Individual Stick Skills
Passing, catching, and cradling are fundamental individual skills that must be developed at home.
It is advised to attend our preseason clinics and practice at home before the season starts to be sure your player learns the proper form.
Coaches will take time in practices to correct the form of players, but as players move to higher age groups, the focus of practice shifts to more advanced ball movement techniques, team strategy, and game scenarios. Players who take time to develop stick skills at home enjoy the game more and get more out of the practice sessions.
Players should start with their dominant side, and once confident progress to the opposite side. Wearing gloves and helmets is advised to get used to the feeling. All players should work to a point where they can pass, catch, and cradle equally well with either hand, and doing so while moving and changing directions. They can work off a wall, a rebounder, or passing with a partner.
As players master basic skills, they should expand to more advanced concepts like single hand cradles, passing to a moving target, catching on the run, cross-hand, and behind the back pass/catch.
YouTube is full of instructional videos, and opinions of techniques, but a few beginner videos are below. Preview these for age-appropriateness before sharing with your young players.
- A Learning Lacrosse series from Paul Rabil (Pass, Catch, Shoot, Cradle, Scoop and more)
- US Lacrosse Passing and Catching Skills videos