Escapes & Goal Scoring | Lacrosse Drive

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Activity 1 - 5 Player Line Drills w/ Guided Defense
Activity 2 - Windup Shooting
Activity 3 - Take the Space
Activity 4 - Small Ball
Activity 5: Zombie Tag

Please Note: The Practice is designed to bring value across multiple age levels. You can use this to build ideas to develop your own practice. With that being said, we highly encourage you to adjust the drills based on your team’s age and skill levels. Lacrosse Drive should always be used as a starting point and you can add/remove constraints to fit your team.

This Practice, is to build on the foundation and principles we want our players to grow with. We will always work on our stick work, but now we start including skill work and game IQ.

During this session, continue to reinforce the coaching points and principles noted at each drill. It’s important to get across to the players, that no matter skill level they are, we can always get better at the basic principles of shooting, dodging, and finding space.

8 Minutes

Activity 1 - 5 Player Line Drills w/ Guided Defense

Players should read off the guided defender and let them naturally escape while protecting their stick!

5 Player Line Drills – Roll Away with Guided Defense

Set Up

Put players on the sideline in groups of 5, and a coach about 8-10 yards away. The players can start with a ground ball, it just carry. They will cradle the ball up to coach, who will shade them to force a roll away. We want players to pop their hats away to the outside from the defender, exchange hands, and either carry back to line or make a pass to next player in line

Coaching Points and Principles

Cradling – keep the stick protected up by the shoulders
Roll Away – Drive off inside foot, and pop your hands away to protect stick, LET THE STICK LEAD YOU, then exchange hands
Carry the ball back to line, or make a pass

Progressions

Add in passes
Make the defense unpredictable
Add in Curls or QB passes

Tags

Attack Ball Control (with the ball)Beginner Defense Dodging & Escapes Guided - Token Opponent Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield U10 U8 Women’s Lacrosse

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Activity 2 - Windup Shooting

A foundational element working on our step down shot!

Set Up

Put the players in front of the goal. They will start with a ball in their stick, and in this drill we want to emphasize getting loaded ready to shoot. Players start with the lead shoulder point to the goal, getting their hands back in a. comfortable position (loaded). We over emphasize the windup, and tell players to take 2-3 big hops before shooting. After reps, we have them try it after 1 big hop to the goal

Coaching Points and Principles

Get loaded in a comfortable position (don’t let the stick head point to the ground, slightly up to the sky is correct)
Take 2 big hops to the goal
Transfer weight from back to front
Turn hips through shot with hands following (like a golf swing)
Release the top hand, snap wrist for quick strong release

Progressions

Add in escapes, like split dodges or roll dodges
Give the players a target to hit, make it a game

Tags

All Attack Ball Control (with the ball)Beginner Block - On Air (no opponent)Foundational Skills Midfield Shooting Step Down Shooting U10 U8

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Activity 3 - Take the Space

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

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.

Progressions

Add a double dodge
Create more constraints for the players

Tags

Anticipation & Recognition Attack Beginner Decision Making Dodging & Escapes Foundational Skills Guided - Token Opponent Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Midfield Shooting Shooting on the Run U10 U12 U14 U8

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20 Minutes

Activity 4 - Small Ball

Set Up

You can play this game as half field, or full field. Make sure you are USING TENNIS BALLS OR SOFT LACROSSE BALLS for this game. Split players up into two teams, and play 3v3 or 4v4. One player on the defensive team has to play goalie, so it’s always an unsettled game. If the defense turns the ball over, or there is a dead ball, the defending team will clear it past restraining line (like basketball half court) and then they will be on offense. This is a great game for station play or small groups

Coaching Points and Principles

Unsettled offense and defense – Players should recognize the situation
- Offense – Draw a defender and find an open teammate / off ball move to space
- Defense – Play zone-like defense with slides and recovery
Awareness and Game IQ

Progressions

Change the number off players
play a full field version with 2 goals

Tags

3v2 4v3 All Beginner Fundamental Team Offense & Defense Game - Live Play Intermediate Small Area Games Small Area Games Transition U10 U8

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15 Minutes

Activity 5: Zombie Tag

Great in small groups but also Do this with the entire team to finish practice! Every coach is a zombie!

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

Ball Control and Awareness – Keep your head up, stay away from zombies, and don’t run out of bounds!
Communicate – Help unfreeze your teammates

Progressions

Make field smaller so its more challenging or larges for less experienced players

Tags

Anticipation & Recognition Ball Control (with the ball)Beginner Box Lacrosse Dodging & Escapes Game - Live Play Intermediate Men’s Lacrosse Small Area Games Small Area Games U10 U8

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