former Northwestern University Associate Head Women's Lacrosse Coach
A three-time national champion as a player and coach, Ann Elliott was Northwestern's first-ever associate head women's lacrosse coach. In 2013, she started a program at the University of Colorado.
Using a whiteboard presentation and live practice footage, Coach Elliott shares drills that emphasize her defensive philosophy while providing offensive techniques and tips.
Starting with offensive stick protection drills paired with defensive footwork and positioning drills, Coach Elliott moves players through a series of exercises that cover positioning on the rollback and an open field player changing directions; closing the gap in the open field and directing the flow of the play; and finishes with drills that build on game-like team drills.
Stick Protection/Defensive Positioning Drills
Coach Elliott explains how an offensive player needs to protect the stick from checks and how defensive players needs to direct the play of the offense while also leaving themselves in a position to create turnovers. Her drills focus on:
- Using footwork to take away space and force the offense to where you want them to go
- Keeping your stick in the triple threat position, choking up when necessary to maximize protection.
Lane Drills
Using a combination of drills, Coach Elliott creates a progressive approach to offensive stick protection, defensive stance and footwork to dictate the direction of the play. Coach Elliot's drills include:
- The "Lane Drill," which emphasizes defensive positioning and offensive stick protection.
- A variation of the lane drill, "Close the Gap Drill" that reduces the space the offense has available to operate and allows the defender to direct the attacker's movement.
Team Drill Progression
Coach Elliott continues the drills adding offensive and defensive players on the fly to build from a 2v2 to 5v5 in a game-like setting. While offensive players try to attack the goal, defensive players try to direct the flow of the play while setting themselves up for slides and double teams or opportunities to create turnovers.
Also included is a weight-room training session that focuses on footwork exercises to build quickness.
61 minutes. 2014.