Men's vs. Women's... please help!!!

[briezylax]

Hi, I'm hoping that maybe someone can help me along a little bit here. I'm a sophomore in college and I've played women's lacrosse for three years in high school and, while coaching cheerleading at a local high school, a group of boys started messing around with lacrosse sticks. To make a long story short, they were looking to start a lacrosse intramural club at the school, but none had experience or a coach for that matter. When I mentioned that I played women's lacrosse, they asked if I would help teach them.

Here's where my problem lies: I know women's lacrosse rules and techniques, but I would like to try to help them along in their endeavor, and need some advice on men's lacrosse. I showed them basically how to pass, catch, and scoop ground balls, but am unsure of what stick checks are allowed, what cradling technique to teach them, and the general rules of a men's game. I'm probably in over my head, but like I said, I would really like to help them out, since no one has stepped up yet.

They probably won't be playing any games, since no other high school in the area has a team, so they don't have to be seriously game ready, but I would like them to get in good form and not teach them the wrong things, so if anyone could please help me out with this, I would greatly appreciate any tips, drills, or the like. Thank you!!!

Brie Mereness

[Longest]

Hi, I'm hoping that maybe someone can help me along a little bit here. I'm a sophomore in college and I've played women's lacrosse for three years in high school and, while coaching cheerleading at a local high school, a group of boys started messing around with lacrosse sticks. To make a long story short, they were looking to start a lacrosse intramural club at the school, but none had experience or a coach for that matter. When I mentioned that I played women's lacrosse, they asked if I would help teach them.

Here's where my problem lies: I know women's lacrosse rules and techniques, but I would like to try to help them along in their endeavor, and need some advice on men's lacrosse. I showed them basically how to pass, catch, and scoop ground balls, but am unsure of what stick checks are allowed, what cradling technique to teach them, and the general rules of a men's game. I'm probably in over my head, but like I said, I would really like to help them out, since no one has stepped up yet.

They probably won't be playing any games, since no other high school in the area has a team, so they don't have to be seriously game ready, but I would like them to get in good form and not teach them the wrong things, so if anyone could please help me out with this, I would greatly appreciate any tips, drills, or the like. Thank you!!!

Brie Mereness

Try to get a copy of the current NCAA rulebook and look at it. See the below link which is tied nicely to a network of similar ones for tips, drills, and other links.
http://www.laxrules.com/

Several decent books
"Lacrosse: Fundamental for Playing" by David Urick (current coach at Georgetown) is how I taught myself to throw, catch, play defense if you can find a copy. It's fairly old so a library may have it.
"Lacrosse: Technique and Tradition" by Bob Scott is older and has a lot of information as well.

If they aren't playing games, you really don't have to worry about teaching them offensive and defensive formations.

Send the little cherubs onto this board and have them poke around and ask questions.

Good luck Coach Brie and if you have any more questions, feel free.

Dan

[The Hitman]

Pretty funny because I'm in a similar situation!! I just started coaching 5th & 6th grade boys, but much of my 'lacrosse' experience comes from watching girls lacrosse as my sister went to Loyola & coached at Duke! I think I became coach because I knew the most!

There are two books I read before coaching this season...."The Baffled Parents Guide to Boys Lacrosse" and "Coaching Youth Lacrosse." The second has info on boys & girls, both are available on US Lacrosse,(but I got better prices on Barnes & Noble's site) and I think you'll find that once you get into it, the boys' rules aren't hard to pick up at all!

The other good thing is that you know more than any of them will during the entire year, so whatever you say (as long as you're confident) will be fact!

Good luck!