with Katie Woods,
3x BIG EAST Coach of the Year Award (2013, 2015 & 2021);
Winningest lacrosse coach in school history with more than 100 wins at the school;
Coached 16 All-BIG EAST First-Team Selection Players;
Coached 7 BIG EAST Players of the Year;
Coached 6 IWLCA Division I All-American Players;
Coached 11 IWLCA All-Region First-Team Selection Players;
American University Head Coach from 2007 to 2011;
2008 Patriot League Coach of the Year
For lacrosse coaches looking to build a better team of more-skilled players, there’s no better place to start than by adding new, high-level drills into your practice regimen.
In this video, Katie Woods walks viewers through one of her detailed and productive, yet highly efficiently run practices, with terrific coaching information shown on a whiteboard, as well as out on the field. Lacrosse coaches will be fascinated as this practice progresses from stick work and drills, into a highly competitive, intense closing period.
Pre-Practice Warm-Ups & Critical Skill-Building
From bringing her team together to review that day’s practice, to the clever way that Woods structures her drills, her consistent approach to fostering an environment that stresses competition and teamwork, while demanding focus and effort, viewers of this video bear witness to how a top lacrosse coach plans and executes the daily duties required to run a highly successful program.
Woods unlock the secrets to a productive, powerful pre-practice routine – with enhancement tips on building team energy, a sense of competition and connection among your players, as well as a package of terrific pre-practice drills such as the stick-work warm-up drill and the 8-line center-circle passing drill.
The coach also covers critical skill development drills such as, passing drills to work on slingshot, sidearm and switching-arms passing skills, as well as a ball-rotation drill and a stick-work-while-under-pressure drill.
Save Drills … and ‘The Best Drill Ever’
After that highly productive start to practice, Woods ups the intensity and tempo of the work that needs to be done by walking viewers through a series of excellent save drills. These drills progress from simple mind-and-body stick work that’s essential for being a winning lacrosse team, into a set of more-complex stick work exercises and drills – all while encouraging effective communication and efficient ball movement.
Woods then unveils ‘The Best Drill Ever’ which is a great transition drill to use early on in a practice, and pits offense versus defense in a quick, attacking set-up which forces the defense to get organized quickly.
‘The Best Drill Ever’ is a fast-paced competitive pass-catch-transition drill – founded on Woods’ coaching philosophy of discouraging a fear of mistakes and celebrating risks. In this drill, the offense and defense compete to get the ball up-field with the objective to have numbers-up on the transition back. It forces players to a) communicate and ‘name’ their pass, b) get to missed passes quickly, c) always be on the attack, getting to the cage quickly, and, d) when on defense, be sure to get organized quickly.
Viewers will then watch Woods progress through some effective add-in drills, which help work on awareness, communication, and figuring out how to adjust to different numerical advantages. The coach concludes practice with a highly competitive 7-vs-7 Drill that does a great job of pulling together and reinforcing all of the skills work previously covered earlier in the practice.
Throughout this practice, Woods stresses teamwork and viewers will watch her team gather after each drill to discuss key coaching points.
Woods provides viewers with a practice framework that works the basics in challenging ways under competitive scenarios. Focus, awareness, communication, anticipation and reading the play, connection, and urgency – this video showcases how Woods incorporates these concepts into her practices, so that you can bring them into yours, as well.
89 Minutes. 2022.