The Westlake Girls Lacrosse organization has developed plans that give coaches guidance on focal points, benchmarks, and strategic goals to set for players. It’s never too early or too late to learn lacrosse! Anyone who is eager to learn the sport and embrace the attributes of WGL can quickly accelerate through our player development plans.
The youngest players can get a taste of the game in the WGL 6U Development Program. Focus is on building interest in lacrosse and helping players have fun as they become familiar with the basics.
This development program is the first introduction to the sport of lacrosse. The girls in this program will:
Players will have new experiences that take some getting used to at first, but we try to keep it relaxed and appropriate for the age group. We intermingle time on the playground with following practice instructions from the coaches. Even though the ball will be on the ground most or all of the time, it’s still a sure bet there will be a half dozen or more players huddled over the ball trying to pick it up.
A few of the basic principles of lacrosse that are taught in this group include:
Young players can continue building their knowledge of the sport and the foundational skills that are needed to excel at lacrosse with the Scoopers Development Plan.
In the Scoopers Development Plan is designed for 1st and 2nd-grade game play. The ball will be on the ground most of the time, but the level of skills that are taught pick up. It’s ambitious to expect any amount of settled lacrosse at this age, and therefore it’s challenging to outline appropriate team-oriented tactics for this level. However, players should be taught a few basic principles for operating as a group:
Players that take part in the Lightening Development Plan have a solid understanding of the game and are ready to begin learning more advanced technical skills.
Coaches should still expect the ball to be on the ground for most of a 3rd and 4th-grade game, but that shouldn’t deter teachers of the game from getting the players comfortable with “shape.” While practices should be dominated by groundballs, transition, and unsettled attacks on the net, the game certainly starts to resemble team lacrosse as the players will know it for the rest of their playing careers.
At this stage, coaches need to start developing team tactics to augment the individual skills that are being built. This is the time we also start to round out the nuances of the game by introducing clearing, riding, and draw strategies.
For offense, we spread the field and we begin the concept of formations and triangle use.
For team defense, we still put a heavy premium on 1-on-1 defensive skills emphasizing that it’s enough to be a challenge for opponents. Talking to one another, listening to the goalie, and making sure that they stick to their assigned player will make for a formidable defensive team.
Players in the Juniors Development Plan have graduated to settled offenses and team-oriented defense tactics as they rotate positions to get a solid feel for play on the field.
The true introduction of “settled offenses” could make use of diamond formations and triangle use. Clearing through and creating space becomes a mighty tool for prolific offensive opportunities, and players should get comfortable with moving as a team and changing positions on the field.
On defense, sliding can be introduced starting with terminology and communication. Players understand that they can help one another (if and only if their teammate is beaten by a ball carrier) so long as another teammate takes their place and the initially burned defenseman recovers for a new assignment. Teaching an effective slide from the adjacent defenders covering “right” and “left” is no easy feat and baby steps should be taken to develop this significant team-oriented defensive tactic.
At this level, players might start to gravitate toward specific positions. While it’s great to identify goalies and focus their attention on that critical position, WGL believes in versatile athletes and an effort should be made to rotate players through different positions, if not quarter-to-quarter certainly game-to-game.
Senior Development Plan players are developing their individual skills as they prepare for advanced play as a team that’s capable of multiple formations while defending and attacking.
Players are younger and not quite as fast, but 7th and 8th-grade lacrosse games should start resembling high school lacrosse games. The ball is on the ground less or in chaotic transition. But the ball is more controlled in a developed offense, which could include a fast-paced attack of the opponent’s goal.
Lacrosse players at this level should be able to work together on both offense and defense to establish shape and utilize everyone’s individual skills. They should work as one cohesive team, communicating with one another and understanding everyone’s role, responsibility, and objective.
The “special teams” aspect of the game should start looking cleaner between clearing, riding, fastbreaks, EPO, and PDD situations. Players should be comfortable attacking from and defending multiple formations.
While players will start gravitating towards set positions, we still want to encourage all players to learn all positions, and game planning should still revolve around learning and preparation.
Athletes that try out for the Westlake High School Girls Lacrosse teams are expected to embody our Player Attributes. We also expect the girls to understand and embrace the vision for the WGL program as a whole.
Those attributes and vision are the backbone of the High School Development Plan. It’s never too late to develop lacrosse skill fundamentals! WGL is interested in recruiting young women that welcome any athlete who’s interested in expediting their fundamental skills development to be an attribute both on and off the field. As the WGL community grows, our organization will have increased capacity to work relentlessly with these talented and dedicated athletes.
The Westlake High School Girls Lacrosse organization includes a Varsity club D1 team as well as a Junior Varsity club team.
Many of the models found in our development plans are based on the philosophy and principles of the Westlake High School Girls Lacrosse teams. They influence our concepts, terminology, and strategies.