Lacrosse drills video. 18 Essential Lacrosse Goalie Drills to Boost Reaction Time and Foot Speed

How can lacrosse goalies improve their reaction time and foot speed. What are the most effective drills for enhancing goalie performance. Which exercises help develop quick reflexes and agility for lacrosse goalies.

Enhancing Goalie Performance: The Importance of Reaction Time and Foot Speed

In the fast-paced world of lacrosse, goalies play a crucial role in defending their team’s net. Two key attributes that can make or break a goalie’s performance are reaction time and foot speed. By honing these skills, goalies can significantly increase their save percentage and become formidable last lines of defense.

Why are reaction time and foot speed so vital for lacrosse goalies? Quick reflexes allow goalies to respond instantaneously to incoming shots, while nimble footwork enables them to cover more of the goal area and make challenging saves. Let’s explore 18 effective drills designed to enhance these critical skills.

Color-Coded Tennis Ball Drill: Sharpening Mental and Physical Agility

This drill combines mental processing with physical movement, challenging goalies to react swiftly while making split-second decisions.

How to Set Up the Color-Coded Tennis Ball Drill:

1. Gather colored tennis balls in four different hues
2. Place four mini disc cones along the crease to simulate a five-step arc
3. Put a different colored tennis ball on each cone
4. Position the coach about 5 feet in front of the goal with a bucket of colored tennis balls

The coach rapidly draws balls from the bucket, throwing them to various spots in the goal. The goalie must make the save and then toss the ball at the cone matching its color. This drill not only improves reaction time but also enhances cognitive processing under pressure.

Jump Rope Exercises: Building Quickness from the Ground Up

Jump rope exercises are not just for boxers; they offer tremendous benefits for lacrosse goalies as well. This simple yet effective drill can significantly improve foot speed, coordination, and overall agility.

Benefits of Jump Rope for Lacrosse Goalies:

• Enhances cardiovascular endurance
• Improves footwork and coordination
• Boosts overall agility and quickness
• Serves as an excellent pre-game warm-up

Incorporate at least 10-15 minutes of jump rope exercises into your daily routine. Experiment with different techniques such as alternating feet, high knees, and double unders to challenge yourself and keep the workout engaging.

Juggling: Elevating Hand-Eye Coordination

Juggling may seem unrelated to lacrosse, but it’s an excellent way to improve hand-eye coordination, a crucial skill for goalies. This drill can be practiced outside of regular training sessions, making it a versatile addition to any goalie’s skill-building repertoire.

How to Incorporate Juggling into Your Training:

1. Start with three balls and master basic juggling patterns
2. Progress to five balls as your skills improve
3. Try juggling against a wall for an added challenge
4. Practice regularly to see significant improvements in hand-eye coordination

Remember, the goal is not to become a professional juggler but to enhance your ability to track and react to moving objects quickly and accurately.

Pipe to Pipe Saves: Mastering Extreme Angles

The Pipe to Pipe Saves drill, demonstrated by Syracuse goalie Will Mark, pushes goalies to their limits by simulating challenging shot angles. This exercise is designed to make standard shots seem easier by comparison.

Executing the Pipe to Pipe Saves Drill:

1. Position yourself on one goalpost
2. Have a shooter aim for the opposite pipe
3. Practice making saves across the entire goal mouth
4. Focus on quick lateral movement and proper positioning

By consistently practicing this drill, goalies can improve their ability to cover extreme angles and react to shots from various positions on the field.

Playing Card Flick Drill: Sharpening Focus and Reflexes

This unique drill combines mental focus with physical reflexes, challenging goalies to catch fluttering playing cards in mid-air. It’s an excellent way to improve hand-eye coordination and concentration under pressure.

Setting Up the Playing Card Flick Drill:

• Have a coach stand on a bucket or chair with a deck of cards
• The elevated position simulates the angle of overhand lacrosse shots
• The coach flicks cards one at a time towards the goalie
• The goalie attempts to catch each card by driving their top hand and lead foot forward

This drill not only enhances reflexes but also teaches goalies to maintain focus and composure even when faced with unconventional challenges.

Four-Square Footwork Drill: Developing Agility and Speed

The Four-Square Footwork Drill, inspired by Coach Bill Pilat, is an excellent exercise for improving foot speed and agility. This drill helps goalies develop the quick, precise movements necessary for covering the entire goal area effectively.

How to Set Up the Four-Square Footwork Drill:

1. Place your goalie stick perpendicular to a line on the field
2. This creates four quadrants around the stick
3. Number the quadrants 1 through 4
4. Have a coach or teammate call out numbers randomly
5. Move your feet quickly to the corresponding quadrant as numbers are called

This drill challenges goalies to react swiftly to auditory cues, simulating the need to respond quickly to verbal communication on the field. It also helps develop muscle memory for quick, precise footwork.

