Lacrosse Coaching Techniques For College

By: Mike Potts

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Lacrosse coaching techniques for college will build a better lacrosse team to represent your university. With enough skills and practice, your lacrosse players may even be able to make it as Division I team. However, even if your players are a Division II or III team, this doesn’t mean you should coach them any differently. Coaching techniques for a college team always needs to be intense to develop skilled athletes.

  1. Develop and heighten your lacrosse knowledge. The more you know about the game, the better you’ll be at coaching your college team. Attend some games with teams that are in a higher Division than your team. Learn the terms, such as clearing, clamp, pocket, rake and ground ball, and get together with other lacrosse coaches to discuss strategy and training techniques.
  2. Train your players hard. Lacrosse is a rough, intense sport, and your players need to be hardened during practice. When they get out on the field, encourage them to play the game just as rough as the opposing team will play during an official game.
  3. Work on the speed and agility of your players. During a lacrosse game, your players will need to be on their feet and running at full speed from one end of the field to the other and rarely in a straight line. These are the conditions you should use to set up your practices.
  4. Get them into the weight room. Successful lacrosse players are strong. They have serious upper body strength and power in their legs and core. These muscle groups can only be developed adequately using weights and machines. Your players should be lifting several days a week. Encourage them to lift slightly lighter weights than their capable of so they can lift them faster and build lean muscles, which are beneficial in lacrosse.
  5. Foster confident attitudes and strong desires. Your lacrosse players need to be confident in their skills when out on the field. Tell them when they’re doing well and always push them to do their very best. Give your players a desire to not only beat the competition, but to improve their personal bests every time they’re on the field. When your team loses, use that to motivate them to push themselves harder, but never make them feel like they failed. Look at losing as an opportunity, not a defeat.
Posted on: Feb. 28, 2011