How can parents help their kids learn lacrosse basics. What are the best backyard games to improve lacrosse skills. Why is playing catch important for developing lacrosse abilities. How does 1-on-1 practice benefit young lacrosse players. What makes 2-on-1 drills valuable for kids learning lacrosse.
The Importance of Backyard Lacrosse Practice for Kids
Lacrosse is a sport that thrives on creativity, skill, and passion. While organized team practices are crucial, the real magic often happens in the backyard. Many top lacrosse players attribute their success to countless hours spent honing their skills outside of formal training sessions.
Why is backyard practice so valuable for young lacrosse players? It provides a relaxed environment where kids can experiment with new moves, develop their creativity, and truly fall in love with the game. Without the pressure of coaches or referees, children can explore the sport at their own pace and in their own way.
Benefits of Informal Lacrosse Practice
- Develops creativity and innovation in play
- Builds a strong foundation of basic skills
- Fosters a genuine love for the sport
- Allows for experimentation with new techniques
- Promotes family bonding through shared activity
Quint Kessenich, a four-time All-American Goaltender and two-time National Champion, emphasizes the importance of unstructured play: “I encourage kids to play in their backyards, against the wall, in their driveways, and in unstructured pickup games until 6th grade.” This approach allows young players to develop a natural feel for the game before focusing on more structured training.
Essential Backyard Lacrosse Drills for Skill Development
Even if you’re new to lacrosse, there are several simple yet effective drills you can practice with your children in the backyard. These exercises focus on fundamental skills that are crucial for success in lacrosse at any level.
1. Playing Catch and Wall Ball
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve lacrosse skills is through playing catch or wall ball. This basic drill helps develop hand-eye coordination, stick skills, and passing accuracy.
How can you make catch and wall ball more engaging for kids? Try incorporating different types of passes, varying distances, or even setting up friendly competitions. For wall ball, challenge your child to complete a certain number of catches in a row or to alternate between their dominant and non-dominant hands.
2. One-on-One Drills
One-on-one drills are excellent for developing both offensive and defensive skills. On offense, children can practice new dodges and moves they might not attempt during team practices. On defense, they learn to use proper body positioning and footwork to contain the ball carrier.
What are the key focus areas for one-on-one drills?
- Offense: Experimenting with new dodges and protecting the ball
- Defense: Using body positioning to stay between the ball carrier and the goal
- Both: Improving footwork, agility, and decision-making skills
3. Two-on-One Scenarios
The two-on-one drill is often referred to as the “Holy Grail” of team sports, including lacrosse. This scenario teaches crucial skills like ball movement, spacing, and teamwork.
How does the two-on-one drill benefit young lacrosse players? It forces them to work together, communicate effectively, and make quick decisions under pressure. These skills translate directly to game situations and can give children a significant advantage as they progress in the sport.
Developing Fundamental Lacrosse Skills Through Backyard Play
Backyard lacrosse practice is not just about having fun; it’s also an excellent opportunity to develop crucial skills that will serve players well throughout their lacrosse careers. Let’s explore some of the key skills that can be honed through informal play.
Stick Skills and Ball Control
Proficiency with the lacrosse stick is paramount to success in the sport. Backyard practice allows players to spend hours cradling, catching, and throwing the ball, developing the muscle memory and fine motor skills necessary for advanced play.
How can parents help their children improve stick skills at home? Encourage regular wall ball sessions, set up obstacle courses that require maneuvering with the ball, or play simple games that involve passing and catching.
Footwork and Agility
Lacrosse requires quick feet and the ability to change direction rapidly. One-on-one and two-on-one drills in the backyard are excellent for improving these skills.
What are some ways to make footwork practice more engaging? Set up cone drills, incorporate ladder exercises, or play tag-style games that require quick movements and direction changes while holding a lacrosse stick.
Game IQ and Decision-Making
Understanding the flow of the game and making smart decisions on the field are crucial aspects of lacrosse. Backyard play, especially in scenarios like two-on-one, helps develop these cognitive skills in a low-pressure environment.
How does unstructured play improve game IQ? It allows players to experiment with different strategies, learn from their mistakes, and develop a natural feel for the game’s rhythm and flow.
