Coaching a horrible team

[smittMONEY]

Ok, I've been coaching my little brother's team since there normal coach can't make it. I have a huge problem with this team, they're absolutely terrible. They haven't scored more than 8 goals in a game all season, in an indoor game with regular nets and one long pole. I don't like losing, but I can deal with it since I am not playing. But, these kids have 0 heart or commitment. They're too freggin passive. Perfect example, scrum for a ground ball, a kid gets punched, what does he do? Absolutley nothing, but the worst part is he cried. Over a weak punch to his helmet. They don't pass either, they always have open men on the crease, but why pass it? They're only triple teamed at midfield. I tried to hold a practice for them, I payed for the field out of my own pocket cause they said they'd be there, but guess what? Two kids showed up. I don't get these kids, they're the worst team I've ever seen. They take breaks from the game and have there parents bring them a soda over. A freggin soda in the middle of the game. It's always the same 3 kids filling up the stat line. It's like it's every man for there selves out there.

What can I do to get these kids to try? I've done everything, bribed them, threatened them (seemed to work), and basiclly everything else. None of it seems to work. Help me, please.

[CTLaxer]

Ok, the first thing you need to do is take a deeeeeeeep breath. Inhale big and exhale slowly.

Now that you've calmed down a bit, lets get some info. How old as the kids on the team and what kind of team is it? Having a rec league that doesn't travel is going to have a different mentality when compared to a travel team that has tryouts and cuts. If they're not high school kids, passive play is to be expected a bit as kids are not still out of their shell, hormones are kicking it and they don't know what's going on. Also, if they have not been taught to fight for balls, be aggressive and play with heart, they won't. Those things come naturally to very few people, especially young kids. Also, if they're young, the desire and ability to win may not always be there.

Your job as a coach is to teach them about the sport and to give them the necessary skills to become proficient players of the sport. If you can simply instill the desire to win in them(this doesn't mean yelling at them because they lose) then a lot of the problems which you described will work themselves out over time.

But, like I said, give us some background on the team you're dealing with (ie age level, skill level, previous experience, previous coaching, etc) as well as some background on yourself (how old are you, ever coached before, what's your playing experience, etc) and we can better help you with your problems.

[RockStar]

.....Perfect example, scrum for a ground ball, a kid gets punched, what does he do? Absolutley nothing, but the worst part is he cried. Over a weak punch to his helmet. ....

:concerned Hope that kid never does anything that puts him in jail, or in a box laX game!

If they're kids that played before, then eff 'em, you tried. If these are youngsters just getting into the sport, there might be hope.

Problem is that the parents are coddling them and the old coach might have been too. Can't wait to see what these parents tell you if you actually run some full contact drills during a practice.

[smittMONEY]

They're High School Freshman and Junior Varsity. I've coached before, but not lax. It's a competitive indoor league (Top Gun), and cost quite a bit to play in.

[zak]

They're High School Freshman and Junior Varsity. I've coached before, but not lax. It's a competitive indoor league (Top Gun), and cost quite a bit to play in.

I dont know, ask my coach maybe? We had a lot of football players that played last year who werent motivated at all, he always gave them the "you are jsut embarassing yourself out there, and the rest of the team, me and the sport too. Now either get serious and start coming to practice or dont show up at all." If someone really doesnt want to play then theres really not much you can do to encourage them.

[1/2man1/2amazin]

If it was me I'd take my whistle and go home. They can't play without a coach, so don't coach unless they're going to listen. I've walked out on teams half way through the season cause they wouldn't listen. I was 2nd assistand coach though, so it's not like I left them totally helpless, but if they're as bad as you say, maybe they just need some tough love.

[smittMONEY]

If it was me I'd take my whistle and go home. They can't play without a coach, so don't coach unless they're going to listen. I've walked out on teams half way through the season cause they wouldn't listen. I was 2nd assistand coach though, so it's not like I left them totally helpless, but if they're as bad as you say, maybe they just need some tough love.


Techniqually they can play without a coach in this league.

[1/2man1/2amazin]

Let them play without a coach then. Once they're tired of getting their asses beat I'm sure they'll appreciate the job a coach does.

