Fallball- For coaches

Elevating Your Coaching in the Fall: A Guide for Lacrosse Coaches

The fall season is often seen as a time for players to refine their skills and build on the previous season’s experience, but it’s also a critical period for coaches to improve their own game. Fall offers a less-pressured environment to reflect, experiment, and grow as a leader. Whether you're a youth coach or managing high-level athletes, here are some key ways to elevate your coaching in the fall.

1. Reflect on the Past Season

Before jumping into new drills or strategies, take time to reflect on the previous season. This is when you can assess your coaching style, identify strengths, and uncover areas for growth. Some questions to consider:

• What went well with your team’s development and performance?

• What aspects of your coaching could be improved? Did your communication resonate with the players? Was your game planning effective?

• How did your team respond to adversity? Could you improve your handling of in-game adjustments, team culture, or conflict resolution?

Using these reflections, you can develop an action plan for the upcoming year that targets specific areas of improvement for both you and your team.

2. Invest in Your Coaching Education

Fall is the ideal time for professional development. Many high-level coaches use this season to learn from other successful coaches, attend clinics, and improve their own knowledge of the game. Whether it’s through attending coaching clinics, listening to podcasts, or completing certification courses, there are endless ways to grow.

Ways to invest in your education:

• Attend a Coaching Summit: Clinics and conferences like the US Lacrosse Convention or smaller regional summits offer great opportunities to network with other coaches, learn the latest techniques, and hear from some of the top minds in lacrosse.

• Watch Film of Top Teams: Study film not just of your own team but of top college and professional programs. Break down offensive and defensive schemes, and pay attention to how those teams adapt in different situations. Look at how coaches manage substitutions, timeouts, and strategy changes during key moments of the game.

• Online Courses and Webinars: Consider taking online coaching courses or attending webinars that cover everything from advanced lacrosse strategy to leadership and team culture. These are great ways to learn new tactics and perspectives without having to travel.

3. Build Stronger Relationships with Players

Fall is a great time to strengthen relationships with your players in a more relaxed setting. Without the pressure of in-season competition, you can focus on connecting with athletes as individuals. This goes beyond X's and O's—it’s about building trust and understanding what motivates each player.

Consider hosting more informal, team-building activities or meetings where you can learn about your players’ goals and challenges. When athletes feel understood and supported, they’re more likely to trust your coaching during intense game situations.

4. Plan for Player Development

While it’s important for players to work on their individual skills, it's equally important for coaches to create development plans tailored to their team’s needs. Evaluate where each player stands and think about how you can help them improve in specific areas.

For Youth Coaches:

• Focus on establishing strong fundamentals across the board. Fall is the time to develop core skills such as passing, catching, dodging, and positioning, ensuring every player has a solid foundation heading into spring.

• Implement fun, competitive drills that keep kids engaged while building their lacrosse IQ.

For High School/Club Coaches:

• Create individualized development plans for each player. Some might need more attention to footwork, while others could focus on their off-hand or shooting on the run.

• Use fall scrimmages to experiment with different schemes, allowing players to experience new positions or roles without the pressure of must-win games.

By investing in each player’s long-term growth, you build a culture of continuous improvement that will benefit your team in the long run.

5. Experiment with New Schemes and Drills

Fall ball provides a great opportunity to test new offensive and defensive systems without the consequences of regular-season games. It’s a time for coaches to be creative and step outside their comfort zones to find what works best for their team.

Experiment with:

• Offensive Sets: Try out different offensive formations or plays, such as a 1-4-1 or a 2-man game, and see how your players adapt.

• Defensive Systems: Test different defensive approaches, like zone defense or a 10-man ride, to see which strategy your team responds to best.

• New Drills: Incorporate drills that emphasize fast transitions, small-sided games, or high-intensity situations to challenge players and increase their game IQ.

The key to experimentation is embracing failure. Some schemes won’t work the way you hoped, but the fall season is the perfect time to identify what clicks for your team without the stakes being too high.

6. Develop Your Team’s Culture

Successful teams aren’t just built on skills and strategy—they’re built on a strong culture. Fall is a great time to establish the core values that will drive your team through adversity. What kind of team do you want to lead? How do you want your players to support one another? Culture isn’t something that magically happens; it’s built through consistent actions and communication from the top down.

Ways to foster culture in the fall:

• Define Your Team Values: Whether it’s hard work, accountability, or unselfish play, make sure every player understands the values your program is built upon.

• Focus on Leadership Development: Identify leaders within your team and help them grow. Whether they are captains or silent leaders, fall is the time to challenge them to step up.

• Set Expectations: Clearly define expectations around work ethic, attitude, and behavior, so that when the season begins, your players know what is required of them both on and off the field.

7. Improve Your Communication and Leadership Skills

Being a successful lacrosse coach is about more than just knowing the game; it’s about being an effective communicator and leader. Take the fall to evaluate your communication style. Are you able to convey your ideas clearly? Are you motivating and inspiring your players? Sometimes small tweaks in how you interact with athletes can make a huge difference in how your team performs.

Key areas of focus:

• In-Game Communication: Sharpen your ability to make adjustments and provide quick, constructive feedback during games or scrimmages.

• Off-Field Leadership: Ensure you’re creating a culture where players feel heard and valued, both as athletes and individuals. Great leaders empower their team to succeed.

Final Thoughts

Just as players can grow and develop in the fall, coaches have the same opportunity. By reflecting on the past season, investing in education, building relationships, and experimenting with new ideas, lacrosse coaches can elevate their game in the off-season and set themselves and their teams up for long-term success. Fall ball isn’t just for the players—it’s a time for coaches to step back, learn, and get better, too.

P-Mac