Additional Drills to Elevate Your Goalie Game

While we’ve covered several key drills, there are many more exercises that can help lacrosse goalies improve their skills. Here are a few additional drills to consider incorporating into your training routine:

• Wall Ball: Improves stick skills and reaction time
• Rapid Fire: Enhances quick decision-making and save technique
• Cone Drills: Develops footwork and agility
• Reflex Training with Tennis Balls: Sharpens hand-eye coordination
• Mirror Drills: Improves body positioning and movement

Remember, consistent practice is key to seeing improvements in your goalie performance. Incorporate a variety of these drills into your regular training sessions to develop a well-rounded skill set.

Creating a Balanced Training Routine

To maximize the benefits of these drills, it’s essential to create a balanced training routine that addresses all aspects of goalie performance. Consider the following tips when designing your practice schedule:

1. Alternate between drills that focus on reaction time and those that emphasize foot speed
2. Include a mix of physical and mental exercises to develop overall goalie awareness
3. Gradually increase the difficulty and intensity of drills as your skills improve
4. Don’t neglect basic stick skills and positioning exercises
5. Allow for adequate rest and recovery to prevent burnout and reduce injury risk

By following a well-structured training program that incorporates these various drills and exercises, lacrosse goalies can significantly enhance their performance on the field.

Mental Preparation: The Unsung Hero of Goalie Performance

While physical drills are crucial for improving reaction time and foot speed, mental preparation plays an equally important role in a goalie’s success. Developing mental toughness and focus can help goalies perform consistently under pressure.

Techniques for Mental Preparation:

• Visualization: Imagine successful saves and positive outcomes
• Breathing exercises: Practice controlled breathing to manage stress and anxiety
• Positive self-talk: Develop a repertoire of encouraging phrases to use during games
• Goal setting: Establish realistic, achievable goals for each practice and game
• Mindfulness: Stay present and focused on the task at hand

Incorporating these mental techniques alongside physical drills can help goalies develop a comprehensive skill set that translates to improved performance on the field.

Leveraging Technology for Goalie Training

In today’s digital age, technology can be a valuable tool for enhancing goalie training. From video analysis to virtual reality simulations, there are numerous ways to leverage technology to improve reaction time and foot speed.

Innovative Tech Tools for Goalie Training:

1. High-speed cameras for shot analysis
2. Virtual reality training programs that simulate game scenarios
3. Reaction time apps and games
4. Wearable devices that track movement and provide performance data
5. Online platforms for sharing and analyzing game footage

While these technological tools can be beneficial, it’s important to remember that they should supplement, not replace, traditional on-field training methods.

The Role of Physical Conditioning in Goalie Performance

Reaction time and foot speed are not solely dependent on sport-specific drills. Overall physical conditioning plays a crucial role in a goalie’s ability to perform at their best. A well-rounded fitness program can help goalies maintain their quickness and agility throughout an entire game or season.

Key Components of a Goalie Fitness Program:

• Cardiovascular endurance training
• Strength training, particularly for the lower body and core
• Flexibility and mobility exercises
• Plyometric workouts to improve explosiveness
• Balance and stability training

By incorporating these elements into their overall training regimen, goalies can build a solid foundation that supports their sport-specific skills and helps prevent injuries.

Adapting Drills for Different Skill Levels

It’s important to recognize that not all goalies are at the same skill level. Beginners may need to focus on basic techniques and gradually work their way up to more advanced drills. Conversely, experienced goalies might benefit from more challenging variations of these exercises.

Tips for Adapting Drills:

1. For beginners, slow down the pace of drills and focus on proper form
2. Intermediate goalies can increase speed and add elements of unpredictability
3. Advanced goalies should incorporate complex decision-making into their drills
4. Use a variety of ball types (tennis balls, lacrosse balls, foam balls) to challenge different aspects of reaction and tracking
5. Adjust the distance and angle of shots to simulate various game situations

By tailoring drills to a goalie’s current ability level and gradually increasing difficulty, coaches and players can ensure continuous improvement and maintain motivation.

The Importance of Consistency and Repetition

While incorporating a variety of drills is important for well-rounded development, consistency and repetition are key to seeing significant improvements in reaction time and foot speed. Regular practice of these drills helps develop muscle memory and neural pathways that allow goalies to react instinctively during games.

Strategies for Maintaining Consistency:

• Set a regular practice schedule and stick to it
• Keep a training log to track progress and identify areas for improvement
• Use a timer or set rep counts to ensure adequate practice time for each drill
• Incorporate drills into warm-up routines to maximize practice time
• Find a training partner or join a goalie-specific training group for accountability

Remember, small improvements over time can lead to significant gains in overall performance. Stay patient and persistent in your training efforts.

