Winning a lacrosse championship requires dedication, determination and discipline — and it starts with the coach. The coach is the leader of the team, and they must act like it. They must set the tone for the season so that the players and team develop throughout the season. As the 2016 lacrosse season approaches, many coaches will have their eyes on championships. To rise above the others, use these four fool-proof tips to win the championship from lacrosse coaches who have won championships in the past.
“Be a Leader” – Liam Banks
According to Liam Banks, who won two national championships when he played for Syracuse, a lacrosse coach “has to generally be a leader.” Leading is multidimensional, though. Banks goes on to say that while a coach must “be a friend, he also has to discipline.” Before being a lacrosse coach, you must first be a leader for your team.
“Help Them to Love Practice” – Joe Alberici
Even though he coaches at West Point, Joe Alberici, who led Army to its first Patriot League Championship in 2009, believes practice must be fun. “If you want your team to improve, help them to love practice by making it enjoyable.” His philosophy is that a team that doesn’t like practicing won’t — and they won’t get better. In other words, teaching players to love the game is as important as teaching the game.
“First, Second and Third” – Jeff Tambroni
Every lacrosse coach knows fundamentals are important, but Penn State coach Jeff Tamborini emphasizes just how important they are. Fundamentals should be “first, second and third in the priority of your on-field game plan.” Learning fundamentals helped Tamborini win back-to-back NCAA championships at Hobart as a player, and it’s how he took Cornell to the 2009 national championship game.
“High Number of Touches” – Lars Tiffany
Because fundamentals are so important, you should focus your practices on them. Lars Tiffany, who led Brown to the Ivy League Championship last year, says coaches should “create drills and games that have low numbers, high number of touches and shorter field areas.” This will increase how much each player is working on stick skills.
As you prepare for the 2016 lacrosse season, uses these four fool-proof lacrosse tips to win the championship this year. Be a leader, teach players to love lacrosse, teach fundamentals and focus on touches in practice. A championship could follow.