Fostering a Love for Lacrosse Through Family Involvement
One of the most significant benefits of backyard lacrosse practice is the opportunity it provides for family bonding. Parents who actively participate in their children’s lacrosse journey can have a profound impact on their development and enjoyment of the sport.
The Role of Parents in Lacrosse Skill Development
Parents don’t need to be lacrosse experts to help their children improve. Simply being present, showing interest, and participating in backyard practice sessions can make a big difference.
What are some ways parents can support their children’s lacrosse development?
- Play catch or wall ball together regularly
- Set up simple drills and games in the backyard
- Watch lacrosse games together and discuss strategies
- Encourage regular practice and celebrate improvements
Creating a Positive Lacrosse Environment at Home
The key to fostering a love for lacrosse is creating a positive, enjoyable environment for practice and play. This means focusing on fun and improvement rather than perfection or competition.
How can parents create a positive lacrosse environment at home? Encourage experimentation and creativity, praise effort and improvement, and avoid putting too much pressure on performance. Remember, the goal of backyard practice is to develop skills and passion for the game.
Transitioning from Backyard Play to Organized Lacrosse
While backyard practice is invaluable, there comes a time when young players need to transition to more structured lacrosse environments. This shift can be challenging, but a strong foundation built through informal play can make it much smoother.
Balancing Structured and Unstructured Play
As children begin to participate in organized lacrosse, it’s important to maintain a balance between structured team practices and unstructured backyard play. Both elements contribute to a player’s overall development and enjoyment of the sport.
How can parents help maintain this balance? Continue to encourage backyard practice and play, but also support participation in team activities. Use backyard sessions to reinforce skills learned in team practices or to work on areas that need improvement.
Applying Backyard Skills to Organized Play
The skills and creativity developed through backyard play can be a significant asset in organized lacrosse. Players who are comfortable experimenting and thinking on their feet often stand out on the field.
How can young players effectively transfer their backyard skills to organized play? Encourage them to maintain their creative spirit while learning to work within team systems. Remind them that the confidence and skills they’ve developed at home are valuable assets in any lacrosse setting.
Advanced Backyard Drills for Developing Lacrosse Players
As young players progress in their lacrosse journey, they can incorporate more advanced drills into their backyard practice routines. These exercises build on fundamental skills and help prepare players for higher levels of competition.
Shooting Drills
Accurate and powerful shooting is a crucial skill in lacrosse. Backyard shooting drills can significantly improve a player’s scoring ability.
What are some effective backyard shooting drills? Set up targets on a wall or net, practice shooting on the run, or work on quick-release shots. Vary the distance and angle of shots to simulate game situations.
Defensive Footwork Drills
Strong defensive play starts with good footwork. Advanced footwork drills can help players develop the agility and positioning needed to excel on defense.
How can players improve defensive footwork at home? Set up cone drills that require quick direction changes, practice sliding techniques, or work on maintaining a low, balanced stance while moving.
Faceoff Practice
For players interested in specializing as faceoff midfielders, the backyard is an excellent place to hone this crucial skill.
What equipment is needed for faceoff practice at home? A faceoff trainer or a partner to compete against, along with plenty of balls. Focus on hand speed, technique, and winning the ball cleanly.
By incorporating these advanced drills into their backyard practice routine, developing lacrosse players can continue to improve their skills and prepare for higher levels of competition. Remember, the key to effective practice is consistency, focus, and a willingness to push beyond comfort zones.
Play Back Yard Lacrosse with Your Kids
We saw a dad playing basketball with his two sons at the local elementary school the other day. It occurred to us that this doesn’t happen with lacrosse players and parents as often, and that’s a real shame. Here are a few great ways you can play lacrosse with your kids, even if you are new to the game.
Many of the best lacrosse players of all time got their start playing in the back yard with just their parents, siblings or friends. This is where the real love of the game is developed that will sustain a long-term, successful youth sports playing career- quality time with sticks in hands, no rules and no refs.
Lacrosse All Stars said back yard lacrosse can be a “total game changer.” You will even hear top commentators like Quint Kessenich talking about it during games on TV. Dodging and making moves against older brothers and sisters is how you develop the kind of creativity that is making players so successful at the college and pro level right now. (Combined with a healthy dose of Box Lacrosse.) This is what kids are getting with neighborhood baseball and basketball that they don’t always get with lacrosse- new games, new moves, making their own rules, no coaches telling them how it should be.