Integrating Goalie Drills with Team Practice

While individual training is crucial, it’s also important for goalies to integrate their skills within the context of team practice. This helps goalies apply their improved reaction time and foot speed in game-like situations and develop better communication with their defensive unit.

Ideas for Incorporating Goalie Drills into Team Practice:

1. Run small-sided scrimmages that focus on quick shots and goalie reactions
2. Include goalies in defensive drills to improve coordination with defenders
3. Set up stations during practice where goalies can work on specific skills while other players rotate through
4. Use goalies as feeders in shooting drills to work on outlet passes and field awareness
5. Organize goalie-specific sessions before or after team practice

By finding ways to blend individual goalie training with team activities, coaches can create a more cohesive and effective defensive unit.

In conclusion, improving reaction time and foot speed is essential for lacrosse goalies looking to elevate their game. By incorporating a variety of drills, maintaining consistency in training, and integrating goalie-specific exercises with team practice, players can develop the skills necessary to become formidable last lines of defense. Remember to tailor your training approach to your current skill level, leverage available technology, and focus on both physical and mental preparation. With dedication and smart training, every save becomes an opportunity for growth and improvement.

18 Lacrosse Goalie Drills to Improve Your Reaction Time and Foot Speed

By Coach Damon

For us goalies, we want the fastest reaction time and foot speed possible. The faster you can make those 2 elements, the more saves you’re going make. That simple.

Here are 18 lacrosse goalie drills that I use with ALL my goalies to give them quick reaction time, fast foot speed, and soft hands. I suggest you work them into your practice routine as well.

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These drills can be apart of an off-season workout program or you can work them into practice when the goalies are sent off to goalie island, i.e. the rest of the team is doing another drill.

Before we jump into the this list of lacrosse goalie drills, if you’re more of a visual person here’s a video I posted to my YouTube channel outlining a bunch of different drills visually:

For this drill we need colored tennis balls in 4 different colors and 4 mini disc cones.

Setup the 4 cones along the crease to simulate the spots on a five-step arc.

Place a different colored tennis ball atop each cone.

The coach stands about 5 feet in front of the goal with the colored tennis balls in a bucket. He pulls out a ball quickly and throws it to a different spot in the goal.

The goalie must make the save, driving their top hand and lead foot to the ball. After making the save the goalie tosses the ball at the cone which matches the tennis ball’s color.

There should be very little time in between throws. We want this drill to be quick. As the tennis balls comes, the goalie doesn’t know which color is coming so they need to react to make the save while reading the color and quickly processing the information.

I also like to have the goalie shout the name of the color as he/she makes the save.

If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it, move on. As a goalie, you’re going to let in goals. It happens.

The most important element is how you react. Do you pout and compound the errors? Or do you move on to the next ball?

Any sport that requires quick feet and quick reactions will benefit from jumping rope.

Jumping rope is usually synonymous with boxers but lacrosse goalies should also work as much of this exercise into their regiment as possible.

As part of a good pre-game warmup, I always recommend that lax goalies work in jumping rope in addition to their normal shot regiment.

Any standard jump rope will do, doesn’t have to be fancy.

Here is a video that shows different jump roping exercises:

I recommend at least 10-15 minutes of jumping rope per day. Jumping rope is also a drill you can do before practice or even after practice to get in some extra work.

Juggling improves your hand-eye coordination, an important element for us lacrosse goalies.

I don’t recommend doing this drill during practice but anytime outside of the field is perfect to learn how to juggle. Start with 3 balls and then once you’ve mastered that, move to 5 balls.

Juggling against a wall is also an easier method when you’re first starting out.

Here’s a video with steps on how to juggle. Watch this and then practice, practice, practice.

Pipe to Pipe Saves

This drill is demo’d by Lax Goalie Rat sponsored athlete Will Mark.

You setup on one pipe and the shooter essentially shoots for the far pipe.

Here we’re making the save much more difficult so that when we return to normal shots they seem much easier.

Watch this drill from the Syracuse goalie Will Mark:

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This is a mental drill that also works the goalie’s hand-eye coordination.

The coach will stand elevated on a bucket or chair with a deck of playing cards. Standing on the bucket simulates the same shot angle from which we’d see normal overhand lacrosse shots.

The coach flicks cards one at a time at the goalie who makes the save by driving the top hand and lead foot to catch the card. We’re going to be throwing the cards quickly, one after another.

This drill will work hand-eye coordination and concentration as the goalie must catch the fluttering card.

Again, you won’t be successful with every card. That’s ok. Focus on the next card, focus on the next shot.

This is another drill I learned from Coach Bill Pilat which improves the foot speed and agility of our goalies.

