Coaching the rugrats

[TRELAX]

So I'm in a position where I'm helping a friend coach a bunch of 1st-4th graders. They all have very very very raw stick skills, but about 80% of them present a willingness to learn and play. There are those of them that don't seem to want to be there and tend to be day dreaming during line drills and when the head coach is instructing. Any advice on coaching the youngins? They only scrimage each other at this age since there are not any teams of similar age/skill in the area. Thanks a lot in advance.

[Pitibear]

I, too, will be taking up this same baton in three weeks...our "Piti-Bear Lacrosse" program begins for 3-6 year olds...

The how-to-coach training I received in the 80's states categorically, "Everybody keeps moving, everybody works, less talking (by the coach), more playing (by the players)...

1. pick what we're going to learn today, say, scooping ground balls.
2. give everybody a ball, everybody get on the floor (field, whatever).
3. put your ball on the floor, and scoop it up (coach demos)...again, again, again...
4. now, when you scoop, "put it away" like this (coach demos), repeat a bunch of times...

5. "great, now everybody switch hands." repeat a bunch of times.
6. Okay, now scoop up the ball, turn, and run three quick steps, repeat...
7. Okay, now do the same thng and switch hands...
8. Okay, now scoop up the ball, run three steps, and throw it at this cone (make sure cone is nowhere near coach)...

The idea, is throw thing after thing at them, keep them moving, and build on it, moving toward shooting at something every time as the culminating event...

nobody stands in lines, all players are doing and repeating the drill over and over.

The coach gives directions short and quick...all coach demos and talking are limited to 20 seconds or less...doing is in 2-3 minute intervals, then on to the next thing.

all scrimmage should be small-sided games on a very small field...no more than 4v4, on a 30 yd by 30 yd field. lots of scoring, very little goalkeeping....nothing wrong with an 87-85 score, if you even keep score...we're playing indoors on a very small hockey rink (30' by 60'), 3v3 with small goals and no goalies...lines constantly changing at the call of the referee/coach...everybody moving constantly, when you're on the bench, be ready, 'cause you're going right back in...hey, if you got 12 kids, then you got four teams of 3, if you got 5 teams, you can run 'em in and out in rotation at get everybody 40 minutes in the game each hour...

hope any of this makes sense, it's how we work with the real young kids, we do this with all our "Piti Bear Sports" programs, but Lacrosse is about to become the all-time favorite...I hope...

Good luck, please let us know what you find out that works!

Thanx!

-Pitibear

[jimd619]

Take a look at the Level 1 Trainer, good for keeping in mind the little things you need to focus on more with younger kids. Keep it fun. Don't sweat it when they start batting the ball over the fence because it seems more fun. Change up the drill and they will be back with you. Focus on one thing at a time. If you are teaching throwing, the starting position, and they are not breaking their wrists on the throw, forget it. Stick with what they are to get. The young guys can only learn one thing at a time.

HAVE FUN with them, and they should have fun so it is enjoyable. Good luck!!

[3rdPersonPlural]

That 20% who are ambivolent about lacrosse presents a problem for me when coaching little kids. What I found to work is to divide the practice into groups of 3 (defacto lines) and allow the kids to name their group. Be sure to put the 20% (disengaged players) together.

Try to group the kids by aptitude and skill sets, and if they're all too raw, group them by social groups. By being part of a subgroup, as well as part of the practice, little kids tend to work harder and comply better to management.

[Attacklax12]

Play games such as Sharks and Minnos with cradling. I am working on somethins similar for next summer and I want to keep the kids active. Every kid wants to win a game of sharks and minnos and it will teach them to keep their sticks up if they want to win, not ahng them. Have some contact, 1v1, 2v1 etc, groundballs. Get them some practice with them not bunching up in 1 giant group on a ground ball.

In conclusion:
1. Keep the kids moving
2. Constant water Breaks
3. FUn Games to learn the fundamentals

[ColtsLax]

i thought id bring this back, im also going to be coaching 4-5th grades, maybe 6,7,8th. and, with my NYSCA card in hand, im looking for suggestions on things to keep these kids engaged in practice.

also, i know many of the sticks are fresh off the self, and one of my friends who coached in the spring strug his kids stivks for free is they brought the mesh and stuff. Should i do this, or let them learn with the factory low pocket, instead of the big pocket i would string?