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Activity 1: Zombie Tag - Link to Drill
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A fun game to play with you players early at practice, or make it a station when working on skill development!
Set Up
Create a small area using cones or lines on the field for boundaries. Every player will have a ball and there will be a coach(s) inside the play area as the zombies. On the whistle, the players will start running with their ball in the play are and coaches will walk around like zombies. if a player gets tagged by a coach or runs outside the playing area, they will freeze in place. Their teammates can unfreeze them, but rolling a ball through their legs, and scooping a ground ball. Continue for 5-10 minutes, and the kids will have a great run!
Coaching Points and Principles
Progressions
- Make field smaller so its more challenging or larges for less experienced players
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- Ball Control and Awareness – Keep your head up, stay away from zombies, and don’t run out of bounds!
- Communicate – Help unfreeze your teammates
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Station 1: Trucks & Trailers - Link to Drill
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A fun drill that works on stick control and allows the kids to have some fun and creativity!
Set Up
Put players in lines of 4 or 5, with the lead player with NO ball, they are the TRUCK. The 4 players behind them ar the Trailers and they all will be carrying a ball. The Truck will run in random patterns for 15-20 seconds, and the Trailers must run, and stay in line following the Truck! After the time is up, switch the roles until everyone has been a TRUCK!
Coaching Points and Principles
Progressions
- Add less players so it goes quicker
- Use Cones to make it easier to navigate for less experienced players
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- Truck – Try to make quick moves, change direction, create a pattern
- Trailers – Keep your heads UP! cradling the ball under control. If you drop it, pick it up and continue
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Station 2: Dodging to Space - Link to Drill
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
An introduction to dodging with youth players that works on learning how to attack the free space to the goal, no matter what hand they use
Set Up
Put players on the wing with balls, and a coach about a stick length away. The player will start with a ball, and facing away from the goal/coach. When Coach says “go” or blow whistle, the player will flip their hips, and during that time, coach will shade high or low. The player will then attack the space, given and get a shot off to the goal
Coaching Points and Principles
Progressions
- Add a double dodge
- Create more constraints for the players
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- Quick reactions! Try to attack the space quickly
- If attacking a space that forces your weak hand, you can either protect and stay strong with your dominant hand or switch to improve your weak hand.
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Station 3: Tight 1v1 - Link to Drill
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
For young players, this is a good drill to work on understanding body position when dodging toward the goal
Set Up
Put an offense and defense player in play. They start with the offense shielding stick with body, leaning into the defender. The defense leans back with hands/stick on hip on opponent. On whistle, the offense player attacks the goal, and does so by feeling the weight/positon of the defender, and attacking the opposite.
Coaching Points & Principles
Progressions
Have players start with small separation, so the defense must approach. |
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- Stick Protection!
- Use Body to feel the pressure angle from defender.. roll dodges and top side drives will work but find the natural escape
- Defense work on recovery angles
- Do this drill from all areas of the field
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Activity 5: Relay race - Link to Drill
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Set Up |
Focus Points |
A fun game that emphasizes ground balls and teamwork!
Set Up
Put your players into 3 teams, smaller group drills so 2-4 players per team. You can use goals or cones as your scoring point. Coach will put a bag of balls In the middle of the playing area, and on the whistle, 1 player from each team must go get a ball, and bring it back to their scoring area. They can shoot on a goal or carry through a gate using cones as shown in this video. The next teammate in line can go get a ball, once they get back to line, acting like a relay race. The team with the most balls after a 1 minute session wins
Coach Points and Principles
Progressions
- Make field larger so they have to run more / smaller for less experienced players
- add more teams (4,5,6)
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- Ground balls – finding a loose ball and accelerating through
- Ball Control – carry the ball confidently back to your scoring area
- Shooting – if using Goals, add in shooting constraints (must finish on a bounce shot, as an example)
- Teamwork! Make sure players are rooting each other on
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