Edina Fall 10U

Hi Parents,

Now that the boys have had two days to forget everything we went over in practice, I'd like to enlist your help in reminding them. I taught everyone two foundational movement techniques and then we ran some drills to put those skills in action.

If you can find the time over the next two days, please have your son teach you how to scoop up a groundball and how to do a split dodge. If they can teach you, then they understand the skill. If you are familiar with the skills yourself, play dumb just a bit and let them correct you when you make a mistake.

The first skill was groundballs - stepping next to or past the ball, getting the top hand all the way up to the plastic of the stick, getting the knuckles on both hands green from the grass, then scooping and bringing the ball to your ear. The main cues I use are 1) "reach with your feet, not your hands" and 2) "keep your back hand below your knee".

Then we worked on changing directions, doing what we call a Split Dodge. There are four steps to the process and it will look a tiny bit different for each player.

1. If the stick starts in the right hand (and we want to keep it vertical as much as possible), we want to step out about 45 degrees with right foot and move most of our body weight to the right side.

2. Then we push hard off that right foot and step HARD to the left. The right hand at the top of the stick goes directly across your face and taps the left shoulder.

3. After the right hand reaches the left shoulder, bring the left hand up to the right. 4. Let go of the stick with the right hand while gripping with the left, then move the right hand to the bottom of the stick.

The guidance I find myself giving again and again on split dodges are "big feet, small hands", meaning we want to take large steps, but keep the hands as close to the body as possible. Try not to let the hands go out wide to the sides, since it opens up space for stick checks from the defense.

Lacrosse is a skill sport through and through. Boys of absolutely any skill/speed can play if they develop the skills and every single bit of help parents can give the boys will make a huge difference.

Final note, the Sixes session goes from 9-11ish on Saturday mornings. The 8U & 10U boys will have the field from 9-10, but are welcome to come early/stay late and spend time getting better with wallball or shooting on empty nets. Coaches will be there to offer guidance if requested, but it is open time to follow their noses.

Thanks,

Dan