Teaching Youth Players Stick Skills…

Teaching basic stick skills should be the overriding factor when you are working with Elementary and Middle School players. Those players’ grades 3rd - 8th are most pliable and willing to learn new skills such as the right way to pass and shoot.

These skills if learned at the beginning of a player’s lacrosse career will increase a player’s ability to learn the rest of the game. They will not have to worry about correcting poor habits and relearning the basics while the rest of their teammates are concentrating on the more advanced parts of the game.

Teaching basic skills to players is quite a bit harder that it would seem. As coaches, even of youth athletes, we want our players to have a fun experience while playing lacrosse and most often we associate winning with having fun. What we don’t realize is that while winning is important it is more about having fun at practice and before and after games than it is about winning.

A simple way to start teaching stick skills to players is by teaching stick tricks at every practice. You can take time at the beginning or end of practice (I usually make time at the end) to work on tricks. If your team is small as it often is in youth lacrosse you can make a big circle and have everyone attempt a trick or multiple ones if they know more. Some players will be better than others but every player should at least attempt a trick no matter how simple.

Also be sure to set a standard for what you expect of players and cheer them on as they get closer to achieving it. I often set the standard for my players at three stick tricks and they must be performed consecutively and smoothly without a ball drop or a stoppage. I usually have a prize (t-shirt) that can be awarded when they reach this level.

An added benefit of stick tricks is that your players will begin to worry less about the ball coming out of their stick during catching and cradling. This will allow them to start paying more attention to the field and where other players are. You may be surprised how quickly your players will develop on field stick skills by playing around during practice.

Try giving it 15 minutes each practice and see if it helps. Just remember to always try to give your players time because it will be a part of practice they look forward to. Also try assigning particular stick tricks for the next practice to encourage players to work at home.

by  - Lin Coleson

Back to Top