Posted by: Gordon
There is something sacred about the post-game handshake. It is a time when players and coaches put their competitive natures aside and congratulate one another on the game they all participated in. I always enjoy walking off the field as an official watching both teams cross and give one another a handshake. It is a special moment that epitomizes the ideal of respect for your opponent.
Then there is this:
That video ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
Youth coaches have a tremendous responsibility to shepherd players. It is not one to be taken lightly, nor one to be cast aside in a moment of anger or exasperation. As a noun, a shepherd is “a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.” As a verb, to shepherd means, “to watch over carefully.” I chose this word carefully for this letter because it gets to the core of what a youth coach must ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
I just don’t get it. Why take Fall Ball so seriously? Here’s a little confession of mine: I find those who take fall lacrosse games seriously a good bit silly. I just don’t understand how someone can get all wrapped up in a game that is occurring outside of the regular season. Where standings and a championship don’t hold any water. So your team won every Fall Ball game, congratulations, but I’ll care about how you do in the spring.
Maybe ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
It’s that time of year again. School is back in session, the summer is coming to a close, and Fall Ball is right around the corner. For a lot of people, new and experienced to lacrosse, there are a good amount of questions about what to expect from a Fall Ball season, and how to get the most out of it. This season will mark my twelfth fall lacrosse season. I have seen the best and worst aspects of the ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
With Coyote Tryouts coming up I have heard a lot of questions from players and parents about how to have a good tryout. The rules below come from my experiences trying out as a player, coach, and evaluator. Follow these rules and you will have a successful tryout, but remember, they are no guarantee for making the team. They will, however, improve your chances.
Rule #1 – Hustle Everywhere
Posted by: Gordon
Coaching is like speaking another language because youth players all want to be a hero. They want to dodge through five opponents, or go for the big check, or stay on the field because they just subbed in and you are wrong about taking them out. You can see the head coach roll his eyes from sixty yards out whenever that happens.
This is what I call the Tower of Babel problem. For those of you unfamiliar with the Tower of ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
Atlanta Youth Lacrosse Alum and U-11 Coyote Coach Davis Brown was voted the SCAC Newcomer of the Year! Congratulations are in order for this tremendous accomplishment, and thanks for representing Georgia lacrosse all season.
The original article may be found here: www.scacsports.com/sports/mlax/2010-11/releases/all_scac_team
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In exclusive voting by the league’s head men’s lacrosse coaches, Matt Ivie of Birmingham-Southern College was selected 2011 SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year, while Colorado College’s Zach Hoisington repeated as SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year. Colorado ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
The help line is an imaginary line than runs through the middle of the field from goal to goal. Teaching youth players about the help line will help them understand how to push their opponent away from the goal and where to go in an emergency. The diagram below details where the help line is:
Splitting the field in half gives your defense a “no man’s land” that exists directly in front of the goal. When playing one-on-one, or man, defense, ...
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