Free Play Academy Newsletter #4
What will be covered:
1. How to develop a player’s decision-making ability.
2. Lax Goalie Rat.
3. The Free Play Academy Performance Loop.
How to develop a player’s decision-making ability.
"[Athletes] learn how to make good decisions by making decisions, not by following directions.” – Alfie Kohn, expert on human behavior & education
The above quote says it all.
Place players into situational drills where decision-making is developed on their own.
This is difficult for coaches, holding our tongue and allowing our players to work through situtations can look messy and feel irresponsible. However we must lean in to this discomfort if we wish to fully develop our players. We must give them the freedom to fail and succeed and figure out what works well and what doesn’t, on their own. We will facilitate the environment, but leave the teaching, in these moments, to the game itself.
Encourage the willingness to embrace making decision their own decisions on the lacrosse field. If we do, we will eventually end up with more confident and competent players!
Lax Goalie Rat.
I love to study all the positions on the field, and one that has stuck my curiosity is the goalie position.
I would argue as the hardest position on the lacrosse field, goalie is one of the most unique positions in sport, period. Standing infront of a 6x6 net and trying to stop a rubber ball being thrown at you upwards of 100+ mph. It takes a special human-being to be willing to step into cage.
Trying to dive into the position and learn about it to the point of being able to coach it, I have used Lax Goalie Rat. An incredible resource.
Below is a recent series they’ve developed, the Lacrosse Goalie Save Edits. A series of game film, from pros to college, showing head-to-head matchups of the goalies and their saves throughout a specific game.
The video below is of a recent game between the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays and the Jacksonville Dolphins.
Enjoy.
The Free Play Academy Performance Loop.
Incredibly tangible.
The Free Play Academy Performance Loop is a simple 4-step process to assist the athlete during adverse situations while on the field.
Do not take this formula lightly, it is potent.
Enjoy!
Lean in, do the work, stay focused and become uncommon.
Have a great week.