Dive into the rich history and vibrant spirit of lacrosse in our first lesson. We’ll explore the cultural significance of the sport, its evolution, and modern representations. We’ll also discuss the significance of choosing the correct stick, the importance of the pocket, make comparisons to the big 5 sports, and cover basic rules and equipment.

Lesson 2 focuses on meeting you where you are and exploring your situation to craft a holistic strategy for a triumphant season. We’ll navigate through the intricacies of goal setting while considering your unique coaching environment – understanding where you stand as a coach, your players’ diverse personalities and skill levels, and the dynamics of parent expectations and involvement. This lesson also delves into effectively leveraging support from administrators and collaborating with co-coaches. By doing so, you’ll learn to create a positive, achievement-oriented atmosphere, aligning your coaching tactics with your team’s multifaceted needs and aspirations.

Lesson 3 is tailored to embrace the diversity of skill levels within your team, applying innovative coaching methodologies like the constraints-led approach and non-linear pedagogy. These modern techniques focus on adapting to the individual learning styles and developmental stages of each player. We’ll guide you through effectively coaching a range of abilities, ensuring that every player, regardless of their current skill level, is engaged, challenged, and growing.

Lesson 4 delves into the essentials of running a successful lacrosse practice. From the necessary equipment to the intricacies of the practice plan, we cover every aspect to ensure you’re fully equipped. Learn about the distinct roles and responsibilities of the coaching team, ensuring everyone plays their part effectively. We’ll also explore the elements that make a practice session great, including how to incorporate special positions like goalies and face-off specialists. This lesson is designed to empower you with the knowledge and skills to create engaging, productive, and skill-enhancing practices for your team.

Lesson 5 is the cornerstone of coaching success. Coaches are equipped not only to teach but also to master key lacrosse skills themselves. We provide detailed techniques and drills for essential skills that coaches can practice at home, ensuring they can demonstrate and instruct with confidence. These skills include holding the stick, picking up ground balls, cradling, passing, catching, faking, and various shooting techniques like shooting on the run, in tight spaces, and with time and room. Additionally, this lesson covers individual defensive basics, providing a comprehensive toolkit for coaches to enhance their expertise and effectively pass on these skills to their players.

In Lesson 6, we delve into the dynamic phases and flow of lacrosse, providing a detailed analysis of the strategies pertinent to each phase of the game. Coaches will learn not only the general tactics but also the specific strategies we at POWLAX recommend. We will introduce the POWLAX Coaching Pyramid, outlining the types of drills that are used to create team strategy. Additionally, this lesson includes an overview of the drills designed to build and reinforce each recommended strategy, ensuring coaches have a clear and effective roadmap for training their teams.

Lesson 7 is an exploration of two practice plans.  The first practice plan is built to introduce a new set of players to the game or allow you to evaluate a new group of players.  The second practice plan is the perfect practice to run with a team of players who are 8 years old and younger. We’ll guide you through each practice step by step, explain the function of each drill, and watch live video of the drills being run.

Lesson 8 introduces two distinct practice plans that focus on building the elements of transition play including clears, rides, face-off strategy, and transition offense and defense.  Patrick overviews the practices showing live video examples of each drill and explaining how each drill is used to build transition offensive and defensive principles.   Both plans come with the flexibility to be customized, ensuring they can be adapted to suit the unique needs of any team. 

Lesson 9 introduces two practice plans, one built for a team with a single coach and the other for at least 2 coaches, that focus on building the elements of settled offense and defense. Patrick overviews the practices showing live video examples of each drill and explaining how each drill is used to build transition offensive and defensive principles. As with all POWLAX plans, these are designed for easy modification, allowing coaches to tailor them to their team’s specific situation and goals.

Lesson 10 walks through a practice plan that will prepare your team for game day. Focusing on complete strategies, we cover getting prepared to compete, tactical rehearsals, and scouting possibilities. Get your players game-ready with this practice plan.

Lesson 11 equips coaches with strategies to manage the excitement and challenges of game days. This session delves into pre-game preparations, including team briefings, warm-up routines, and last-minute tactical adjustments. Coaches learn how to maintain team focus, handle in-game scenarios effectively, and ensure a positive experience for players, regardless of the game’s outcome.