Lax Practice Template

Principles

  • Variety and Progression
  • Consistency: Beginning of practice should always be same and mirror pregame: Stretch, warm-up, ground balls, passing, lines: First 15 minutes of practice
  • Build: My practices start with warm-up, then individual, position, then team
  • Flexibility: Some drills work great some don’t. Be prepared to accept failure and change on fly.
  • Duration: shorter is better. At this age 10 minutes is about the limit unless scrimmaging.
  • Weekly progression: Don’t add more than 1 drill per practice. Recycle good ones, toss bad ones.
  • Conditioning: Hide in drills, relay races, 2 man ground balls, etc. Maybe 5 min sprints at end WITH BALL IN STICK.
  • Inclusion: try not to ever have kids watching drill much unless teaching position
  • Closing message: Go over drills at end and discuss success or failure. Ask them as a group to grade themselves.
  • Don’t forget the goalie! You must work out guys you plan on playing in goal. TENNIS BALLS

My practices go like this for the most part. Remember, have an extra drill or two ready in case the first one totally stinks:

0-15

Two equal groups behind goal on end line, half go one direction around field same with other, turn at mid field line, tap sticks, continue back around field to starting point, move around goal and circle up. Stretching: right over left, left over right 8 counts. Calf stretches. Stargazers, Boro Jacks.

Line drills, 4 lines, ground balls (players must yell Ball Down and person getting ball yells release), switch to strong hand passes (same thing if ball hits ground yell BALL DOWN), Weak hand passing.

4 lines, everyone has ball, 1 v 1. Defender does not chase, dodging.

Water.

18-40

Individual skills, ground balls, passing, dodging, passing to moving target, scoop make move clear back to head of line no defender then add defender(great drill), 2 man ground balls (great drill), 3 v 1 in a box, 3 man passing drill. 2 v 1, 2 man pass down field.

40-65

Position Drills

Attack: movement without ball, cutting, v-cut, movement behind goal, Dodging, picks, positioning, PLAYING DEFENSE, Positioning when we are on defense, FINDING THE WEAK DEFENDER AND EXPLOIT. COMMUNICATION!! Back passing to middie. Give and go.

Middies: Offensive positions, range of motion, cutting to goal, FINDING WEAK DEFENDER AND EXPLOIT, Defensive set, goalie clearing, Middie Back, Long-Stick middie, Face-offs, Defensive slides. Man-up, man down.

Defense: Slides, USING GOALIE, Clears to middie, man-down, open field, Face dodge,

Water

70-90: Team Drills

3 v 2, 3 v 3, 4 v 3, 6 v 5, 6 v 6, attack rotations, team slides, goal clears to team, RIDE (playing defense) , counter attack, face off loss and win,