To setup this drill, we’ll place our goalie stick perpendicular to a line on the field as pictured above. This creates 4 quadrants.

With this magic square there are several variations that we will do –

One Foot – Jump on one foot from quadrant 1 to 2 to 3 to 4. Repeat with the other foot.

Two Feet – Jump and land on two feet now. From quadrant 1 to 2 to 3 to 4. Keep your feet and ankles together.

Diagonal and Back – On two feet, we’ll jump diagonally from quadrant 1 to 3, then 3 to 4 jumping back, then 4 to 2 diagonally, and finally 2 to 1 jumping back.

Jump Turn – We’ll start with 1 foot in quadrant 1 and the other in quadrant 4, straddling the stick. We’ll jump forward to land with our feet in quadrants 2 and 3. Then we’ll jump and do a 180 so our feet are now reversed in quadrants 2 and 3. Jump forward to quadrants 1 and 4 and then do another 180.

For each of the variations we’ll have the goalies go for 30 seconds. Take a 30 second break and then repeat.

For this drill, we’ll set up 3 cones in a line with 3 feet in between each cone.

Start in your goalie stance slightly behind the center cone.

We’ll shuffle to left, bend down at the waist to touch the cone, then shuffle back to touch the far cone. Finally, we’ll shuffle back to the center and get into ready position.

I like to have the goalie also touch the cones with their top hand because that simulates making a save.

An optional step here is the coach can then throw a shot at the goalie, who needs to make the save by reacting quickly.

So the steps are shuffle to the left cone, shuffle to the right cone, shuffle back to center, make a save.

The Goalie Shuttle drill is going to tie together our footwork, our lateral movement, and also being set and in proper save position after being on the move.

This is a drill that’s going to work on our stick rotation especially when making those tough off-stick hip and off-stick low saves.

We’ll position ourselves in the goal, on our knees with stick and gloves (other gear optional).

The coach will throw or shoot balls to the off-stick side.

Have the goalie focus on really getting that underhand movement while driving the top hand to the ball.

Make sure they’re not sweeping that top hand to the ball. They should be “cutting the clock” moving the top hand in a straight line to the shot.

The bottom hand punches out to aid in quick stick rotation.

We’re not going to move our legs, feet, or body in this drill. We’re strictly working on hands movement.

Similar to jumping rope, the agility ladder is perfect for improving conditioning and foot speed.

You’ll need to purchase an agility ladder if you don’t already have one.

Here is the program I’ll have my goalies follow, it includes 13 different exercises in the agility ladder –

Once you get comfortable with the 13 exercises shown in the video you can then incorporate some lacrosse balls.

As you doing the agility exercises have a partner toss you balls that you catch and toss back. This will work hand-eye coordination while we’re moving our feet.

For this drill we set up three different stations. Similar to other drills in this list we’re improving foot speed with this drill. We’re also working muscle memory and conditioning with the 3 Station drill.

We’ll go quickly from one station to the next after finishing.

Station 1: Zig Zag Drill – Setup 5 lacrosse balls at 45-degree angle, in a zig-zag. Step and drive your top hand to simulate making a low save. Reset your body position and do it again with the next lacrosse ball at the station.

Station 2: Arc Drill – Immediately move to station 2 where we have 4 lacrosse balls setup to simulate the spots in between our 5-step arc. Simulate making a save on a low shot in between your legs.

Then move to the next spot on the arc and reset. Again, simulate making the low save, driving your top down. Move to the next spot and repeat.

Station 3: Lateral Step – Lateral step is a little more of an advanced move, so skip this if your goalie is brand new. In this station we setup 4 balls in a row. Instead of taking our 45-degree step, we’ll take a lateral step and simulate making a low save.

This is a classic lacrosse goalie drill and should be in every goalie’s training arsenal regardless of age or level.

For this drill, the coach will simply throw balls at the goalie who makes the save with only his top hand.

If you have two goalies, have them throw each other the balls while the coach analyzes their form to ensure its right. Chest up, top hand straight to the ball, with a lead step. Eyes ridiculously focused on the ball the entire time.

We’ll work on tying together our lead hand and our lead step. Lead hand is top hand (right for righties, left for lefties) and lead foot is the foot on which side the ball is shot (ball shot to your left, left foot is the lead foot).

For this drill, I like to build to up:

1. Start with just top hand
2. Add lead step (top hand + lead step)
3. Add trail step (top hand + lead step + finish with trail step)

This is a great drill to incorporate into your lacrosse goalie’s warmup plan.

For this drill, as you may have guessed, we’re going to be working on improving our reaction time.

We need a special ball called a reaction ball. The reaction ball has lumps on the outside so that the bounce is unpredictable.