Think about the Powell brothers- Casey and Ryan Powell are two of the best ever. Casey Powell is still playing professionally almost in his 40’s. Mikey Powell is the youngest of the three brothers, and he routinely attributes his success to playing with/against his brothers growing up. You could also look at the Gaits, Thompsons, Bockletts, Stanwicks, Pannells, Bitters, Nobles and find the same thing. All of them undoubtedly spent countless hours on stick skills, dodging, and shooting outside in the back yard.
“I encourage kids to play in their backyards, against the wall, in their driveways, and in unstructured pickup games until 6th grade.” -Quint Kessenich, 4x All-American Goal Tender, 2x National Champion
What if lacrosse is new to both you and your children?
Playing lacrosse with your own children can be foreign and intimidating if you didn’t grow up playing yourself. There are lots of ways you can help your child learn and develop their skills on and off the field, without you being a former college star.
A major topic in coaching lacrosse right now is, “Are we teaching the players plays, or are we teaching them how to play?”
Use Back yard lacrosse to teach your players some very valuable skills that will carry them as far as they want to go, in whatever sport they choose to play.
- Related: Great Advice from 3 Great Lacrosse Coaches.
1.) Play catch or Wall Ball with your kids.
“Children spell love T-I-M-E.” Playing catch with your kids is the easiest thing you can do to help them develop their basic hand-eye coordination. Use a baseball glove if you have to. If they need to be on the wall for 15-30 minutes a day, it probably wouldn’t hurt for you to be out there with them, mom or dad.
- Check out our full list of Wall Ball exercises to see all the different kinds of stick skills you can work on with your son or daughter.
2.) Good Old-Fashioned 1-on-1
1-on-1 is great for burning off some extra energy, keeping the feet moving, and getting tons of time learning how the ball feels in your stick.
- Offense: Try some new “moves”. Back yard 1-on-1 allows your children to try dodges that they don’t get to try in practice.
- Defense: Without full pads on, there’s only one way to stop you or your kids- Body D. No poke checks. Stay in between the ball and the goal/trash can/garage door. Then you can throw the stick check if they’re hanging it out there.
- If you have the ball, your son or daughter has to play good body defense to stop you. This teaches them to move their feet on defense. It will seem a whole lot easier for them to do the same thing against kids their own size.
3.) Focus on the 2-on-1! Ball movement, feet movement, spacing, etc.
The 2 against 1 is the Holy Grail of team sports- Basketball, Hockey, Soccer, Lacrosse, you name it. Even the top College and Pro coaches are trying to teach the best players in the world how to create and respond to this simple situation in every game. Your own children will be years ahead of their peers if you play around with this key concept at an early age.
The dad we saw playing basketball with his sons was playing against both of them, having a great time teaching his boys how to play.
Maybe it’s your son and his two friends playing. Maybe it’s your son and daughter that both just started playing against you, who has never played before. Playing 2 against 1 allows your kids to work on:
- Teamwork and cooperation- Your kids have to work together against you, somebody who is bigger, faster and stronger (for now). Things will seem much easier against kids their own size.
- Communication- Put your kids in situations where they have to actually talk to each other in a fun, cooperative, positive manner. Use this time to practice good word choice and tone of voice.
- Spacing- If they stand right next to each other, you can cover them both! Encourage them to spread out and move their feet to get open.
- Ball movement- Every time you move to cover the ball, they move it again to the open player. Plenty of opportunity for extra passes, catches, ground balls and shots!
Teaching your kids the 2-on-1 from the very beginning will pay off HUGE when they get to their competitive elite travel team or high school varsity tryouts. Every coach wants a player that understands the 2-on-1, for any sport!
4.) 2-on-1 Cross-Over Drill:
Try this cool 2-on-1 Cross-Over Drill we saw some of the NLL teams using for their pregame warm-ups. You can use it to teach your kids advanced techniques like the Pick & Roll and Ball Reversals, etc.
5.) Play 3X (“Three-By”) 3-on-3:
If your kids have enough friends in the neighborhood, teach them to play 3X or “Three-By”. This 3-on-3 game is the best practice game we’ve ever seen, no joke. It works on everything- stick skills, ball movement, defensive help, everything!
We play tons of 3X at summer camp with our kids. Even Pro players and coaches love 3X!
