GROUNDBALL BASICS

FIRST TIME

Get the ball the first time, no matter how deliberately they have to do it at first. Slow it down all you want, as long as they keep moving forward. Never stop and turn. Keep moving and flow into a position where you can run away from pressure and not get trapped. Put the scoop down 1" in front of the ball.  Every ground ball is a possession. Every possession is an opportunity to turn a situation around and put pressure on your opponent

TWO HANDS

Top hand close to the head. Bottom hand covering the butt of the handle.

Get low and push back hand down like a pump. Once the ball is in, get the stick up in "the box" (imaginary box around the head).

USE YOUR BODY

Shield the opponent from the ball. Once you get the ball, run first Cradle to absorb the checks. Run for your life to get to a place where it is easier to make a good decision

USE YOUR BRAINS

Learn how to get the ball the first time. Communicate. One of the best calls they will ever learn is "Take the man.” When they make this call it means that they understand the situation and making the call for the team. Everyone else knows to look for someone in the other color. Every groundball can turn into a fast break. They have to look to get it going

DRILLS

We like to have all kinds of loose ball situations, leading to a short scrimmage situation, usually 5 on 4, 6 on 4, etc. Goalies love this. Drop the ball on different parts of the field, depending on what kind of situation you want to develop (mainly a lot of pressure on your goalie). If a group is using the ball, moving it, we let them play for just a minute. If it is a mess, we blow the whistle practically as soon as someone gets the ball. This moment, after you've blown the whistle is a terrific time to teach both individuals and the group at the same time. Move on. New ones in, keep it moving. Make sure they always hustle in and hustle out. Running on and off the field hard is a way to condition them without stopping practice to run. Sometimes, though, just put in a few sprints in the middle of practice just to keep their attention, especially 40-60 yards.

Ground balls are where you see how well your team is conditioned. It requires stamina and heart. You probably can't do too many ground balls in practice. Be careful not to over-coach. Experience has great lessons.