[lottaLaX]

Idea (a bad one sort of): Come to practice dressed up and show them who's boss.Find some way to humiliate them and get them pumped. I've never had this problem with youth teams I've played on (any sport) but motivation is a really important aspect of the game

[smittMONEY]

It's not a youth team, I can't do contact drills with them, I have a good 6 inches on the tallest kid, and about 40 pounds over all of them.

[lottaLaX]

Why are they even playing? Last time I checked Lacrosse wasn't made for pansies.

[Hawksgoalie39]

Try to hold a team meeting, and whoever shows up is on the team, whoever doesnt gets benched. tell them that and have a serious talk with them. tell them that this is a serious and hard hitting sport, and if they can't take it then quit. make then run really hard, and if they dont then mae them run even more. take the balls away. have them scrimmage a real good team to show them how a rael good team is/ have some really good kids try out and tell them that they are the only kids playing ot make the other kids mad?

Just My 2 Cents
Blum

[1/2man1/2amazin]

taking the balls away in practice is always a good idea for getting a team to smarten up

[Damn D man]

lots of good tips already presented that I would do: tough love has got to be tops though.
I teach karate to kids around that age regularly and I think I'm going to dunk my head into the toilet because there are a few who just never seem to smarten up. except one, who's into the Civil Air Patrol and now has a smart, " Yes, sir." response.Anyway, off-topic.
I guess the first thing is to start from the root of everything...the soda thing KILLED me. I mean, don't these rents see their kids looking like crap out there? If I was a rent, I'd at least take away the soda and give them the boot up their butt to go out and play.
Second, it's all about attitude. Never, never, never give up. A lot of kids won't believe in themselves unless you believe in them first. show it. These kids probably act all dejected because they don't have someone who they see worth hauling their own butts. The serious talk will help too, because some just need it pounded into their heads. Those who have shown up, get to play, bench the rest until they start showing some form of love. If you're as dedicated as you should be, and they aren't, they aren't going to be worth your full attention until they start showing interest.

[franks2089]

Sounds like u just need to yell at and say each time they dont play well they get a lot of sprints after the game is over.

[OutBurst]

Try to hold a team meeting, and whoever shows up is on the team, whoever doesnt gets benched. tell them that and have a serious talk with them. tell them that this is a serious and hard hitting sport, and if they can't take it then quit. make then run really hard, and if they dont then mae them run even more. take the balls away. have them scrimmage a real good team to show them how a rael good team is/ have some really good kids try out and tell them that they are the only kids playing ot make the other kids mad?

Just My 2 Cents
Blum

I love you. Trust this kid, it should work.


OutBurst

[bobtrack]

Don't just hold a player meeting though, make sure the parents know what you expect aswell.

[CoachK]

Having a parent meeting is the best idea. If you get their support, they get to harp on their kids, and you can coach. If a kid doesn't pass to the open player, pull him off, and calmly tell him when he could have made the pass. Tell him he'll get it next time. Not all players respond to me being an as*hole, some do, but others don't, you have to adjust it for them. With your bunch, you may have to challenge them individually (like the pass thing), or say hey, you're personal goal for today is to pick up 8 ground balls however you can.
Personally, kids should have some fire by the time they are 14, but if they don't, you have to give them some attainable goals before you can push them very far.

[fenwicklax89]

wow the idea that these kids are high school kids makes me want to barf

[ccbl91]

PA PA PA PANNSSSIIEEESSSSS

[Lax45]

My favorite line to parents or players not trying is " Have you ever thought of taking up golf or tennis"!

[Irish_Keep]

for real you should just tell them everytime they lose with out effort = gassers....lots n lots of gassers

[Coach MacLax]

With the exception of CoachK, you are all dead wrong and absolutely full of crap.

Yes kids this age should be more aggressive and should be trying harder. I coach U-15 and most of the time I'm coaching kids not to throw thier bodies around wrecklessly.

If these kids are paying to play then it is thier business if they want to squander thier parent's money. You MUST stay positive. You must reward good play. You can't tell a kid he sucks, or punish him. Lacrosse is supposed to be fun. Make it fun for them, be positive, encourage good play. They will respond. Or not. Coach is a synanym with Teach. Telling a kid "run in there and get a feed" isn't enough. You have tell them how, show them how, and have them do it dozens of times before they get it.

In this era of positive coaching - I am appalled at some of these responses.