Tell us in the comments if you have any other favorite back yard games you play with your kids!
Lacrosse for Kids – ActiveActivities
A contact sport for your elder kids.
Get fit with this exhilarating team activity!
Lacrosse is a popular team sport in Australia, played with a small ball and a long stick with a net at the end. The aim is to catch the ball and toss it into the opposing team’s net. It is a contact sport so padding may be required!
A video of Lacrosse for Kids
A game of men’s lacrosse is played with 10 players on each side, including three midfielders, three attackers, three defensive players and one goalie. Discover what equipment is used in men’s lacrosse with help from a lacrosse coach in this free video on men’s lacrosse.
Information on Lacrosse for Kids
Is lacrosse for your kid(s)?
Are your kids interested in team games? They might enjoy playing a game like lacrosse, which is becoming more popular in Australia with a number of kids’ leagues. Lacrosse is said to have been played by Native Americans and Canadians for hundreds of years, sometimes with teams of over 100 on each side! These days, teams are usually limited to between 10 and 12 players. Boys and girls generally play in separate leagues.
Some of the great things about lacrosse are:
- With all that running about the field, it’s a great form of exercise
- As a team game, it helps kids learn about working with others
- Helps improve hand-eye co-ordination
- It’s easy to learn and a great way to socialise and let off steam!
There are several types of lacrosse including field lacrosse (with 10 players on a team) and box lacrosse which is played on a smaller field with a much smaller goal. Women’s lacrosse has slightly different rules, allowing much less body contact.
Lacrosse can be quite a vigorous sport so if your children don’t enjoy being bumped they might not enjoy it! For older kids who are happy to rough and tumble, lacrosse can be a great kids activity.
Kids can start playing lacrosse from around age 7 or 8 depending on their coordination and motor skills. Learning to play well takes practice, so kids need to be willing to attend training sessions at their local lacrosse club. This will help them learn the rules and learn vital ball handling skills.
Get your kids to start lacrosse next term!
Are your kids ready to play as part of a team? No lacrosse club nearby? Other ball sports they might be interested in include grass hockey and soccer.
Lacrosse is a great competitive sport and lacrosse clubs often hold competitions and display league tables to encourage players. Kitting out your kids to play lacrosse will involve buying sticks, padding and club membership. However, clubs may well have equipment you can borrow until you’re sure your kids are really interested. Check out our ActiveActivities Directory to find your local Lacrosse Club!
Quick Links
DataLife Engine > Printer friendly version > Sean Evans – Out of the game, taking prisoners to trial
Love him or hate him, you can’t deny that Sean Evans is an influence in every game he plays.
On January 14, 2006, in the second game of his professional NLL career, he scored three goals and earned 17 penalty minutes for fighting Rusty Krueger of the Toronto Rock. From that moment, he kept this pace for 15 years. He ranks tenth in goals scored, fifth in assists, sixth in total points and third in penalty minutes of any player in NLL history.
The 36-year-old shows no signs of slowing down, but realizes that the time to retire may come sooner than expected. He was lucky, he avoided serious injuries in his career. But professional sports are the game of young organisms, and the daily wear and tear of sports work often starts to catch up with you in your thirties.
I didn’t specifically ask Evans about his retirement from playing. Watch him play and you won’t see a man ready to stop playing the game he loves.
“Now that I have small children, I want them to see their father trying to play his best. If I can’t give 100% then it’s time to look the other way,” Evans says. “But right now I still have the drive, so I will continue like this.”
Evans played for the Rochester Knighthawks for the first six years of his career, followed by stops in Calgary, New England and Buffalo, but was back in Rochester from the 2020 season to the start of the 2022 season.
Back at Rochester, Evans said he felt like he had come full circle. But this feeling did not last long; in March he was traded to the Halifax Thunderbirds.
“When you change mid-season, it’s always a little difficult to adapt to a new team. Halifax was not what I expected. I played some games, missed some. .. I don’t know what awaits us in the upcoming season. I spoke to a couple of teams and my doors are open to everyone. I hope to make a splash with my performance in the last couple of years.”
When he decides that the time has come, it will be a huge loss for the League. Evans is a scorer and leader, but he is also one of the League’s best ambassadors. He teaches the game to the younger generation and generously spends his time with fans.
