Updated 11/06
"Once in a while they argue about the fastest game - hockey or basketball; then about the roughest game - boxing, football, or water polo. But when it comes to the top combination the answer is lacrosse, the all star combination of speed and body contact. It requires more elements of skill than any game I know." - famed sportswriter, Grantland Rice
Tips from Lacrosse Parents
* "To get our 6 year old interested in practicing his catching and throwing skills with us more often, we put a chart on the refrigerator, recording the total number of catches he makes. Every time he reaches 100, he gets to choose a dessert for dinner; when he reaches 1,000, he earns a bigger reward, like a new video game."
* "We bought an extra stick and started playing catch with our 8 year old. It’s fun and a terrific opportunity to bond. We also have a greater appreciation for her developing skills!
* "I use my old baseball glove to play catch with our 10 year old son. It’s a great way to become involved with his at-home practice."
* "Our children tend to play with their lacrosse sticks more often when they are playing with friends their own age, so we encourage them to spend time with their friends that play lacrosse, or to share their lacrosse sticks and teach their friends the game."
* "The Karate Kid Strategy: (1) use your weak hand for any daily activity such as brushing hair, brushing teeth, eating, etc. This develops the motor skills for the weak hand; (2) also use the weak hand for household chores (yes, I am saying kids should do work around the house) - alternate 10-15 minutes per hand. Vacuuming, raking leaves, sweeping, shoveling, dusting, washing windows ... ok, even playing video games can all be done with the opposite hand. This all helps train the other side of the brain so that using the opposite hand is not so foreign."
* New players often don’t use any "give" when they try to catch a pass. They hold the sticks rigidly like a tennis racket and the ball bounces out of it. A way to help new players learn how to catch is to have them think of the ball as an egg. Take them out in the backyard and have an egg toss with them (with your hands, not your sticks) - point out how they use "give" when catching the egg so that it won’t break. They should also use "give" when trying to catch a ball in their lacrosse sticks. Click
here for another egg-catching game.
Do you have a good tip for helping the children develop their skills? Please
share it with us.
Click here to learn how to practice on your own at home. Practicing your lacrosse stick skills against a wall is the best way to develop and will enhance your enjoyment of practices and games. A little time spent practicing at home on a regular basis goes a long way. For more Wall Drills, please click
here.
Study the Game: the "Fastest Sport on Two Feet"
*If you have trouble opening these files, e-mail
Dave Janas, who can send them to you.
