How We Train
All complex movements have a chain of simple movements at the core. Lacrosse is a game full of complex movements. We train our players by simplifying the complex movements into easy trainable steps.
The goal with players in the LacrosseDen is to develop a strong fundamental base. That doesn't mean players are limited or put into any creative boundaries. Our curriculum puts players in the position to build off fundamentals and make themselves into the player they want to be.
Often when we see behind the back passes & sidearm/underhand shots, people's first instinct is to see it as a ridiculous play or something that only that player could “pull off”. In reality all plays come from the same fundamental base.
In basketball you have a widely known term called the “triple threat position”, with the ball in both hands protected where you can shoot, pass, or dribble the ball. In lacrosse, we can use the same principles and protect our sticks in a position where we can pass, shoot, and dodge in as many ways as we can imagine. A behind the back pass in lacrosse is a much simpler pass than many perceive. It’s the same starting point in the throwing motion, the body is just in a different position in relation to the stick path.
Applying this to all positions, we want players to get the best hands on coaching that is simplifying the game. The goal is to develop that base of fundamentals while also allowing players to learn how to break down complex movements. If they can learn the process, then they can learn to teach themselves. Sky's the limit from there!
Our Purpose
Lacrosse is a game that is very reliant on having a fundamental skill set to be able to play. Being a stick and ball sport, skill development is very important as the learning curve is higher when we have to build coordination around a stick to interact with the ball on the playing field.
That being said, the trend of young lacrosse players has been more games and less time practicing important skills. Games do not result in enough repetitions to develop skill. More often than not if a player is focused on completing important skills in games then they are not going to be able to focus on team concepts and the game in general! Those skills have to be developed before gametime. For reference, In the 2023 PLL Championship game Michael Sowers led both teams with 36 total touches. Meaning he had the ball in his stick 36 times. This is in a game with the best field lacrosse players in the world moving the ball at the highest level. Takes a lot more than 36 touches to improve.
While considering Micheal sowers touches ask yourself…How many touches does a player in the highschool level and below get in a game? How many do they get in practice? Most teams cover a small portion of practice with skill work, and a large majority of practice with team concepts for 6v6 play & clearing and transition concepts. To get the most out of the game of lacrosse players need to slow down and break down the fundamentals. This is why so many coaches are emphasizing the importance of time spent outside of practice on skill work.
That's what the LacrosseDen is designed to provide, whether it is the first time you have picked up a stick or you are looking for the highest level concepts the game has to offer, we have a class for you.
Developing To A Higher Level
When approaching the players that have a solid base of fundamentals, our goal is to help players shape their game to be effective at the highest level possible. Lacrosse is a unique game because everyone is playing the same game but it is very difficult to perfectly replicate another player. This makes the process of developing your game very personal.
Our curriculum covers all positions on the field, and we want players to be given as much information as possible and guide them into developing the skills that will help their individual skill set grow.
Lacrosse has players of all different shapes and sizes all the way up to the pros, stick skill levels the playing field for everyone. Everyplayer can become a high level player, finding your niche in the game is important for succeeding at a high level. This is another reason why we emphasize perfecting the fundamentals. Great fundamentals allow a player to approach any higher level skill with confidence in the basics.
To summarize, all players can find a path in the game of lacrosse. For our high level players we want to help guide them to finding their path by exposing them to tons of elite concepts and help them develop their skill set to concepts that are most beneficial for maximizing their potential.
How Our Coaches Are Trained
Every coach is trained to monitor and correct players to the same fundamental skill set. Every lesson plan is individually written out by Coach Hannah. This way he is able to receive feedback and monitor player development.
Each coach has been trained by Coach Hannah & Coach Sillstrop on how to effectively run our drills, the coaching cues we want to emphasize, the culture/attitude of how we approach training, as well as key points of development we want to track so we efficiently use players time in the building.
The goal is to challenge players everyday and simplify skills and concepts that are overwhelming to players at first. Achieving that goal starts with the coaching so we take a lot of pride in who is coaching your kids and the information that is being given to them.