Here you are: You’ve taken on the responsibility of being a head coach of a lacrosse team. It may be your first time coaching, or you might be new to the sport—and then the season comes and you’re looking for some ideas to get started.
Here are some points to jump off your season and help you keep on track as you get started.
Plan running drills to help increase speed:
Lacrosse players need to be fast. Have athletes work on speed-specific workouts to condition them for the season. Work on running drills like sprints, or a drill like the “T-Drill.” The T-Drill involves cones set up in a “T formation” placed 10 yards apart. These require the athlete to move in a front, back and side-to-side motion as quickly as possible, in the form of the letter T. These types of drills simulate the explosive motion that is needed from an athlete to play a position on the lacrosse field. Click here to find more agility drills that help condition lacrosse athletes.
Strength training
Lacrosse players also need to be strong. Lacrosse can aggressive sport and as a coach, you need to make sure your players are prepared to endure the stresses of the game. Athletes need to rely on strength to catch, scoop, shoot or perform “checks” as a defender. Approach any strength training regiment by first consulting a team doctor or professional trainer. Young athletes or inexperienced lifters can introduce resistance bands to work on wrist movements and strength, and then build muscle with bodyweight exercises such as lunges, squats, push-ups, sit-ups and planks.
Set your team goals
Start mapping out your goals for the season. Do you want to win a championship? Do you want to improve specific skills related to sport such as stickwork, defense, speed, etc? Maybe those goals are just incremental and want to win your first game or improve in a certain area. Setting a goal for the season gives you a long-term vision, but it also helps you motivate yourself in the short term.
Plan a scrimmage
Nothing beats a live scrimmage to help players both get into the mindset of a new season and shake some of the rust off that’s accumulated during the offseason as they prepare for the next season. Scrimmages are great ways to simulate a live in-game scenario to encourage athletes to think strategically, act quickly and work together. Reach out to fellow coaches to bring in competitors, sign up for tournaments or divide your team to let them play.
These are just a few ways and ideas to jumpstart your thought process as you prepare for the season. These are things that can help you plan for the first couple of practices and get ready for the start of a long season!