Keeping beginners from hurting practices

[MackDaddylax]

Any ideas on how to run an effective practice with a wide array of skill sets. Half our 3rd/4th grade team are new to lacrosse and the other half has been playing for 3 plus years. We break them up a lot, but come game time it proves to be kind of a disadvantage. Any thoughts?

[laxattack1616]

Maybe put alot of beginners on one line and expereince in other lines, that way they know how to work with eachoter. Then, when the beginners advance more, combine them in practice and then mix up the lines.

[Pitibear]

always look for and spot the point where a beginner starts to "get it." That's the place where you want to insert a player in with the better kids, who will then help him move up to the higher levels of play faster than ever.

Become a good coach at noticing whenever a player moves up to the next level...mosdt of the time, such a player does not stand out for a while. Your ability to spot this early will help the kids develop quicker, which is what you're looking for.

[KnightsLAXDad]

Try to keep them together as much as possible. Separating them only creates a rift between the "haves" and the "have nots", and you get into the situation where the more experienced kids will then only pass or play with other experienced kids. Explain to your team that there is wide range of skill and in some cases that it will be a little slow for the experienced kids, but at times it may be above the newer kids. Try and balance the two. Encourage them to work on their own outside of practice.

[Mavericks4TW]

try having all the good players do a 6 on 6 and have the younger guys do passing or 1 on 1's then eventually work a some of them into middie lines or on defense. It works for our coach

[WHEELAX2]

yeah.. it would be a great disservice to seperate them.. the less experienced kids would get a lot more out of playing with the more experienced kids..

at this stage of development it's about learning the basics and having fun, not winning national championships

[Mavericks4TW]

yeah.. it would be a great disservice to seperate them.. the less experienced kids would get a lot more out of playing with the more experienced kids..

at this stage of development it's about learning the basics and having fun, not winning national championships

well at the same time you don't want to throw them into a situation where their way in over their heads. Just mix them in with the experienced players like one or two at a time so the more experienced players can guide them and give them advice for praticing their technique off the field. The coach for our team last year just threw the beginers in with the more experienced players and they learned nothing and were less interested in playing because they got hurt or weren't good enough so they didn't get played.

[nofear45465]

yeah but i think seperating kids in 3rd and 4th grade is a little too early for them. it makes them seem like its all about competition. i think you should split them up by position and work on fundamentals of each position for part of practice, that way they can all learn, and then put them all together for a 6v6 drill or something. its not like they will get hurt because they probably cant even hit at that age. It may hold some of the better kids back, but they will also have to make even better passes, and if they are being defended by a less experienced player they may have more incentive to practice their off hands, because they know they are less likely to get the ball taken away.

[Mavericks4TW]

yeah but i think seperating kids in 3rd and 4th grade is a little too early for them. it makes them seem like its all about competition. i think you should split them up by position and work on fundamentals of each position for part of practice, that way they can all learn, and then put them all together for a 6v6 drill or something. its not like they will get hurt because they probably cant even hit at that age. It may hold some of the better kids back, but they will also have to make even better passes, and if they are being defended by a less experienced player they may have more incentive to practice their off hands, because they know they are less likely to get the ball taken away.

yeah, especially at thier level, it's not really about winning or being the best on your team, it's pretty much learning the basics and having fun up until atleast your 8th grade year.

[Jersey47]

I see by your post that these are 3rd and 4th graders you are talking about. One issue to consider would be what level you are playing at. Is it A, B, or C, or is there even a designation like that? If you are playing at what your league designates as either recreational/developmental versus competitive, you need to coach accordingly. My own personal philosophy is that a team, like a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Particularly at that age level, emphasis should be placed on skill development and fostering a love for the game. Kids do not sign up for sports to ride the bench and watch others play. I view a successful season at the developmental level by how many returning players I have the following season rather than by our win/loss record. Winning and competing is a goal to be sure, but not at the expense of a positive experience for ALL players. While it is great to see a talented or skilled player execute on the field. I would argue that it may be even more rewarding for a coach to see one of his struggling players finally experiencing success after putting in all the hours of hard work and effort during practice. To see the smile on a average or below average players face when they have finally scored their first goal or made that "big play" is priceless. The joy they experience when their teammates congratulate them and truly make them feel like part of the team, is what I enjoy most about coaching. I would explain to all your players what it means to be a member of a TEAM. Encourage your more skilled players to work with with the lesser experienced players. This allows some of your natural born leaders to develop those skills, while helping to improve the team as a whole. Coaching youth sports is more about life lessons, than it is about winning the "Smithville under 10 Championships". Children develop motor skills and mature at different rates. It is quite likely that today's "Superstar" could be surpassed by today's "Bench warmer", by the time they reach high school. Remember Michel Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. It really is almost impossible to tell who is going to be a superior athlete at the elite level at this age. Teach these boys about being good people and prepare them to face challenges, and strive to achieve goals. It is likely that will take them a lot further in life than their lacrosse skills will.

[Pitibear]

...a team, like a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. Particularly at that age level, emphasis should be placed on skill development and fostering a love for the game. Kids do not sign up for sports to ride the bench and watch others play... winning and competing is a goal to be sure, but not at the expense of a positive experience for ALL players...it may be even more rewarding for a coach to see struggling players finally experiencing success after putting in all the hours of hard work and effort during practice. To see the smile on a average or below average players face when they have finally scored their first goal or made that "big play" is priceless: the joy they experience when their teammates congratulate them and truly make them feel like part of the team.

I would explain to all your players what it means to be a member of a TEAM. Encourage your more skilled players to work with with the lesser experienced players. This allows some of your natural born leaders to develop those skills, while helping to improve the team as a whole. It really is almost impossible to tell who is going to be a superior athlete at the elite level at this age. Teach these boys about being good people and prepare them to face challenges, and strive to achieve goals. It is likely that will take them a lot further in life than their lacrosse skills will.

I have edited the above from the original, but I feel the above is an excellent way to look at this.

Thank you, number 47, for sharing your insight with us on this...

[Warrior]

I have spent some time working with younger kids in rec groups, and for most of the year i participated in Varsity and Junior Varsity practice to help out the JV kids when they needed help. I was mainly there as an example for them and this actually helped them out a lot. Instead of only half of the players getting everything from what the coach said, having a player about the same age helping them out and being able to break it down and go more in depth helped the younger players alot.

What i suggest doing is maybe splitting up a practice where you have the better players work together in groups with the newer players. This way the better players can teach the newer players and help them understand better, and the "rift between the haves and have-nots" will not exist because the team is working as a team to strengthen every link of that chain. You can roam from group to group and help reinforce the help and make sure everything is going smooth.

Maybe even ask a coach a little higher up (Jv/varsity) if any of the players would like to volunteer to work with the younger kids. We run a league every wednessday night where a lot of Varsity players get together with the younger players in town and try to pass on what we know.

Hope i helped a little bit...

-Warrior