Riding: and Drills to Improve it “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” -Unknown “Go Brits”

The most important muscle for a good riding team. “I don’t care who you are… if you got heart, you will play for me” -Ray Rostan

Key points for coaches to consider: Sell your team on riding, everyone must buy in Riding takes H³ –Head, Heart, Hustle Do the impossible: play one short and win Keep it simple: every player must understand his role Tell the attack that they will score “free goals” if they work hard Play fast and athletic attackmen to increase speed and athleticism on rides Pull slow attack off for less skilled but more athletic “riding attackmen” on horns Above all else: “NEVER SAY DIE” on rides

Rules for successful riding teams: 1.Defend the Midfield line(MFL) 2.Keep clearing team in front of you to start on every ride 3.Pressure as long as ball is on their defensive half of field 4.Concede the clear only on a ball carried over MFL –only if out of position to trap 5.Never quit -chase down loose balls, Attack -chase down players 6.Force the long cross field pass and shade ball side 7.Defensemen must shut off Attackmen on ball side 8.Closer to ball, closer to your man; further from ball, further from your man 9.Use the sidelines as 11 th defender 10.High risk = greater reward. Use ten man rides

Kill the Kid with the Football Understanding the game: It's basically a bunch of kids who run around and try to tackle and kill each other.

Rules of play: One person, the Kid, has the ball and runs like hell to escape a mob of other kids. When he is caught, they will tackle the kid as quickly and violently as possible. When the kid has had enough, he must surrender the ball to be let up from the pile. At this point someone else picks up the ball and it starts again.

Objective of the game: It makes no sense whatsoever because there is no winner. There are no points to keep score, and what kind of coherent person would WANT to be brutally tackled repeatedly? For some reason, we spent countless hours and suffered numerous concussions playing this, and we loved it.

Benefits of playing this game: Playing a game like this taught me to fight an impossible fight. To trust people I play with. To learn to outwork and out hustle the competition. Standing still gets you squashed. Smaller athletes learn that it is critical to be able to run like hell.

How to beat a 1v2…. and teach a 9v10 Baseball pickle circa 1926 Salt Lake's Sean Rodriquez and Brandon Wood catch Nashville's Johnny Raburn in a pickle. Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News 2008

Baseball Pickle drill, AKA Monkey in the Middle This traditional drill is played two ways, but essentially teaches the same concept: I can beat both of you if I work harder, smarter, and have more heart. In Pickle you win if you get to a base safely. In Monkey you win if you win the ball.

1v2 riding drill Purpose: Teach and reinforce rewards for shorthanded riding defense Goals: Improve ABC’s of the Man in the Middle, improve stick skills of the two outside players Set up: Three players, four cones, ball, and a sideline Play: Two outsides on one team, man in the middle must win ball. Outside players yards apart depending on skill level. Rules: A must run down and win ball. Ball won or thrown out of bounds results in 10 pushups for D. Ten consecutive passes by D results in ten pushups for A. D must stay within cones (about two yards apart) AD D.D.

2v3 riding drill to cones Similar to previous drill, but this drill teaches teamwork of riding team. Traditionally taught as 3v2 with offense on outside and defense inside. Purpose: Teach and reinforce rewards for shorthanded riding defense Goals: Improve ABC’s of the riding A, improve stick skills of the three outside players Set up: five players, four cones, and ball. Play: Three outsides on one team, two A in middle must win ball. Outside players yards apart depending on skill level. Rules: A must run down and win ball. Ball won or thrown away results in 10 pushups for D. Ten consecutive passes by D results in ten pushups for A. D must stay within cones (about fifteen yards apart) D.D. D D AA

3v4 drill to clear: Ball is rolled toward D, D breaks w Goalie advantage. Hustle and ride-A defend MFL. Stress ABC’s Stress hands and hips

Sideline alley 1v1: G pass to D, D breaks on ball. A gets upfield first to a cone. A uses sideline and positioning to win ball. Stress good approach angle by A

Poor Pass Redirect drill: Ball is rolled toward D D breaks w Goalie advantage. D throws cross-field bounce pass. Hustle and ride-A defend MFL. Turnovers =scoring opportunities for A

9 man Press v 32 clear: A3 presses to force redirect. P floats free safety. D locks ball side a. If d carries, A3 can win ball w A2 chasing P engages when A2&A3 turn back d. Shift over on redirect A1 comes through m on redirect.

10 man Press v 32: A3 presses to force redirect. P &D Float free safety. D locks ball side a. G covers weak side a. On redirect, A1 to d, A2 up field to chase, A3 to g. P& D engage when A turns back d. M2 comes back, M1 over, D free to engage

9 man Soft/clog v 32: A let ball come up field. A1 and A3 clog up neutral area. A2 plays ball at restraining line. P engages if d or m carry. Shift on redirect. Ball side M shuts off m

“Go Brits”