Even the most experienced coaches fall into the habit of repeating the same lacrosse drills on a weekly or even daily basis. There’s nothing wrong with repeating drills, but as we all know, players crave excitement and changing up the daily routine can help not only infuse excitement into the practice, it can also help fill in some of the skill gaps that other drills may leave.
Today we’re going to suggest a few of our own favorite drills that we’ve used in the past to liven up a practice. One thing that they all include is that they promote fast play, allow for mistakes, and promote competition which are all essential aspects to consider when creating the practice plan.
Each of these drills are a great way to end a practice on a high note, or start practice with a lot of energy, the choice is yours.
FOUR LACROSSE DRILLS TO LIVEN UP PRACTICE
New England Drill
The New England drill, or as I’ve mistakenly called it “England”, is a great drill to mimic just about every fast break scenario you can think of.
It starts with a 2v1 up top, and after each goal/shot/turnover a whistle is blown and another offensive and defensive player are added to the mix. This process continues until there is a 6v5 advantage.
Friendly tip, if you have a goalie with a fragile ego, remove the 2v1 and start with a 3v2. Coach Tierney gives a great explanation as to how he runs this drill.
Numbers
A classic lacrosse drill that is often forgotten at higher levels. Numbers is a game where we create odd man situations on every rep. It keeps the entire team engaged because they have to quickly recognize if they are one of the numbers entering the drill.
One variation of this drill is to have a coach on each sideline, mix the long sticks with the shorties, and have each coach call their own number leading to every rotation creating a lot of fun and less serious situations.
3V2 sides
John Paul describes the drill exceptionally well, but essentially you have an opportunity to get a ton of reps while practicing inside finishing, spacing, ball movement, and off ball picking.
This lacrosse drill really excels when you make it a competition. For, instance adding the challenge of how many times the offense can score in two minutes really makes things intense while remaining fun at the same time.
Petro 3v2 Drill
Similar to 3v2 sides drill above, this drill also gives you the opportunity to get a ton of reps in while practicing inside finishing, spacing, and ball movement. Unlike above, this drill utilizes a tennis balls to force soft hands, prioritize pass placement, and to protect the goalie as well as the players behind the cage.
