I am alway open to posting new articles to help coaches, in this case Coach B from Michigan shares a practice routine for those of you who are still pursuing the dream playing in the 55 and over bracket… This will put a smile on your face,
Coach B from houNDs lacrosse – Over 55 practice ( Half Century Division )
Here’s a typical practice for an over 55 team preparing for a big tournament.
Stand around and BS drill- 15 minutes – A Half Centurion staple. A great way to delay the inevitable, running and having to scoop GB’s which is over rated and difficult at 50+. This is also a good time to open up your gear bag to realize your elbow pads, cleats, helmet or cup are 600 miles away in your garage.
Coaching Point- Know the address to a Dicks Sporting Goods nearby.
Minimum Stretches – 2-3 minutes – Since dynamics are exhausting and statics may cause injury at this age, everyone is on there own prior to a practice. We like to model after the clowns when they come out at Barnum and Bailey circus. Everyone should be doing some type of ineffective gyration. Groaning and profanity can be added. A good stretch commonly used is to stretch while getting gear out of your equipment bag. It saves time and combines two important aspects.
Coaching point – Blow your whistle after 3 minutes to minimize injuries.
Partner passing drill – 10 minutes – For this drill we do not move. Since no one brought enough balls, the groups will be 3 – 5 guys slinging a greaser around. This drill combines some frequent jogging as many passes are overthrown. Its also a good time to practice one handed GBs and Rakes.
Coaching point – Make notes on whose skills have really depreciated and make them D Mids.
Wild shooting drill. 10 minutes – Always a classic. Basically a time to rip on cold goalies who haven’t played in a year. The good news is early shots are either 4 feet high or 6 feet wide. By the time the sticks are “tweaked”, fatigue makes most shots between 40 or 50 MPH, making it good warm up for the goalies.
Coaching points – Move players into 4-6 yards to shoot to build confidence. Pull goalies aside to “talk” basically protecting them so you actually have a goalie for the tournament.
6 v 6 Exhaustion drill. 15 minutes – A classic of over 55 drill, with flashes of brilliance from days gone by. Defense goes right into the NO SLIDE package, due to sliding being tiresome. The LATE SLIDE package is not used in practices, only in games. Offensive goes with one pass adjacent pass, weak dodge and shot from a poor angle. We always use this time to hit goalies with point blank shots, giving them deep bruises and making less mobile on game day.
Coaching point – Try to hold back from hysterical laughter which may lower morale.
Bar Car Drill – 60-90 minutes – A good team will always finish the day with an uptempo and exciting drill that engages all players. The bar car drill is a timeless classic in old man club ball that always gets solid participation. This is a great team building exercise that can be frequently repeated. Great for post practice, not recommended for pre-game.
Coaching points – Put down whistle and join team.
PLAY TILL YOU CANT
-coach B