Sean and his cousin Turner Evans co-own Nationwide Lacrosse, where they run training camps. The business has stood still for two years, but they hope that will change as the omicron weakens and Ontario becomes safer.
“Continuing to develop the lacrosse game in the city we grew up in and carrying over the skills of the lacrosse players who taught us is a great idea,” says Evans. “We visited about 100 schools and taught about 20,000 children this year. Our training camps are in full swing, they accept 60-80 children a week. We see a lot of new kids and those involved in lacrosse who are coming back.”
Evans started the business with Brad Self but handed over the reins to Turner when Self moved to Colorado to become the general manager of Colorado Mammoth.
“Turner is not only a member of the family, but also a great lacrosse player and a great friend to the kids,” praises Evans.
Sean Evans gets under the skin of a lot of people on set, and he knows it. He enjoys it. This makes him one of the best players.
“My playing style has proven itself over the last 16-17 years,” says Evans. “I have love-hate relationships with many people. The people on my own team and our fans love me. But other teams and their fans hate me, they boo me a lot. It’s part of the sporting world, give and take.”
It’s never boring to watch him play.
Many of his 585 penalty minutes came from defending teammates. Evans isn’t the type to intimidate teammates on the court, so if he sees an opponent taking liberties, he intervenes.
“This is my respect for my brothers,” he says without hesitation. “If my brothers can get hurt, I’m going to intervene. I’m not afraid to throw myself in a heap. I have three siblings; taking and receiving hits was something I was used to growing up. I know what I’m getting into when I step into the game and take responsibility.”
Former Knighthawks teammate Thomas Whitty, who plays with Evans in the summer for the Peterborough Century 21 Lakers, says that “Evans is a tough guy, he can stand up for himself and if he needs to, he won’t hesitate to rush to help a teammate.”
“His leadership is different from most leaders I look up to,” Whitty continues. “He has a carefree approach to shooting and his creative handling of the ball has opened my eyes to new angles and approaches to the game. He is never shy about telling you how he feels, and his expectations of his teammates allow them to excel and benefit the entire team. ”
Who wouldn’t want to have the sixth all-time top scorer in League history on their team?
“My stubbornness and hatred of defeat boils up in me when I play, and that competitiveness comes out when I get on the court,” says Evans. Evans has played this way his entire career and won the League MVP award twice in 2013 and 2015. But last season saw a slight design change on his gloves.
“My kids’ birthdays were marked on top of the Knighthawks logo and each glove has 25 hawks representing our team members,” he tells me. “It’s not just about one person.”
After the Halifax trade, he began using a neutral pair of white gloves that still had his children’s birthdays marked on them.
The fact that his children’s birthdays are on his gloves shows how family oriented he is. Although he missed lacrosse in the midst of the pandemic, he was able to spend more time with his wife, Kayla, and children, 13-year-old Peytin, 8-year-old twins Ella and Emery, and 4-year-old Rhett. Turner, not only his cousin but also his best friend, also moved next year last year so their kids could play together more often. Family is what drives him in life and in lacrosse.
“I carry this with me: a journey through lacrosse from where I started to where I am now.”
The love of family and the practical need for work at the start of the pandemic prompted him to apply for the position of Ontario special constable.
“Lacrosse is my passion and I want to be the best at the sport I love. But as I get older, I have to start thinking about my family and future,” he says.
It was a difficult application process with both mental and physical fitness tests, but Evans credits his athletic experience with making it through. He was then accepted into the Peterborough City Police.
Evans currently works in a platoon that escorts prisoners to and from court hearings.
“It can get pretty stressful,” he admits, but considers his leadership and communication skills, developed over a lifetime of lacrosse, to be his strengths at work. “It’s quite hard to see people at a low level and I try to be there for them and support them. I try to be honest with them. The last thing you want to do is lie to them about what will happen to them. Be truthful and respectful.”
It helps that his colleagues and senior sergeant support him.
“Having been playing lacrosse all my life, it’s nice to get to work where there is a team atmosphere where people work together and cover for each other.”
“I love trying different roles,” he says, “but I still play lacrosse and am willing to do both and raise my kids.”
Back
Popular, but not with us. What is played abroad?
Often in foreign films and serials we see how the main characters go to baseball games, play American football or take children to lacrosse classes. But what do we know about these sports? Some of the games popular in America and Europe are almost completely unfamiliar to our compatriots.
