with Jake DeCola,
Albion College Head Coach;
3x Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles; four straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2015-2018)
Jake DeCola, head coach at Albion College, has built a successful program by leveraging a fast-tempo motion offense that teaches his players to move and share the ball to get high quality and high percentage shots on cage. In this video, DeCola walks through the drills that he uses to teach his players core techniques and skills to maximize their success on game day. The drills will help any program improve stick skills, shooting abilities, off-ball movement, lacrosse IQ and scoring proficiency.
Practice Segments to Build the Whole
Coach DeCola gives you an excellent group of drills that create game-like situations, while also teaching your offensive players concepts that will help to make them successful. Ball movement, as well as player movement, are themes that DeCola touches on throughout his explanation of the drills he uses to teach motion offense.
"Hockey" is a drill where the offense is given a numerical advantage in order to encourage ball movement within your 6v6 offense. Offensive players have a 5v4 advantage while running a portion of their offensive set, which teaches them how to run the offense, as well as how to move the ball and find the open man.
Coach DeCola even takes you through his base motion offense. He includes several adjustments that you can make based on your personnel and the type of defense your team is facing.
Drills to Accomplish Multiple Goals
Practice time is limited, so Coach DeCola likes to make sure his athletes work multiple skills during each drill. You'll get shooting drills that also incorporate stickwork to maximize reps, as well as uneven drills to perfect your 6v6 offense. Additionally, DeCola shows how you can incorporate ground ball practice into your drills to make sure your players capture more balls and thus more possessions for your offense.
The "Reverse Genny" drill is spin on a classic drill that will help to improve your settled offense, as well as your team's clearing and field awareness. DeCola showcases shooting drills like "Pass Down Pick Down" that teach players concepts in an environment where they can get a ton of reps, while also learning what they need to be successful.
This is a great video for any coach who is looking to implement a motion offense that will give your players the ability to make better reads and score, while reinforcing stick skills and decision-making!
88 minutes. 2018.