Tips for a new coach

[meestagoaliemon]

There is a possibility that I am going to be an assistant coach of our middle school team. I just was on that team last year and I'm afraid that if I take this position, the team won't take me seriously considering that I don't have very many coaching skills. Do any of you have any tips for me? And do you have any drills that you have used that you can tell me?

[berger1227]

so your coaching a middle school team that you were on last year?

are you in like 9th grade?

[The Doors]

i think the best thing for you to do is to not consider yourself a coach.....If you take the position, show up to practice everyday with a positive attitude and energy....Let the head coach run the practices, and you be there more as a helper rather than an absolute authority.......Be the one to help the kids with mechanics, techniques, etc... I would guess that you should probably be more of the liason to the coach from the players rather than thinking urself as a huge authority.....

sorry if this seems really choppy

[meestagoaliemon]

Yes, I am in 9th grade, and thanks. The big thing is that he wants me to help him because he can't always make all of the practice.

[Texlax33]

well thats kinda bad coaching to me, if hes willing to leave a 9th grader to coach practices, no offense

[petejobu22]

well thats kinda bad coaching to me, if hes willing to leave a 9th grader to coach practices, no offense
How do you figure?
I know kids who have played longer then some of my coachs, and know close to if not more about the game then said coach in the first place. Its a matter of knowledge and matureness not age.

I coach the attack for the HS team I played for last year, just help them with the drills and anything else the other coachs ask you. Good luck its always good to see kids getting involved in coaching.

[CTLaxer]

How do you figure?
I know kids who have played longer then some of my coachs, and know close to if not more about the game then said coach in the first place. Its a matter of knowledge and matureness not age.

I coach the attack for the HS team I played for last year, just help them with the drills and anything else the other coachs ask you. Good luck its always good to see kids getting involved in coaching.

Leaving a kid in charge of some very young men for practice with no adult present is a safety issue. It's not very responsible of the coach, it has nothing to do with knowledge or maturity, but purely age in this case.

[Pagan30]

I agree CTLaxer..... Coaches are in charge of a number of young people who might get very badly injured. Spinal cord injuries and the such are rare but not nonexistant. If I was one of the parents I would have a huge problem with this.... And it was said before but it has nothing to do with maturity and knowledge of lacrosse but experience in very serious situations that a persons life might depend on.

[meestagoaliemon]

Ok, I understand that it's not good coaching, but there's nothing that I can do about that, but what kind of drills can you guys, or girls, give me that keep 13 year old buys occupied for a 2 hour practice.

[hornetlax]

Alright, spend most of the practise wit catching and throwing (lefty, righty,2 hand, 1 hand, 1 foot, eyes closed throwing, on the run) when i was in 8th grade, thats what my coach did. Hated it at the time, but now im sooo glad

[CTLaxer]

I said it before, and I'll say it again. It's a liability issue, you're opening yourself, actually your parents, to a lawsuit. On top of that you're opening your club or school, to a lawsuit as well. I can't imagine any adult would willingly and knowingly put a young man in charge of other young men. Parents will definately raise the issue after the first instance and it will get stopped immediately, hopefully with no repercussions.

[Pagan30]

Ok, I understand that it's not good coaching, but there's nothing that I can do about that, but what kind of drills can you guys, or girls, give me that keep 13 year old buys occupied for a 2 hour practice.

Actually there is.... see if you can get a teacher or coach (that's out of season) to "proctor" your practices and then have at it. Also as far as drills- when I started coaching I bought the little black book of lacrosse drills and I found it useful. You can google it and try to pick that up. But stick to the basics. At your level the team that picks up all the ground balls and can catch and throw usually wins...

[Swishy K]

If you're new to coaching lacrosse then trying to set up alot of drills is going to be very time consuming while you yourself try and explain what you want. Experienced coaches have it mapped out in their heads beforehand and it takes minimal time to set up, explain, and get the team moving quickly on drills. If you don't talk with confidence the kids at that age will tune you out fast if they think you don't know exactly what you're talking about. The keep it simple method is always the best policy. Stick to a minimal number of drills that cover more than one aspect at once. Like mentioned, the basics of good throwing and catching habits, along with agressive looseball work can take you a long ways.

Every player I've ever coached likes to scrimage more than run through drills. Perhaps you can have it set up beforehand who will be playing what, divide them up right away, and go from there in six on six situations. Put in little kickers like having to take only three seconds to make a pass, or take only five steps with the ball, and if not done properly it's pushup time. Put a few more little rules in that although it's a scrimmage, there are some things to keep the players from just fooling around. Of course you will have to do some studying on whatever system the head coach wants them to play on both sides of the ball.

Clearing and riding in game situations covers both aspects at once, and quick transition works in some conditioning as well. Make it a game where a team gets a point for getting the ball to center or the other team gets a point if they stop the other team from doing that. Putting a reward onto it also motivates the players a little bit more.

No need to get fancy. The best teams I've ever faced are the ones that stuck to the basic fundamentals with no gimmicks, just great execution of the simple game. Armed with the basics you should have enough knowledge to get you through your first level of coaching. But speak with confidence in adressing the players. They have to feel they can trust what you're saying even though you're starting out.

[The Hitman]

To take a little pressure off of you, schedule the practices you will be running in the Head Coach's absence to reiterate some things he emphasized the practice before.

For instance, I have 2 assistant coaches & 3 practices a week. I run Monday's and can't be there for the Thursday practice. My assistants do almost the same drills from Monday and maybe they either tweak them or add something else in. Then on Saturday, we summarize the week together, put it into some kind of scrimmage to make sure it gets tried in game situations.

That may take a little pressure off of you.

[live2coachlax]

Are you trying out for your High School team? If so, will this take away from your own practice time? If you are determined to do this, I suggest talking to your parents and sit down with them and the head coach to find out what he expects from you. I strongly suggest one of your parents be present whenever the head coach is not present. Get the book A Parents Guide to Coaching Youth Lacrosse. This is mandatory for all new coaches I train. Your local league should also be having beginner clinics for new coaches. Talk to your HS coach and find out what drills and he wants kids coming up to know, he should be of great help since these kids will be with him the next year.

[lacrosseman192]

just do the drills that you did when you were on that team, that way you dont have to teach the kids new drills until you build up their skills a little more

[GriffsDad]

You'll be fine.

Just make sure that the head coach makes it clear to the kids that you are helping him and that you are to be given the same respect as he gets. Then, make sure the coach tells them that when you are in charge they need to listen and run the drills.

Typically, the coach will call you after you've runa practice and ask you how it went. Be honest and he will react accordingly. Your head coach will probably say something to the kids like:

"(your name) will be the assistant coach this year. I know he played on the team last year and many of you know him well, but he is here to help me with practices and in games. I ask that every member of this team give him the same courtesies and respect you give me. We are trying to win games this year and (your name) is here to help me. If I am not here and (your name) is running practices, he is speaking for me, so you better listen."

This worked when I was in the same boat as your coach is. And, if they don't want to listen to you, just run the practices with kids who will listen, inform the hc, and see what he says.

But, you'll be fine. Don't let them walk over you, remember, you are now their coach not there buddies. At least on the field.

[cbadmiddie]

ct is completly right. you are setting your family and the school up for a lawsuit. if he is set on making u the assistant coach try to get a senior on your lax team who is 18 or older to help out or talk to some of the middle schoolers parents and see if they could possibly oversee the practices. just a suggestion.

[Sour]

Be confident (if your not, pretend to be), be decisvie, expect the same high standards that they'd give the head coach, and dont take any carp of the team!

easy when you know how!