1. MLAX 2019 Coach Handbook This presentation has some slides with animation, put in presentation mode and click through each slide to see motion.

2. What is Success for Youth Lacrosse?
Having a better team of players at the end of the season versus the beginning of the season, relative to your competition.
Coach every player so that everyone contributes to the team. Don’t rely on 1-2 players to do everything.
Don’t stress about where you start, what matters is where you end up.
The wide spectrum of skills on a Lacrosse team NEVER goes away, you just have to learn to deal with it.

3. How do you achieve Success?
ORGANIZED
POSITIVE
Give yourself (and your team) a chance to be successful
Players will have fun!
Parents will love you!
You will have a great time!

4. Key Focus Areas Run a highly organized, fast-paced practice.
Praise small accomplishments constantly.
Resist the urge to constantly correct players.
Get all players as many touches on the ball as possible during practice.
Play ALL players during drills, scrimmages, and games.
For Game Day, have a player rotation plan (on paper!) to ensure all players get playtime.

5. Build your team from the ground up.
System
Lax IQ
Fundamentals
Culture

6. Culture Examples Starts with Everyone Plays Organized and on-time
High level of communication with parents
Music
Games (flag football, dodgeball)
Team Shooting Shirts
Team BBQs
Bowling Night
Effort Helmet

7. Practice

8. Key Terms Offense Defense Collarbone Fake Dodge Pass down/Pick down
Pass down/Pick away
Pick & Roll
Shallow Cut
Cycle
Draw & dump
Look
Finishing Shot
On-the-run Shot
Time & room Shot
Defense
Hub
Slide
On Ball
Off Ball

9. Typical Practice Plan Warm-ups & Ball Drills
Dynamic Stretching
Line Drills (Regular & Duos)
Ball Movement Drills (2v0, weave, star, 4 corners)
Drill Stations (1-3 at once)
Individual - Shooting, Dodging, Defense
Lax IQ – 3v2, 4v3, 4v4 progressions
4v3 continuous/West Genny
Team System
4v4, 5v5, 6v6 scrimmages
Team Offense
Team Defense
Fast Breaks
Clears & Rides
Man-Up/Man-Down

10. 2 Man Game Easy to Understand Easy to Practice Easy to Implement
Highly Effective
Basically a pick and roll game from different areas of the field.

11. Areas of Field 6 7 5 4 3 2 1
To start with you need to know the AREAs of the field.
Offensive and defensive strategies will be taught to you using these areas.
The areas are approximate, not exact.
Offensive rotations and/or plays will generally start (trigger) from one of these areas.

12. Regular Set (3-3) M6 M7 M5 A3 A2 A1 Starting Offensive Set.
Ability to work the ball around quickly is key.

13. Miley Set (2-3-1) M6 M7 M5 A3 A2 A1
M6 drops down to the crease (becomes the 4).
M5 and M7 close in slightly.
Attack remain in their standard triangle formation.

14. Princeton (Miley Set) M7 M5 M6 A3 A2 A1
Basic 2 man game out of the Miley Set
On ball pair plays a pick & roll to spring the ball loose for a dodge
Starts with a pass down/pick down or pass up/pick up.
Off ball pairs cycle and pick for each other to get open.
Coach will call out the set – offense – who starts (Ex. “Miley Princeton from the 2!) M7
Here is what a cycle looks like ->>> A3

15. Princeton (Miley Set) M7 M5 M6 A3 A2 A1
Basic 2 man game out of the Miley Set
On ball pair plays a pick & roll to spring the ball loose for a dodge
Starts with a pass down/pick down or pass up/pick up.
Off ball pairs cycle and pick for each other to get open.
Coach will call out the set – offense – who starts (Ex. “Miley Princeton from the 2!) M7
Here is what a cycle looks like ->>> A3

16. Trips Set (2-2-2) M6 M7 M5 A3 A2 A1
A1 and M6 both in front of crease area.
A2 and A3 drop slightly below GLE.
M5 and M7 tighten towards each other.

17. Princeton (Trips Set) M7 M5 A1 M6 A3 A2
Basic 2 man game out of a Trips Set
On ball pair plays a pick & roll to spring the ball loose for a dodge
starts with a pass down/pick down.
Off ball pairs cycle and pick for each other to get open.
Coach call example: “Trips – Princeton – from the 5” – means the top pair would start the 2-man game.
Option: A1/A3 and M6/A2 become the pairs and cycle.
Here is what a cycle looks like ->>> A3 A2

18. Princeton (Trips Set) M7 M5 A1 M6 A3 A2
Basic 2 man game out of a Trips Set
On ball pair plays a pick & roll to spring the ball loose for a dodge
starts with a pass down/pick down.
Off ball pairs cycle and pick for each other to get open.
Coach call example: “Trips – Princeton – from the 5” – means the top pair would start the 2-man game.
Option: A1/A3 and M6/A2 become the pairs and cycle.
Here is what a cycle looks like ->>> A3 A2

19. Team Defense

20. Hub Defense M2 M1 M3 D1 D2 D3
Hub Defense is our standard defensive strategy.
The “Hub” is the large duplicate crease in front of the main crease.
When playing Hub defense there are the following rules:
To start all players have one foot in and one foot out of the hub.
If your man has the ball, move out of the Hub into a breakdown position on your man. “I’ve got ball!”
If you are one pass away from the ball, move halfway between your man and the Hub. You are the “help” slide. “I’m help Left/Right!”
If you are two or more passes away, stay on the Hub. “I’m hub!”
As the ball moves around, your position relative to the Hub will change depending on how many passes away your man is.

21. U15 Practice Run Through U15 Practice Warm-ups & Ball Drills
Dynamic Stretching
Line Drills
Regular (Strong, Over the Shoulder)
Duos (Split Dodge, Face Dodge, Hitch & Go)
Ball Movement Drills
2v0
Weave
Drill Stations (1-3 at once)
Offense/Defense
Shooting (Finishing, Time & Room)
Hub Defense
Lax IQ
3v2 progression (intro to pass down/pick down)
4v3 progression (intro to pairs)
4v3 continuous/West Genny
Team System
6v6
Miley Set - 2 Man Game
Trips Set – 2 Man Game
Younger Options
Warm-ups & Ball Drills
Dynamic Stretching
Line Drills
Regular (Strong, Over the Shoulder)
Duos (Face Dodge)
Ball Movement Drills
Sharks & Minnows
Drill Stations (1-3 at once)
Lax IQ Stations
2v1, 3v2 Ground Balls
Shooting Drill
1v1 Defense Drill
3v3 scrum
Team System
6v6 Scrimmages
Full Field Scrimmages