“You wouldn’t put a first-grader in a fifth-grade math class,” she said. “The kids got a lot more opportunities to play on the field. There wasn’t as much standing still. They were having an opportunity to play all the positions and they enjoyed it. They were happy, and that’s what our goal is.”
Watch video of the LADM play day in Mechanicsburg, Pa. at
YouTube.com/USLacrosse. For more information, visit
USLacrosse.org/LADM.
Kevin Greene, senior manager of the US Lacrosse Coaching Education Program, saw benefits for coaches in the “free-play” environment. “The coaches could more easily instruct players on the field without having to worry about telling people where to be or where to go,” Greene said. “The players were constantly engaged, and that made their job easier.” Certainly the players learning positions is a benefit to 7-on-7, but at what cost? It’s much easier for beginners to “hide” on the field with more players. In more confined spaces with fewer players, there are more touches on the ball, helping to develop stick skills much faster. That’s one of the reasons that Josh Bergey, a two-time NCAA champion at Salisbury, has bought into the concepts of small-sided lacrosse. “It’s important to have both types of games,” said Bergey, who coaches in the Cumberland Valley program. “For the little guys, I like the short- sided games. They really work on the fundamentals more than just a regular game of lacrosse. Overall, the short- sided game for the younger kids is the way to go.”
out more in 4-on-4. Players rarely left the field playing 7-on-7.
Small-sided games are just one component of the Lacrosse Athlete Development Model (LADM), a US Lacrosse initiative reimagining the structure of youth lacrosse. Encouraging multi-sport participation is a key component, and proper coaching that introduces skills at the appropriate stage of a player’s development is crucial. US Lacrosse has developed a series of coaching progression playbooks that help coaches accomplish that goal. But the small-sided games are one of the most visible aspects of LADM that provide benefits easy to see. “The small-sided is great for teaching the fundamentals,” said Ed Thomas, a first-year coach with the
laxmagazine.com
Mechanicsburg boys’ program. “It keeps them engaged. It’s fast-paced. They’re moving constantly. There’s no standing around kicking dirt on the sidelines.”
“On the 7v7 side, not everyone gets a chance to touch the ball,” said Ashley Stoner, a coach with the Central Dauphin girls’ program. “Sometimes they’re just stuck back behind the restraining line. So it was nice that people got a touch on the ball and they seemed a little bit more interested.” Katie Bergey has been involved with youth lacrosse for nearly 15 years and coaches both boys and girls in the Cumberland Valley program. She thinks small-sided games are more developmentally appropriate for the younger players.
There may very well be benefits for youth programs to focus on incorporating both formats for their young players. Using more than one format might be a tangible way to help keep the focus on player development and less on winning. And what better way to develop players than by making it fun to keep them coming back for more?
“They’re both fun,” said Amy Chirielseison, a girls’ coach from Mechanicsburg who helped organize the event. “I did notice in the 4-on-4, the kids did pass a lot more. There was a lot more cheering. They seemed to have a little bit more fun. The kids that didn’t get the ball as much in the 7-on- 7 game ended up getting the ball a lot more in the 4-on-4 game. It’s fun for kids to score and there were kids that scored in the 4-on-4 that never scored all season.” Wyatt Naylor and Eric Wootton contributed to this article.
July/August 2016 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE 47
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