A Lacrosse Weekend 7.10.21

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!   

If you are a men's or women's lacrosse player, coach, or parent, I think you will love the weekly content, videos, and analysis!

Mindset Skill of the Week | The Flow Channel

This graphic below on flow is so interesting! Flow is defined as a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity. It is one of the most elusive states of mind there is. In sports, we call it "being in the zone." 

The graph shows that flow is found when the level of our skills is matched with a challenge right at the edge of our capabilities. A challenge too easy leads to boredom and a seemingly impossible challenge just leads to anxiety. 

It is interesting to think of how this relates to youth sports, development, and even free play. Parents always want their kids to "play with and against the best", but you can see the disconnect created with this mentality if their skills aren't there yet. You can also see the problem with always being the best on the field... the kid might become bored and complacent.

Phil-Lacrosse-ophy Podcast Ep. 46 with Ted Kroeten is a MUST LISTEN! Ted explains this theory so well and talks about a counterintuitive concept called, "underloading" as a way to advance creativity and skill development. No matter what the activity is, we should be looking to find ways to challenge ourselves enough to find that sweet spot of flow state!

Listen to the full episode here! 

John Galloway's Shamrock Drill

This 5 v 5 drill from Jacksonville Head Coach, John Galloway is one of the best ways to work on your defensive recoveries. When defending any offensive set that vacates the crease during a dodge, we have to decide whether to send the recovering player "one behind / U turn" or to/through the crease and "rotate" around the perimeter.

It is usually the defenders furthest from the dodge that has the best view of the field (the "traffic cops") and should communicate whether the recovery should be a "One Behind" or a "Rotate." It is also easy to make the following rule: We are going to recover One Behind when the ball carrier throws forward to X and we are going to recover to the crease and Rotate around the perimeter when he throws back. Either way- this drill is a great way to work through all the details and communication! 

Have a great weekend!