Whether you are looking for practice ideas or drills players can do on their own in their free time any good drill should be designed to mimic in game situations. The more by designing drills to replicate in game scenarios you are helping players make certain instincts and reactions second nature so they do not have to think about them come game time allowing them to focus more on the opponent in front of them. While every aspect of a drill may not be specifically drawn up to mimic how a player should react in a game it is important that you stress the aspects that are important to in game play to the players so they know what the important factors of each drill are. Whether it be something as simple as moving your feet or you designed a drill for one specific set or opponent the players need to know why they are doing what they are doing.
Whenever I run any kind of new team or individual drill, the first thing I do it take the time to draw it on a white board for everyone to see detailing the key aspects of each drill that I want the players to focus on. After allowing players to ask any questions they may have, I set the drill up and do a quick walk through to be sure all the players can get a feel of the physical movements before we go full speed. By doing this it allows the players to understand the drill, spend less time thinking about the drill itself and more time thinking about the important aspects of the drill we covered on the white board once we start going live with it. I personally believe that it is important everyone has a full understanding of what we are doing and why so there is no waisted time.
In order to make of for the time spent drawing up and walking through the drill, I always design my drills to have a high amount of reps and constant movement. As a coach, nothing bothers me more than when I see a drill where more time is being spent waiting in line or chasing down balls than time spent actually in motion getting reps in. Two things help to eliminate the issue of standing around. First is always have more balls them you think necessary. With every drill we do we empty our ball bucket and put back up balls all over the field in the areas the lines should be and any area that a ball may get away. This is so when there is an errant pass or shot players can turn around and pick up a new ball rather than spend time running 20-30 yards away to chase the ball they missed. Second, I always limit the size of my lines to three or four guys tops so players don’t have time to stand in line doing nothing. Having long lines where players are just waiting their turn causes players to lose interest and focus which often causes the goofing off that most coaches cannot stand. By keeping players in motion you keep their attention so they stay engaged in practice and you get them more reps which essentially means more practice in the same amount of time.
While I have a basis towards all of my drills I do understand that they are designed specially for the style of play I like to teach which many not be best for everyone. With this being said, if any of my drills do not fit your philosophy please leave your comments and suggestions as to how you can or do use these drills to fit your style of play.
Lacrosse Concepts 