There are a variety of drills we can do using the reaction ball:

Solo – You’re looking for a lacrosse goalie drill you can do by yourself, this is one. First drop the reaction ball in front of you. Then react by taking a step toward whatever direction the ball bounces and catch it in your hands.

You can do this drill using only the top hand to catch the ball and then do it using both hands to catch the ball.

Bounce Shots with Partner, bare hands – Stand about 5 feet apart from your partner and throw bounce shots to one another using the reaction ball. Step with your lead foot and drive with your lead hand, making a reaction as you see where the ball is going.

Get reset in your stance prior to each throw.

Bounce Shots with Partner, with equipment – Same drill as above but we’ll now where our sticks, gloves, and helmet. Also same as above, we want to drive our top hand to the ball and step with our lead foot.

For this set of drills we’ll use a heavy bar from the gym. A lacrosse shaft filled with pennies or sand can also substitute here.

You can also buy a power shaft (no affiliation) which was invented specifically for these types of drills.

We’re going to be working on building quickness and muscle memory in this set of drills.

Walk the Line – Simulate making saves to all the different spots using the heavy bar. Stick-side high, stick-side hip, stick-side low, 5 hole, off-stick low, off-stick hip, off-stick high.

Save Tennis Balls – Now we’ll throw tennis balls at the goalie and have him make saves using the heavy bar. We should focus on driving our top hand to meet the tennis ball. Shoot to various areas of the

Walk the Arc – Holding the heavy, simple walk your arc, back and forth.

Normal Warmup – You can even attach the heavy shaft to your normal goalie head and go through a normal warmup. After doing this exercise when you go back to your normal lacrosse shaft the thing is going to feel as light as feather in your hands.

You can also combine the heavy bar with the 3 Stations drill or the Off-Stick Hands drill described above for an extreme workout.

This drill will build up arm strength and hand quickness while maintaining a good goalie positioning.

For this final set of drills, we’re going to need a set of mini hurdles.

These drills are a proven method for improving foot speed and quickness.

Once you’re comfortable progressing through the hurdles you can increase the complexity of this drill by having a coach throw you a lacrosse ball to catch while you make your way through the hurdles.

You can also perform the drills with your lacrosse goalie stick in your hands, simulating saves as you go through the hurdles.

Follow the program outlined in this video during your offseason workouts and you’ll notice a significant gain in quickness when its time to start making saves in the goal.

This one is again courtesy of MLL goalie Scott Rodgers and I call it the Tennis Racket Reaction drill.

For this drill the goalie stands in the cage, without the stick. Another player will toss a ball to the coach who has a tennis racket.

The coach will simply volley the ball at the goalie who makes the save. Similar to the Goalie Lead Hand drill the goalie will drive his top hand to the ball.

Works our reaction time and save technique especially for those close-in shots.

Here is an Instagram video of Scott Rodgers performing the drill:

A video posted by Scotty Rodgers (@scottyrodg42) on Aug 4, 2016 at 7:23am PDT

This goalie drill I learned from the MLL’s Brian Phipps. It’s called “Hot Potato” and is meant to develop soft hands in lacrosse goalies and thereby reduce rebounds.

This is a drill I’ll work into the beginning of practice to get the goalies going.

You simply throw the ball back and forth – catching and releasing as soon as possible – and ensuring that you’re 1.) watching the ball at all times and 2.) receiving the ball with soft hands.

You should not be snatching or stabbing at the ball but rather receive it like an egg, the same way attackman/middies are taught to catch a pass.

Here is a GIF of Mr. Phipps demonstrating the drill with 2 people:

Some variations of the Hot Potato drill:

• Perform it against a wall when you’re alone
• Play in a group of 3-4 so you really have to track the ball (try some no-look throws)
• Play “P-I-G” or “H-O-R-S-E” where each player gets a letter if the ball is thrown to them and they drop it or snatch at it.

In each case, the goalie is focused on watching the ball into his/her hand and receiving the ball with soft hands.

This drill is going to help the goalie’s agility and reaction speed.

One player plays the role of the rabbit and the other player the dog. Set up two cones 6 feet apart.

The Rabbit moves back and forth laterally and the Dog must copy his movements, mirroring his lateral movements.

The Dog must read the Rabbit’s change of direction and copy his movements. Go for about 20-30 seconds, 3 sets. Then switch roles.

Here is a video demonstrating the drill:

Here’s a drill I picked up from MLL Pro John Galloway seen above. It’s called footie and it helps goalies learn to step to the ball and get the feet instinctively moving when you see a shot.

It’s a great drill to include in the warmup and also to perform at halftime to get the feet going.

Goalie stands with his hand behind back while a teammate shoots low worm-burners at his feet. The goalie will step to the shot and block it with his foot.