We briefly cover the basics. After reading our article, you will not only be able to watch what is happening on the screen with interest, but you may also want to try it yourself. Yes, yes, because all these sports are gradually developing in our country.
Cricket
The British have infected the whole world with love for this sport. Although very little is known about cricket in Russia, in some countries this sport is number one. Cricket appeared back in the 16th century in England, two centuries later it became one of the main national sports, and later took root in the colonies of the British Empire. This historical development explains the ranking of the countries that are the most successful in this game.
In India and Pakistan, cricket has become almost synonymous with the word “sport” – some of the strongest teams in the world play here, matches regularly attract tens of thousands of fans, and news about cricket makes the front pages of newspapers. In addition to these two countries, England, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and South Africa are in the world elite.
The essence of the game:
Two teams of 11 people each play on a huge oval field with a diameter of 150 meters (such a field is much larger than a football field). In the center of the field there is a rectangular earthen platform – a pitch, on both sides of which there are wooden gates of three pegs with a crossbar at the top. From here they serve the ball to the batting player, and here they defend the wickets of their team – this is one of the most important moments in defense.
The main goal of the game is to score more points than the opposing team. Points are earned by running over or taking an opponent out of the game.
Baseball
There is a joke that in Russia in the 90s thousands of bats were bought every year, and only a few balls. Indeed, this sport is not widespread in Russia and Europe, but in North America and Asia it has practically no competitors. Everyone plays baseball there – from teenagers on the streets to professionals under the gaze of millions of fans.
No wonder the sport was even included in the 2020 Olympics in Japan for the first time in baseball history.
The essence of the game:
The baseball court is divided into an outer and an inner field. The inner field looks like a square or rhombus, at the corners of which there are “bases”. It is around them that the game is built. One of the bases is called the “home”, there is a service circle from which the ball is put into play.
Two teams of nine people each compete on the field. Some play on offense, others on defense. The attacking team is trying to earn points, and the defending team is trying in every possible way to prevent this.
The goal of the attack is to run through all the bases and return to the “home”, and the defense is to send three attackers out of the “out”. To do this, they need to intercept the ball and deliver it to the base where the runner is rushing. As soon as the latter occurs, the teams switch roles.
Softball
Softball is a simplified version of basketball that places less demands on the physical preparation of athletes and is much less traumatic. In addition, softball can be played indoors and on small fields. That is why softball is very popular among non-professionals and among women, although, of course, athletes of both sexes play it at a professional level.
The essence of the game:
It will not be difficult for a person familiar with baseball to understand the rules of softball. However, there are a number of differences. First, in softball, a lighter, smaller diameter ball is hit much weaker, so it travels much shorter distances. Secondly, in each match there are not nine, but seven periods. The layout of the court is the same as in baseball, but the field itself is much smaller. There is also a “house”, but you need to serve from it not from above, as in baseball, but from below.
American Football
The most popular sport in the US is often confused with classic football and English rugby. The fact is that for Americans, football in the usual sense for us is “soccer”, but for brevity they call American football known to us simply football.
The confusion with rugby arises from the fact that, trying to explain the difference between our football and American football, people often compare American football with rugby. And rugby, accordingly, is often awarded the erroneous nickname “American football”. In fact, these sports, while a bit similar at first glance, differ many times more than, for example, baseball and softball.
The essence of the game:
Two teams play, each of which has 11 people on the field. Each game consists of a series of short scrums between which the ball is out of play. During the fights, pass or take-out combinations, an attempt to take the end zone and other schemes can be played. Between the bouts, the coach replaces the players in accordance with each specific combination.
The field for such football is slightly smaller than for classical football. On the sides there are gates in the form of a slingshot. The most important parts of the field are the extra end zones on each side where the offensive team in possession of the ball can score points. The team with the most points wins by putting the ball into that area or by scoring directly into the goal.
Lacrosse
Another wildly popular game in America is lacrosse, which was played by Indians hundreds of years ago. This contact sport is considered quite tough and is only slightly inferior to American football in terms of injury.
The essence of the game:
Two teams compete in this sport. The players in the hands of special clubs with a net – sticks, in which you can hold a small ball. The task of the athletes is to use the sticks to throw balls into the opponent’s goal.