1st- 4th Player Expectations
1st & 2nd
- Fun, active participation with lots of ball touches
- Building fundamental athletic skills that support lacrosse development
Player-Centered Enviroment
- Fun, positive, and inclusive atmosphere
- Constant movement and engagement (kid + ball = fun!)
- Emphasis on effort, learning, and trying new skills
- Simple routines and games designed for success
Lacrosse Development
- Proper stick grip and ground balls
- Introduction to catching, passing, shooting, and cradling
- Exploring dodging and basic stick skills
- Throwing, catching, and scooping with both hands
Tactical Development
- Introductory 1v1 and 2v2 offense and defense
- Exposure to simple 2v1 concepts
Overall Development
- Learning focus, coachability, and decision-making
- Understanding rules and showing respect
- Learning teamwork and cooperation
- Following instructions and completing simple tasks
- Introduction to basic rules and fair play
Training Approach
- Practices prioritize skill development over competition (approx. 70/30)
- Station-based activities, games, and free play
- Emphasis on a high ball-to-player ratio
Competition Philosophy
- Developmental and fun-focused
- Introduction to basic game concepts and rules
- Emphasis on sportsmanship and enjoyment of the game
3rd & 4th
- Catching and throwing as this can be challenging and take time to develop
- Emphasis is placed on mastering fundamentals players can control
- Stick skills are practiced during team sessions and encouraced at home through wall ball
- Wall ball is important at all ages and helps build confidence and consistency
Core Skill Emphasis
- Ground Balls: learning proper body positioning and quick ball control
- Catching & Throwing: Focus on proper throwing form, using both hands, developing soft hands when catching, and short accurate passes with consisten technique
- Craddling: Learning proper craddling technique and understanding how cradling helps protect the ball and move it quickly
- Dodging: Learning to dodge at game speed, create space by changing spped and direction, and intro to basic dodges to help move past defenders
Offensive & Defensive Concepts
- Learn to move without the ball and how to properly guard an opponent
- Understand positioning and clearing space
- Emphasis on moving toward passes rather than standing still
- Intro to basic defensive techniques like poke checks
- Intro to basic numbers-advantage situations (3v2, 4v3)
Overall Development Goals
- Build confidence through repetition and success
- Encourage effort, focus, and improvement over perfection
- Keep learning fun white reinforcing strong fundamentals
- Help players develop skills that will grow with them at higher levels
5th - 8th Player Expectations
5th & 6th
- Catching and throwing should feel more natural and consistent
- Players are expected to move the ball effectively on offense
- Shooting drills focus on realisitc, game-like situations
- Wall ball remains important and is still evaluated regularly
- Players should be comfortable using both hands
- Introductions of more advanced dodging and finishing techniques
- Players begin learning how to work together using simple two-player (2-man) concepts
- Strong emphasis on overhand shooting technique
Offensive Development & Skills
- Dodging at full speed with proper timing
- Understanding spacing and movement without the ball
- Learning how to move the ball to create advantages against defenses
- Emphasis on ball movement: dodge → pass → pass → re-dodge
- Shot placement with an emphasis on accuracy (low and away)
Defensive Development & Skills
- Better understanding of man-down situations (3v2, 4v3, 5v4)
- Emphasis on positioning: knowing where your player and the ball are
- Transition defense basics: getting back quickly and protecting the middle
Clearing & Transitioning
- Understanding clearing responsibilities and breakout positions
- Importance of coming back to the ball during clears
- Learning proper substitutions and field awareness
Riding (Defensive Pressure After Shots)
- Introduction to man-to-man and zone riding concepts
- Learning how to apply pressure to force difficult passes
- Team effort to slow down opposing clears
Overall Development Goals
- Continued emphasis on fundamentals
- Teaching players how to think the game, not just play it
- Building confidence, teamwork, and lacrosse IQ
-Preparing players for the next level in a positive, age-appropriate way
7th & 8th
Overall Game Understanding
- Players should know the main principles of lacrosse and understand how the game flows
- Recognize spacing and timing: cutting, moving, and finding open areas on offense
- Learn to work with teammates and react to one another during drills and games
- All offensive sets should be understood and used as a base for gameplay
- Uneven drills help players practice using space, clearing through, and reacting together
- Dodge → pass → pass → re-dodge should be fully grasped
- All defensive slides, from adjacent to crease slides, should be known by high school
- Understand zone defense principles and man-up/man-down strategies
- Practice patience on defense and focus on proper angles
- Emphasize quick ball release; wall ball is still important for speed and consistency
Offensive Development & Skills
- Learn to square up to your defender when dodging
- Attack top foot effectively and avoid ball-watching
- Balance the field: pull defenders, replace teammates, and use space effectively
- Learn power dodges and separation dodges to create scoring opportunities
- Master off-ball movement, spacing, and timing in the 2-man game
- Fast break understanding: Flat Break, L Break, and Slow Break variations
Defensive Development & Skills
- Keep offensive players down the alleys and maintain proper angles
- Take away the topside and keep the stick upfield when possible
- Learn and understand all slide packages for every offensive set
- Fully understand team defense: knowing roles, when to sink, and how to react based on ball location
- Over-emphasize communication in every practice drill
Overall Development Goals
- Strengthen game IQ and understanding of advanced concepts
- Reinforce fundamentals while adding speed, precision, and teamwork
- Prepare players for high school lacrosse by emphasizing both offensive and defensive mastery