sunday we worked on split dodges, studder steps, hockey stops, and fake-shot face-dodges.

Kick the Can Shooting – Drill focuses on shooting to the far pipe, shooting off the the outside foot, shooting on the run, and finishing with your hips on cage

Three-man skeleton offense – Ball starts on wing and is thrown top center. Player dodges as both wings cut under and follow the motion offense pattern. (Make dodgers go in different directions). Player dodging will throw back using either pull pass or turning to the outside. Ball will then be relayed to the player on the back side who will relay it back to the middle restarting pattern. Great drill to simulate 6v6 team offense, just using your middies.

Goalies

Blind Eye Positioning – Have the goalies close their eyes and start top center. From that position, rapidly call out positions in the net they would have to step to without looking. Great drill to work on knowing where you are in cage, understand positioning and seeing ball, visualizing being in the right spot and making a save.

Explosive Bucket – Have the goalies drop their sticks. Stand close to one pipe and put a bucket placed near the opposite pipe. Toss the ball over the bucket and the goalies take an explosive step towards the opposite pipe. Catch the rock and drop it in the bucket. Slide back to the opposite pipe and go again.

Approach Drill – Goalies then got involved in the 1v1 approach drill with the attack/defense and 3-man shooting drills with the middies. Great time to get reps in live situations.