Drive your foot to the ball, finish the save balanced, and then reset.  After lots of reps of this drill the goalie will be trained to move his/her feet immediately when a shot is incoming.

Wrapping Paper Drill

Many times in a game a goalie will need to make a save through traffic. This is a great drill from I learned from Devon Wills to simulate that and also work on a goalie’s reaction time.

This drill also helps the goalie track shots.

Great drill. This goalie (Gussie Johns from USC) should be working on not giving up rebounds though 🙂 What can I say, as a coach, I’m also looking for points to improve upon.

 

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Want to take this to go? Download a free PDF version of 18 Lacrosse Goalie Drills by clicking here. You’ll also get a ton of other free stuff for joining the email list. No spam, ever.

If you’re looking for even more lacrosse goalie drills, check out these 2 posts:

• 8 Advanced Lacrosse Goalie Drills
• 10 Excellent Lacrosse Goalies Drills To Improve Your Game

If you want fast feet and quick reaction time, you have to work hard.

Even though you may not have been blessed with these attributes it is possible to increase your foot speed and reaction time using these 18 lacrosse goalie drills that I describe above.

Some of these drills you can do by yourself while others require a partner or a coach.

While some (like jumping rope, agility ladder, and mini hurdles) are not specific to lacrosse goalies, they do work on skills that all champion lacrosse goaltenders excel at.

Now get out there and get to work!

Until next time! Coach Damon

What are some of your favorite lacrosse goalie drills? Let me know in the comments.  

A Lacrosse Weekend 10.17.20

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Oct 17, 2020

Welcome to “A Lacrosse Weekend” my weekly compilation of thoughts, ideas, stories, myths, truths, about the great game of lacrosse. I hope you enjoy it! 

Phi-Lacrosse-ophy Podcast

Manhattan Head Coach, Drew Kelleher, This podcast was a blast because Drew Kelleher is one of the best guys in the game.  Sharp and cutting edge, Drew is fun and has a great sense of humor.  We became friends back when he was first at BU, before they even had a team.  He would join us at multiple 3d events where he would recruit and coach and we talked a lot of lacrosse.  I think you will love the conversation around how he teaches dodging.  The ability to draw slides to generate offense is key and in a rebuilding situation like Manhattan, it was critical that they could breakdown match ups.  Listen to the technique Drew teaches!  Click here for the Drew Kelleher podcast!

JM3 Sports YouTube Channel

I’m excited to announce that we are in the process of revamping our JM3 Sports YouTube Channel with tons of great videos!  Over the past three years I have created an enormous amount of content that is lives behind the paywall of my Men’s and Women’s JM3 Coaches Training Program.   I have decided to release some of my favorite videos, webinars, and breakdowns on the JM3 Sports YouTube channel to give people a taste of what the JM3 Coaching Content is like!   Be sure to subscribe so you get notifications when we add new content, which will be every week!

Newly Added Videos! 

Teaching Box Lacrosse: this 28 minute webinar will teach you the key concepts, skills and drills for creating an effective box lacrosse learning environment.  Check out what youth lacrosse players from from Coquitlam and Delta, BC look like in both games and practices!  It’s awesome and I think you’ll love this!

The Big-Little Skip Survivor Drill: This drill is easily one of my favorites of all time!  It’s a 4v4 drill where we learn how to attack and defend in Big-Little situations.  Critical concepts like slide decisions, communication, recovery, and the next round of slides when the ball kicks up top are covered in this drill!  It’s a staple!

Clearing 101: This white board explanation of clearing will answer all the questions you might have about how to teach clearing.   Beginning with the goalie and base defenders, we will explain how to install three different clears: 34, Diamond, and Open.  Further, I show you how to these clears work against the most common rides.

Man up offense 101: this video explains the basics of Extra Man Offense showing you and your players: the passes, the shots, the fakes, the movements, the motions, and the drills for high level man up offense!  You will love this video!

Installing a 1-3-2 Offense: A 20 minute video where you will learn how to install the “Greatest motion offense!”  I show you the dodges, the passes, the movements, the variations and the drills for how to install a 132 Dodge/Follow/Float offense with simple ways to create the ultimate variability!

Austin Staats 2017 Minto Cup Breakdown: Austin Staats is one of the best lacrosse players in the world and I can tell you I learned one of the most important lessons about “Control” from watching him in the 2017 Minto.  From this Minto I learned the value of the Double Threat Position which forever changed how I coach.

Tehoka Nanticoke 2017 Minto Cup Breakdown One of the most exciting and creative players in college lacrosse, you will see where he gets his creativity when you watch this breakdown!  

Eddy Glazener Defensive Breakdown

This past Wednesday night I did a webinar with PLL Redwoods defender Eddy Glazener breaking down the Redwoods-Whipsnakes overtime game from the PLL Championship Series.  Listening to Glazener talk defense is like listening to a genius.  Stay tuned, we will make this webinar available soon!

