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Eleven Rules for Becoming a Better Player

January 5, 2009

Eleven Rules to Being a Better Player

- Learn to catch, throw and shoot RIGHT AND LEFT HANDED.
- The more time you play with your stick perpendicular to the ground instead of parallel to the ground the better player you will be.
- Move the ball; the less time the ball is in your stick the better player you are.
- Move the ball off the ground (when you pick up a ground ball pass it immediately) –by way of explanation, the team that scores the most transition goals usually wins the game.
- Move without the ball –a corollary to this rule is don’t watch your pretty pass, let the defender do that while you move, when he does then back door your man as he watches that pretty pass.
- Move to the ball –this means; a) move to the ball when you are open on the back side (standing waving your stick only draws defenders), b) move when the defender is not watching you (you get the advantage on him), and, move to any ball that you are receiving.
- Look at a spot behind the goalie when you shoot — it is likely that he will move and if you look at him you will hit him so look beyond him.
- Shoot with a quick release (because a slow release lets the goalie see the ball and setup for your shot).
- Defense need to have better stickwork than Attack or Midfield (because that long pole is harder to handle, especially in tight situations ) GOALIES NEED TO BE THE BEST STICKHANDLERS.
- Play D like a boxer boxes (on your toes, moving, countering, resetting, recountering, attacking… not just one check and hold) .
- You don’t have to take the ball away to play good defense –play good position, stay on the offensive players′ hands and you can play big time defense.
- Magic Hands! -Keeping Your Stick Up and Ready!

How you hold your stick will determine your success as a player. When you grip the stick with your top hand hold it on the shaft about a fist’s length down from the stick’s head or pocket. Work to grasp your bottom hand, or what we like to call your “control hand” , on the butt end of the shaft. Now your hands are in the correct position to throw, catch, or shoot. However, there’s one more point you have to master each day before you can become the best player that you can be.

It’s important that you keep your stick pocket “by your ear”, or “in the box”, next to your helmet.

We coach you to keep your stick “in the box by your ear” because we believe that keeping your stick up at all times will allow you to (1) create a great target for your teammate to throw you a pass, (2) create the best starting point for shooting a great overhand shot on the goal. When you keep your stick up you are ALWAYS ready to pass, catch, and shoot. You will see lazy players drop their stick heads down by their sides. With the stick head down, it will be easy for anyone to check the ball out of their pocket, and they will always have to make that extra motion to raise their sticks up for shots.

You will hear us from the first day of practice coaching you to “keep the stick up”, and “get your stick in the box by your ear.” When you learn this first Magic Hands skill with your stick, just remember that by KEEPING YOUR STICK HEAD UP, and KEEPING YOUR HANDS FREE–you will get off more shots and throw better passes that will allow you and your teammates to be at your very best! Sticks up, ALWAYS!

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