TEACHING YOUTH LACROSSE WITH COACH GORMAN

March 20th, 2013Coaching instructional class

COACH GORMAN BIO

• Current head coach Chicago Outlaws• Finished H.S. career with 11 scoring records.

Only lacrosse player in H.S. Hall of Fame• Captained Irish national indoor team• Captained Chicago outlaws indoor team• Director of lacrosse Cary Grove Youth lacrosse• High School career record of 96-12 over 7

seasons

CARY GROVE YOUTH LACROSSE PHILOSHOPY

• To introduce our young athletes to a new and exciting sport that is still very new to Illinois

• To create a safe and fun environment that is enjoyable to both our players and parents

• To compete in the NWCYLF and represent our community with pride and respect

• To become the premier youth program in the state through instruction, administration,and reputation

• Honor the roots and history of the game

Coaching Lacrosse

• Are you qualified?- You don't have to be a good player to be a good coach!

• Create a philosophy • Establish goals• Build your team• Make it fun• Stress positive reinforcement • Every kid plays• Teach teamwork• Promote sportsmanship - only sport you meet and shake

hands before the game

Coaching Lacrosse (part 2 )

• Promote Sportsmanship• Teach discipline• Stress fundamentals• Effort is the measure of performance• Honor the game • Engage the parents

Teaching Fundamentals

• Teach correct grip of stick• Hand placement• Stance• Motion• Pointers to aid- u9 38" u11 38.5-39 u13/u15 39" beauty of

electric tape• Suggested drills wall ball, partner passing, 3 man passing

Teaching Defense

• Teach the stance• Teach positioning - you always stay between your man and

the goal, feet first stick second,always protect the hole• Teach stick checking - otherwise they see it as swinging their

sticks slap,poke, lift• Teach boxing out not taking out• Man to man versus zone defense• How to help 1&2 slides• No Threat D box to box

Teaching Offense

• Teach players to REACT instead of REMEMBER• Teach players formations and explain why they need to be in a

formation• The goal of an offensive formation is to create opportunies to

score• Teach motion - the average player has the ball for a total of 3

min, focus on the other 57 min• Formations 1-3-2 1-4-1 2-2-2• Keys to motion - dodge,clear, show, replace, stress curls and

fades• Teach 2 plays based on motion

OFFENSIVE STRATEGY

• Off ball movement• Pick and rolls - I have taken a new approach to this that has

been highly successful• Slip, fade, replace• How to use X properly - good place to slow down ,re group,

sub• Red, Yellow, Green - on the fly

Dodging

• Teach - fundamentals and reason for dodging• Emphasis stick placement• Different dodges - Bull dodge, face dodge, split

dodge, roll dodge, inside roll, swim, rocker dodge,

• Teach the art of CHANGE changing speed and direction

Clears

• Clearing the ball is extremely difficult in youth lax, teach a live and a set clear

• Teach the importance of space• Invert - middies most likely better handlers• Demonstrate a standard , inverted, 4 across clear

Rides

• When teaching rides MAKE IT FUN! this is the attacks only change to play Defense

• Have a standard and a back up ride • Examples "Bird" ( or 33 ) "Blackjack" ( 21 )• The objective is to force a turnover on your offensive side of

the field.• Our goal is to create 2-3 double teams better the opponent

gets to midline• Stress to importance of no threat D once the opponent passes

midfield ( most mistakes occur at this point )

Drill Bank

• Progressive partner passing - stationary, string, all in one• 3 man passing - stack,triangle, loop• Box passing- great build up drill• Star passing - great build up drill• 1V1 ground ball -scoop , scoop & feed, scoop & shoot• 2V2 ground ball - same

Drill Bank part 2• 4V3 fast break• 3V2 Basketball• 4 cone shooting• Bucket shooting • Box shooting• Tunnel shooting• C curl shooting• Baseline 2V1 3V2 4V3• 5 point 1V1 2V2

Drill Bank part 3

• Half field 4v3, 4v4, 6v5, 6v6• 1v1 dodging - top center and X

RESOURCES

• ME! • www.uslacrosse.org• www.Kudda.com• www.weplay.com• www.laxstars.com• www.simplylacrosse.com