Suggested Monday 4/20 Practice Plan
If players arrive slightly before 3pm, this schedule just might work. Can be adjusted easily if they arrive later. I’m fine if you two choose to follow a different practice plan. This is just a suggestion:
Players get off bus and move straight to field… put down bags neatly on endline… get mouthguard, stick and water bottle and meet in goal cage
3-3:10 Team meeting in goal cage
3 specific positive things from Friday game: Very few penalty corners against us; 2nd half saw more moving ball to right side of field with great success; 2nd half saw mids and defenders working together to slow down the other team’s momentum ALSO never gave up! played hard right to the end of the game!!
3 specific things we can improve upon to be even more competitive in the Wednesday game: moving ball to the right & why that is important (hard for other team to steal a ball moving right… we want ball to come down right side of field so that we can score on the crossing ball)… pressuring the ball and why that is important (we want to make the other team nervous so that they make a mistake and we steal the ball)… having a positive mindset to win 50/50 balls & why that is important (50/50 balls can be won by anyone… you just have to try… believe 100% you can get the first touch on a ball (you may not end up getting it, but at least you tried… you DEFINITELY will not get the ball if you do not even try for it)
Talk about musical rehearsal and FH game both on Wednesday. Can players do both? Carpooling to get back to EHS faster for rehearsal?
3:10-3:20 Dynamic warmup
3:25- 3:50 Simple “Go Right” drill progression
PART ONE
Four lines across field at 50 yard line.
Have a cone placed 5 yards in front of left wing line…. 10 yds in front of left inner line… 15 yards in front of right inner line… 20 yards in front of right wing line.
Left wing line carries ball to cone… get feet around and send ball on slight diagonal to the 10yd cone (left inner hangs back enough that they will run onto the ball, control with one or two touches, then get feet around and send right the cone at 15 yard mark…etc…
While ball is traveling across the field, the left wing goes to post… left inner goes to stroke mark… right inner stays at edge of circle… right wing carries ball to 15 or 10 yard line and crosses ball. RI, LI and LW all try to “add a stick” to the ball as it crosses to goal cage. Everyone tries all lines. NO REVERSE stick used at any point in this drill.
Coaching points:
Ball carriers - speed, take quick look, get feet around to send properly paced pass on slight diagonal (sending pass ahead of where teammate is — not at there feet)
Ball receivers - let ball travel to right foot, control with one or two touches
RW sending cross - carry ball as fast as possible to 10yd line, cross with a sweep hit, try to get ball into the circle
Forwards waiting for the cross - open body up to where ball is coming from, try to add a stick… dont stop ball, dont use reverse stick, dont have big backswing
PART TWO
Four forwards line up across field at 30 yard line (heading toward goal)
3mids and 3defenders all line up at 50 yard line near left sideline. Each one carries the ball across the turf with each forward telling them “you’ve got me through” when they pass their zone.
First time through they simply carry ball across the turf, then jog back to line on left side
Second time through… a coach will blow a whistle when the ball carrier should release the ball with a through pass… forwards will call “ball” to receive and then carry ball just a few steps and then reset
PART THREE
Mids set up at attacking 25yard line. Forwards are on attack in circle. 3 defenders are in pinnies on defense in circle. Ball starts at left mid on outer edge of circle. Ball is carried and passed right with ball passed toward goal cage anywhere past the midpoint of the field. Lena will control the primary carry right and send to goal cage. She will also practice carrying into right mid space (with right mid switching center mid). lena will practice crossing ball from right side as well.
3:55-4:20 Simple “Pressuring Ball” Progression
PART ONE
Concept of circling up on free hits
no EIMS player/forward should be “behind” the opponent taking the free hit…
set up in front of her… 5-7yrds away… to try and pressure her to make a bad hit OR to block her hit… mids and defenders set up in their zones behind our forwards with eyes focused on the hitter
Have all of this set up in the attack circle.
On whistle, have players simply move around in their zones with no ball. Coach blows whistle again and drops a ball indicating a defensive free hit out. Attack players quickly get in position and defender takes an actual free hit
PART TWO
Pressuring the ball carrier — divide the group into starting line up RIGHT CENTER LEFT
Have high school players be the ball carriers
The ball carrier approaches the forward first (forward “closes space” with proper “stick-to-stick” positioning and tries to steal ball)…
if the forward is “beat” she turns to stay engaged in the play to be ready for a pass from the to the mid who is backing them up
The mid “closes space” with proper “stick-to-stick” positioning and tries to steal ball… if successful, they control ball in one or two touches and pass up to a forward and the forward carries ball to starting point of drill (15 yard line)
If the mid is “beat” she turns to drop back and become the “deep defender” who has now stepped up to back up the mid
If the defender gets the ball, she controls it with one of two touches and passes up to forward and the forward carries ball to starting point of drill (15 yard line)…
if the defender is “beat” she drops back behind the mid, who has been backing her up (DRILL ENDS at this point)
4:25-4:50 Simple “Winning 50/50 balls”
PART ONE
Divide group into three lines at 40 yard line (going toward goal cage)
Have a ball on the 25 yard line in front of each line
Have the first person in each line sprint to the ball on the 25 yard line. Get a touch on ball to bump it forward and then carry ball to end line. One coach per line. Coaches should time each individual. 3 tries per player. See if times improve individually and determine the three fastest overall.
PART TWO
First touch from 40 yard line
Two lines (going towards goal)… first player from each line has back to goal cage…. Coach throws a ball… the first two race each other to see who can get first touch… entire group calls out player who wins the ball… the player with first touch is attack…. The other player is defense… they play until goal is scored or ball out of circle or foul occurs
PART THREE
First touch toward goal
Four lines… 2 lines opposite each other on either side of goal cage
Ball is rolled between the two lines… see who gets first touch… player with first touch tries to score the other player is defender working with GK to get ball out of circle
Emphasize safe approach strategies…. Stick-to-stick, not body-to-body… get a quick touch to win control
4:55-5:05 Cool down stretch
Verbally review the 3 key tactics from today’s practice: Going Right & why it is important… Pressuring ball & why… Positive mindset to win 50/50 balls & why
Review who team is playing on Wednesday … uniform for Wednesday
Review players in musical who think they will leave with parent immediately after the game
Mod Track meet will be started… Leave field as a team (most likely at stadium gate nearest tennis courts… may have to wait for a pause in the running events)
