As told by a coach
I first picked up a stick in the 8th grade, with a coach who played through his college career. Junior High lacrosse is solely for learning the skills of the game and getting in shape. There really is no rhyme or reason when coaching the youth level, because most cannot comprehend the plays and defensive sets deemed commonplace in High School and beyond. My first experience of lacrosse practice consisted of partner passing for around 45 minutes, then sprinting and shooting for the rest of the two hour session. Our coaches had no idea how to really coach, so the team ran... and then ran some more.
Let me first say that I have seen the youth lacrosse level of I.Q. from both ends of the spectrum, as that I was lucky enough to be Sycamore's "B" team head coach, and assistant to the "A" team. Trying to instill any reason of flow and movement that the game lives of off in the 7th and 8th grade ranks is the most mind numbing, constant, dull pain. Asking for a 2-3-1 and being able to rotate off ball (which just so happens to be the easiest set offensively in the game) is like asking a 13 year old to perform brain surgery. I did happen to have a group of young men who were at least somewhat patient, but, as I will delve into, I only lasted as a Junior High coach for that ill-fated season. The most painful lacrosse experience of my life.
Junior High sports = no listening, no help from the administration, lots (and lots) of badgering from parents, lack of respect from referees, or lack of referees completely. I had to be the official for 4 "A" team games, and one of my own throughout the season.
I am lucky enough to still be actively playing the game of lacrosse, which allows me to assume my duties as a coach at a whole new level. Coaches well out of the game have lost their touch with how the players truly feel and what helps them succeed. You would never hear that if you asked a guy who has been coaching at any level, even though its true.
So with that being said, I can understand why my coaches when I played in the junior high just ran us. Coaches just did not want to deal with all of the headache inducing stress, but that is one of the duties under the title of "Coach".
Let me first say that I have seen the youth lacrosse level of I.Q. from both ends of the spectrum, as that I was lucky enough to be Sycamore's "B" team head coach, and assistant to the "A" team. Trying to instill any reason of flow and movement that the game lives of off in the 7th and 8th grade ranks is the most mind numbing, constant, dull pain. Asking for a 2-3-1 and being able to rotate off ball (which just so happens to be the easiest set offensively in the game) is like asking a 13 year old to perform brain surgery. I did happen to have a group of young men who were at least somewhat patient, but, as I will delve into, I only lasted as a Junior High coach for that ill-fated season. The most painful lacrosse experience of my life.
Junior High sports = no listening, no help from the administration, lots (and lots) of badgering from parents, lack of respect from referees, or lack of referees completely. I had to be the official for 4 "A" team games, and one of my own throughout the season.
I am lucky enough to still be actively playing the game of lacrosse, which allows me to assume my duties as a coach at a whole new level. Coaches well out of the game have lost their touch with how the players truly feel and what helps them succeed. You would never hear that if you asked a guy who has been coaching at any level, even though its true.
So with that being said, I can understand why my coaches when I played in the junior high just ran us. Coaches just did not want to deal with all of the headache inducing stress, but that is one of the duties under the title of "Coach".
posted by Andy Routt at 5:38 PM
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