Girls Clinic Agenda

Here’s what your daughter can expect at one of our fall girls lacrosse clinics. (Also take a look at our girls summer camp agenda!)

A TYPICAL DAY: WHAT TO EXPECT AT FALL CLINICS FOR K–5TH GRADERS

Skills to be focused on:

Cradling

1. Players show coaches where their hands should be on the stick, then correct them and walk them through the motion of ear to ear. The goal of this motion is to focus on the arm and wrist working as one, similar to closing a door.
2. As they practice, #1 coaches will walk around and place a sticker as to where the players’ top hand should be, and emphasize the triple threat position (shoulder, shoulder, stick).
3. Players are instructed by coaches to cradle with someone back to back. If their sticks touch on each side as they bring the ball back without it falling out, they receive a point. Players are encouraged to see how many points they can get before the coach calls time. 

Ground Balls

1. Players are shown the correct way to pick up a ground ball (hand at top of stick, bottom hand as lever, getting low to the ground, foot next to ball, etc.).
2. The coaches place balls out in front of the players and have them scoop up the ball correcting them as they practice more and more. 

Station 1

Frozen ground balls 

• Players get to pick the tunes for this fun ground ball drill that’s similar to musical chairs. When the music stops players must hurry to find and possess a ground ball.

Station 2 

Sleeping Giants 

• No one wants to be the one waking the giant! In this fun lacrosse game, players practice picking up ground balls as they come close to the giant’s sleeping quarters. 

Station 3 

Tunnel Ground Balls

• One of the most important factors of ground balls is getting low. By using their sticks, players create tunnels where they must get through without touching in order to gain possession of a ground ball. 

Station 4

Cradling Relay Races 

• Coaches form the players into two lines and put them through a cradling relay race that can include, but is not limited to: crab walks, hopping on one foot, cradling right/left etc., shooting through a hula hoop, going through ladders, and switching hands at cones.

Station 5 

Squirrels and Nuts (Swax Lax Lacrosse Classic)

• In this fun drill the players will practice ground balls by pretending they are squirrels and the balls are nuts. Players must get the most nuts back to their tree to win.

Players of the Day: Coaches award the coveted Player of the Day stickers to players who demonstrate special effort or who master a specific skill.

WHAT TO EXPECT FOR 6th–9th GRADERS 

Skills to be focused on: 

Cradling

1. Players should be able to be fluid with their stick movement in terms of cradling and move their hands along with their body to different positions all while maintaining control. 
2. Players work on cradling high and low, across the body, big hands and small hands, and work on maintaining the triple threat position (shoulder, shoulder, stick). 

Ground Balls

1. Coaches go over how to properly pick up a ground ball with emphasis on using the body to protect the ball after it is picked up. 
2. Players pair up and practice the Hogan butt drill. In this drill, players are back to back with one ball in between them fighting for good position in order to complete a ground ball pick up. 

Drills 

Cradling lines 

• Players are distributed to different cone formations that help with switching hands, and being fluid with stick movement.

1 V 1 Competitive Ground Balls 

• Players fight for possession of a GB rolled out by a coach, and make an outlet pass upon possession.

2 V 2 Canadian Ground Balls 

• Players use body positioning and communication to gain possession of a ground ball followed by 1 pass and ending with a goal, save or clear.

Pick and Peel Ground Balls 

• Players are grouped in threes where they alternate rolling out and picking up ground balls to one another.

Scrimmage

• Players will have two 20-minute scrimmages where the concepts above are executed while coaches break down concepts and players develop field movement.

Players of the Day: Coaches award the coveted Player of the Day stickers to players who demonstrate special effort or who master a specific skill.