I thought hard about what topic I wanted to write about for my 200th post. After many different ideas and drafts I settled on addressing how poor behavior by parents negatively impacts the children playing lacrosse. I addressed part of this in my post “Getting The Most Out Of Fall Ball.” Where I detailed the responsibilities of parents in off-season games, but I wanted to dig deeper into this area. So settle ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
This year Atlanta Youth Lacrosse is proud to announce the first ever Sportsmanship Cup!
This is a game where all players will be chosen for the sportsmanship they displayed during the season by their coaching staff.
It could be the player that is a beginner or the most experienced player. All-Star games are fun, but we as an organization decided to put a little twist on the traditional All-Star game. Selecting players showing incredible sportsmanship throughout the season fits the mission of ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
Affirmed: Youth lacrosse players want to experience playing the game not riding the bench.
Does everyone agree that the AYL end-of-season tournament in May is considerably less important than the NCAA D1 Finals? You don’t agree? Well then read on.
The difference between competitive play at the high school and college level and competitive play at the youth level is wider than the Grand Canyon. In fact, the difference is a chasm so wide you cannot see the other side. I say ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Gordon
Every year at least one well-intentioned mother or father comes up to me with this query: “I am concerned that my son’s skill level is higher than the league he is in. Even though he is too young to play in the next older league, may he play up? I want to make sure he is getting the competition he needs.” This is a perfectly valid question that addresses a concern that some parents in youth leagues have. They want ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lou Corsetti
I have had the opportunity to study the aspects of youth sports and many trends during my coaching career. I have also read tons of literature on the subject. One of the most interesting studies was from Sports illustrated for Kids in 1999.
One of the Questions posed to the players in the study was “Why do you play sports?”
The answers may surprize you:
It’s Fun 77%
For exercise 22%
To be with friends 18%
For fitness 12%
For competition 9%
To stay out of ...
Continue Reading →Posted by: Lou Corsetti
I believe that if you take a few team Principles and leverage them around a program of creating responsibility, self-motivation, attitude and respect within each player, you will have a formula for individual and team growth and accomplishment.
Principle 1: Have Fun
Every moment both practices and games should be fun. Eliminate as much down time in practice as possible, keep your drills as up tempo drills (no drill should last more then 8-12 minutes) (some drills can be as little as ...
