Elite Lacrosse School and College Recruiting Showcase

Welcome to the Elite Lacrosse School. We are very excited about this year’s camp.

The following best sums up the camp philosophy:

1: This is a teaching camp. The student-campers have come to the Elite Lacrosse School to get better as a player. They deserve the opportunity to our close attention every minute we are on the field together. With one staff member for every five campers, we should be able to do some serious teaching, much of it one-on-one.

2: We have a plan for each day’s teaching. It is our hope that after a skill is introduced that the instructors will seize upon every opportunity to urge each camper to use that skill in a later drill and then in the afternoon and evening sessions. It is our hope that every staff member will see these four days as an opportunity to help these young lacrosse players develop sound fundamentals (more on this below) and to come away from the camp having learned new skills. That may be a new dodge, an improved shot, a stronger stick check, etc. This is a great opportunity for a youngster to learn something new and practice it under the watchful eye of a serious and concerned coach.

The Elite Lacrosse School’s major goals for each camper are to:
1: Develop sound fundamentals
2: Have each athlete learn new skills: and
3: have fun from playing lacrosse at an ever-improved level.

With three coaches assigned to each team, there should be many teaching moments.

3: It is important in our instruction NOT to emphasize “tricks” which do not serve a young player well when he gets back home. We will help each of these athletes become better lacrosse players by impressing upon each of them the importance of developing and practicing sound fundamentals.

4: While each of us has our own styles and philosophies, I hope we ca agree to stress-every day the following fundamentals.

A: Good overhand form of throwing: righty and lefty. It is not too early to insist that players throw righty and lefty, depending on where the defensive pressure is and the direction of the pass.

B: Receiving: Allow the ball to settle into the stick rather than “snatching” at the ball as so many young players do. Catch away from the pressure. This includes cutting; most kids are unaware of this technique. (Using a pick as well as an open cut to the ball – timing, legs, moving etc.)

C: Basic Stick Protection: Elbow on the ribs, stick vertical and close to the body, free hand providing protection with the palm out and thumbs down.
D: Getting Body Position On Ground Balls: Hip Drill, always use two hands on GB’s

E: One On One Defensive Skills: Most kids have a primitive understanding of how to play good defense and this includes attackmen riding as well as middies and close defense. Good defensive skills – individual and team can be taught.
? Quick feet and balanced stance are the keys to sound defense; no lunging or going for the big take away check.
? Poke low, on the bottom hand. Lift Checks, Poke as with a pool cue. NO slapping,
? Maintain a cushion. Teach various holds
? Above all, defense involves using your legs, maintain a square body position.

F: Roll Dodge, Face Dodge and Split Dodge: Stress position of the stick and the feet

G: Talk with your players about positioning and movement away from the ball; this is a very difficult concept to teach and has to be done mostly one on one in response to particular situations. Insist that players who are open and want the ball STEP TO THE BALL. So many players stand still, catch the ball, and then get clocked. Insists that players step to the ball, stick up (i.e. V cut to the ball when under pressure_. Again, they key is to move your feet as when playing defense, as when going after a ground ball.

If all of the staff is stressing these same fundamentals, the campers cannot but help come away with some important and worthwhile messages!!!!

H: Finally, Lacrosse Is A Transition Game, A Game That “Flows”.
That is it’s beauty. Unlike football, it is not a game of set plays; the successful players are those who have good skills, understand the principle of the game (similar to soccer, basketball and hockey) including movement on and off the ball, creating and filling spaces and have learned to make split second decisions under pressure.

Lets keep promoting the idea of transition and flow while all the time insisting on using proper form and skill

5: Once The Games Begin, A Few Standards:
A: Everyone plays an equal amount
B: No Zone Defense
C: Penalties will be served by allowing

6: While the games are meant to be fun – after all, the whole point of practice is to play the games – games also present great teaching moments. Coaches and officials should focus less on winning and more on helping the players try newly learned skills and gain a better understanding of the game. Don’t make winning the game so important that a player is afraid to try that inside roll or face dodge he learned in the morning for a fear of making a mistake.

7: There will be divisional play set up in two separate leagues: Professional and college. The players will be assigned to leagues and teams based on their age, skill, and maturational development. Every team will play each other in a round robin set up and teams with the best records will play each other for championships. If there is a tie, head to head record will determine the winner. A schedule of games will be posted.