The Underhand Hitch

I love this technique because it allows a dodger to hesitate and fake shots while keeping their stick tucked and protected even while being physical with a defender or cutting a defender off.  Connor Fields is a master of this move and you can see in the video below how he baits Garrett Epple into going over his head using his underhand hitch technique.  Once you have gained position or leverage on your man, the hitches will cause both your defender to try and make a last ditch play as well as cause the off ball defenders to reach the same way.   

Check out the videos from our pick up games this past summer with JM3 Athletes where Underhand Hitches were used regularly.  This technique is usually reserved for box lacrosse players, but if you play enough pick up, you will have chances to learn this amazing skill in context!

JM3 Athlete Program

I have to say, I love working with my JM3 Athletes.  I never get sick of watching and talking lacrosse with motivated and engaged players.  I work with boys and girls from middle school through college and the results have been awesome.  One of the biggest things I’ve noticed in my JM3 Athletes is how much more confidently and assertively they play.  I call it Free Play Poise and it’s a game changer.  While most kids are repping out skills that they will never use in games, my JM3 Athletes are learning how to play implicitly, gaining fluency in real time and doing it in Free Play environments that allow them to process the game in context make decisions to use skills even if they seem risky.

Here’s a recent video from one of my athletes at the 1% Showcase where he was All-Star Game MVP.  The skills and creativity he’s using is a trademark of JM3 Athletes. 

If you are interested in the JM3 Athlete program, email me at [email protected] .  I do not have any openings right now, but I’m planning on opening enrollment in the middle of November and will begin interviews around that time.

Women’s Lacrosse Drill

4v4 Sides Three Pass:

• Boundaries: playing on one side of the field, the offense can use the whole 12 on their natural side and no farther than the backside “Tangent.”  (The Tangent is the imaginary 90 line through the side of the crease)
• Each team plays offense and defense like half court hoops
• Must complete three passes before shooting
• Defense gets 2 points for a double team
• Offense gets one point for a goal

This game is a hybrid between keep away and a small sided game that I love for multiple reasons: 

1. The Keep Away environment creates ball pressure and off ball pressure through denying passes,  which forces the offense to move off ball, get open, and possess the ball under pressure.  
2. On ball and off ball 2man games begin to happen naturally the more the players cope with this environment.
3. The three pass rule with pressure also makes this game more challenging for the offense.  It is too easy to score in a 4v4 situation and often times one player will dodge and score with no ball movement.
4. Why the Natural Side: learning to operate on one side is a magical way of teaching the difficult spacing necessary in women’s lacrosse.  If an offense can comfortably run 2man, 3man and 4man looks on one side with Nations and Spain type looks, it will be a major advantage in 7v7!
5. Once the offense has completed three passes, the defense does not pressure off ball players and looks to help, slide, and collapse with team defense.

I hope you love this drill!

If you want more information on the Women’s Lacrosse JM3 Coaches Training Program click the link and get access to the riches women’s lax content treasure trove on the internet!

Have a great weekend!

90,000 regular season lacrosse, playoff slaloms and the beauty of the final. Which goal of the season deserves the title of the best?

Extraliga
Video

April 27, 2023

We offer a short list of applicants. Lots of cool combinations!

The main theme of the closing ceremony of the 2022/2023 season was hockey as an art. And what could be more skillful than abandoned pucks? The completed Betera-Extraliga championship gave us a lot of bright goals both in the regular season and at the playoff stage. Recognized masters often stood behind their performance, but talented and daring youth did not stand aside either. Of course, you have already seen all these pucks in our weekly and monthly tops. And someone was lucky to capture these beauties with their own eyes in the stands of the ice arenas. But which goleshnik is the best? We don’t know yet. Answer will be given on 29April at the closing ceremony of the season. But our shortlist of applicants is already ready. Watch and enjoy again!

Igor Ugolnikov (Metallurg)

In the sixth match of the quarter-final series, the steelworkers lost to Gomel 0:1, but in the 37th minute, the arrogance and assertiveness of Yaroslav Sergievsky behind other people’s nets helped the forward take the puck away from a gaping defender. Then there was a pass to Kuznetsov and a cool, sighted transfer to Ugolnikov, who crushed Maxim Lubsky with a timer. This goal gave confidence to the hosts, who then scored twice more, won the match (3:1), and with it the series (4-2).

