Coaching 9 to 12 Year Olds

From US Lacrosse: Lacrosse Athlete Development Model

Coaching 9-12 Year Old Athletes

KEY OBJECTIVES FOR SUCCESS

• Focus-Where we spend most of our time: Honing athletes Technical and fundamental Tactical skills.
• Goals for this stage of development -What we are trying to achieve: To reinforce technical skills while learning and practicing tactical applications in a progressive system. Getting as many touches of the ball as possible.
• Player-centered environment-what it should look like: Fun, inclusive, accepting, engaging and positive. Focus on improvement and effort rather than outcome. Reinforce new and existing skills while learning to apply to tactics through small sided and engaging play and enjoyable practice. Opportunities to try new things. Growth mindset.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

• Athletic Development: Agility, footwork, dynamic balance, complex coordination, multi-directional speed, strength, core strength, flexibility.
• Technical (Skills) Development: Consolidating and mastering all technical skills, exploring variations-- developing consistency under pressure. Mastering individual defensive skills. Beginning to develop position-specific skills.
• Tactical (Strategy) Development: Developing situational understanding of play up to 6v6; developing understanding of zones, proficient with riding and clearing, player to player defense. Working on space and time
• Psychological Development - working to support athlete development in these areas: Love of the sport, focus, simple goal setting, self-motivation, confidence, learning to make decisions, developing self-reliance, understanding winning and losing. Respect.
• Social-Behavioral Development--know that at this age they are: More independent, able to share, improved decision making ability. Desire independence and are building confidence. Peer group acceptance becomes important and physical competency plays a role in how one is perceived. Girls tend to form "cliques," boys have more broad team relationships.

PRACTICE

• Practice to Competition & Competition Specific Training Ratio: 70:30 Boys/60:40 Girls
• Primary Objective of Practice: To reinforce basic technical skills and introduce tactical components of the game through progressions and small-sided play practice/ teaching games for understanding. Include free play.
• Max Recommended Ratio (player:coach): 12:1
• Length of Sessions: 60-75 minutes
• Frequency: Up to 3x a week during an 8-12 week season
• Multi-Sport Participation-Sport and physical activity diversification-Other sports and activities: Sport-specific training up to 3x a week (for one specific season), participate in other physical activity or sport 4-5 times a week. Ensure time period in the year when there is a several week rest from all organized sports.