with Jim Stagnitta,
Premier Lacrosse League Head Coach;
former Charlotte Hounds (MLL) Head Coach; former Denver Outlaws Head Coach;
former University of Pennsylvania Assistant Coach; former Rutgers University Head Coach;
2013 and 2016 Brine MLL Coach of the Year; 2013 MLL Runners-Up;
F. Morris Touchstone Award - USILA Division I Coach of the Year (2003)7 NCAA tournament appearances, 2 Final Fours
With over 30 years of coaching experience, Jim Stagnitta understands the importance of building skills and fundamentals from the ground up. This is particularly true when it comes to stick skills and shooting, which are the most critical components to any successful offense. In this video, Coach Stagnitta shares his philosophy on the fundamentals of stickhandling and shooting, building up each set of skills through a series of progressions.
Altogether, you'll get 25 drills designed to turn quality athletes into quality ball handlers and shooters. Beginning with basic stickwork drills appropriate for all levels of play, Stagnitta introduces five basic concepts, each with a number of variations that turn one drill into several. Putting players into more game-like scenarios, Coach Stagnitta adds a layer to the simple pass and catch, introducing live play drills complete with dodges, roll backs and step backs to avoid a sliding defenseman.
The second half of the video shifts the focus to shooting, literally starting from the ground up as players work on their shooting form from their knees. With each drill building on the last, Stagnitta presents more than 10 shooting drills, all of which can be adapted to suit your team.
Basic Stickwork
Keeping things simple, Coach Stagnitta starts with four variations of the traditional partner passing drill. Foregoing outdated line drills altogether, Stagnitta then shifts to drills that not only require three or four players, but more importantly require players to catch and throw on the move while focusing on form and technique.
Live Play
With so many offensive sets triggering with an individual dodge from the top of the box, it's important for the dodger to know exactly what to do if they draw a slide and can't get a shot off. Here, Stagnitta teaches that exact skill by having his players run through a couple variations. After initiating with a dodge and running down the alley, players first throw their sticks to the sideline and roll back to pass the ball back up top. Anticipating early slides, Stagnitta introduces a variation on the roll back, as his players step away from the slide and pull pass across their body.
Shooting
Presented through the lens of his trademark belief in progressive skill development, Coach Stagnitta gives you nearly a dozen shooting drills that vary in skill level, all of which are rooted in the fundamentals. An emphasis is placed on proper form and technique, with Stagnitta stressing the need for the back shoulder to finish toward the opposite pipe in the first drill and the last.
Coach Stagnitta gets his players moving with a short series of drills that begin with a quick dodge and a quick release. Position-specific exercises follow, including drills that emphasize overhand form and shooting after contact. Adding one last piece, Stagnitta runs his players through a final series that requires a feed, a catch, a dodge and a shot, all while using the form and technique built throughout the video.
The depth of this presentation is outstanding, but Coach Stagnitta relays everything in a way that is easy to follow for programs of any level. Improve your athletes' stickhandling and shooting abilities today!
55 minutes. 2019.