Pavel Medvedev (Shakhtar)

The Pitmen started the quarter-final series quite confidently against Dynamo-Molodechno. After home 6:2, it is unlikely that the Salihorsk team thought that the spectacle would stretch for as many as six matches. In that first game there was also a handsome goal by the duet Shalagin – Medvedev. And this is the case when the merit of the passer is perhaps even greater than the success of the thrower. Mikhail did everything for Pavel: he laid down the slalom, drove out of the gate and gave a subtle pass to himself behind his back. Medvedev had to hit an empty corner, and he had no right to miss.

Pavel Razvadovsky (Shakhtar)

Another contender from Soligorsk – and again after an excellent slalom pass. Pavel Razvadovsky did not need teammates here to upset Brest in the final match of the regular season (5:3). The defense of the “bison” in three pairs of hands and three clubs did not hold the masterful striker. Remained out of work and Maxim Gorodetsky.

Yuriy Veremeenko (Metallurg)

Veremeenko, before moving to Brest, during the season managed to score a cool goal for his native Metallurg, and even in the Polissya derby against Gomel (2:3), and even in the Lynx arena! However, as in the case of Medvedev’s goal a little higher, one cannot fail to note the merits of the passers: Dmitry Voitekhov did a great job keeping the puck under pressure, and Ilya Spat smartly gave a “blind” pass from behind the gate to an empty corner. Yuri Veremeenko was in the right place at the right time and did not blunder. True, this handsome goal still did not allow Metallurg to win that match.

Vyacheslav Ipatov (“Neman”)

Lacrosse goals are a special kind of hockey art. This season, Betera Extraliga did not indulge in them, but the Neman forward did not miss the opportunity to show off his skills at the end of the regular season. The match with Dynamo-Molodechno (3:2 PB) didn’t mean anything for the Grodno players in terms of the tournament, so the guys played for pleasure. And Ipatov, leaving the guardianship of the defender, was able to surprise Kiselev with a jeweler’s possession of a stick. Beauties!

Egor Mazhuga (Shakhtar)

The second match of the semi-final series between Moles and Wolves was not easy for Shakhtar. And the guests still celebrated the victory 3:2. But it was Egor Mazhuga’s goal that ensured a valid ending here: the defender scored in the 54th minute, reducing the backlog of the hosts to a minimum thanks to a brilliant combination involving Mikhail Shalagin and Roman Malinovsky. The epic pause of Shakhtar’s captain deserves a special fat like. And the defender supported the partners with an accurate throw.

Arseniy Kovgorenya (“Youth”)

Having won twice in Grodno, Yunost moved the semi-final series to the Chizhovka-Arena. And in the third match the Minskers continued to swagger (5:2). Arseniy Kovgorenya scored the second goal of the capital’s squad, finishing the home team’s counterattack with a splendid one-timer. And again, one cannot fail to note Osipov’s subtle pass to his partner, who was left with an almost empty net.

Danila Palivko (Neman)

We are not leaving the final: Grodno has found its own skillful answers for the “wolves”. In the fifth match of the series, Neman hurt the pride of the guests with a tennis score (6:1), and Danila Palivko put the start of the rout, converting the majority in the 7th minute. The whole merry-go-round of the owners in this implementation of the superfluous was good, and leaving Remezov behind is a separate form of skill. And the defender’s mighty throw was the icing on the cake.

Vadim Moroz (Metallurg)

In the same fifth match of the golden series, the “wolves” scored only once, but how! Artem Volchenkov, Yaroslav Sergievsky and Vadim Moroz simply tore the home defense out of the inertia of the guest majority, and no one prevented Moroz from shooting Karnaukhov with a touchdown throw.

Pavel Boyarchuk (Neman)

“Neman” objected to that goal of Moroz with another beauties. The third goal of the Grodno players was born from the creative genius of Vyacheslav Andryushchenko, who through the triple screen somehow discerned the connection of Pavel Boyarchuk to the far post – and gave out a pass that was simply crazy in accuracy. Alexander Samoilov in this situation had no chance to save his team.

Yaroslav Sergievsky (Metallurg)

And, finally, let’s go to the sixth match of the series, where Metallurg took a convincing revenge (7:1) for the Grodno fiasco. And then the leader of the “wolves” Yaroslav Sergievsky said his word. We have already seen how cool he can be in the underplay, and Yaroslav created this first puck of the sixth match himself. It was with his interception outside the goal that it all started. Then – a chic pass to Gavrus, a transfer to Korobov and a brilliant pass of an experienced defender back to Sergievsky, who had already gone to the “nickle” and elegantly sent the puck to the target. A feast for the eyes!

Which of these goals could be the best of the season? Or maybe we missed something? We will find out the answers at the closing ceremony of the season on April 29. The broadcast will be available on the Belarus Hockey YouTube channel and the Belarus 5. Internet channel. Do not miss!

Text: Dmitry Shifershtein

about Lyamkin’s attempt to score a lacrosse goal: a very technical defender

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