Developing Multi-Dimensional Midfielders

and Josh Dionne,
U.S. Naval Academy Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach; 2x All American at Duke University

and Gabby Capuzzi,
U.S. Naval Academy Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach; All-American at Ohio State University

Middies must be versatile in all aspects of the game. Eight-time national championship coach Cindy Timchal and her staff at the U.S. Naval Academy shares the key attributes and training necessary for developing midfielders. Every drill shown will help your athletes master midfield play.

Coach Timchal and her staff show a series of drills for progressing midfielders in their development. She begins by instructing individuals, then introduces group drills, and finishes with live, game-speed drills. This "Individual > Group > Live" method will build confidence in your players by allowing them demonstrate proficiency in their skills before advancing to more complex situations.

Individual

In order for the midfielder to be successful, they must begin with a foundation of skill and recognition. Assistant coach Josh Dionne discusses and demonstrates a skill progression for training middies to dodge down the alley and make a play. The progression includes finding open attackers, re-dodging and shooting.

These drills are performed without live pressure to train situation recognition and speed of thought. If your players can think less and play faster, your offense will be much more successful.

Group

To ensure your players can perform their individual skills in a live game, they need acclimate to the speed of a live game. Using group work will help players make this critical transition. Building on the individual drills, you will learn how to add defenders to the drills to create controlled, but more game-like situations.

By developing these concepts in a controlled situation, your athletes will be more comfortable with making effective decisions once they're in a game setting.

7v7 Live

The drill progression continues by creating transition within a 7v7 setting. You will learn how to simulate transition using one simple drill. This drill will help athletes carry over what they've learned in previous practices into a live, game-like setting.

Extra Player Offense

In addition to midfielder work, Coach Timchal provides principles and ideas for man-up opportunities. You'll gain insights into:

• key concepts for taking advantage of one-up situations
• playing against a man-down zone
• the 52 Extra Player Offense

This video has instruction suitable for coaches of all skill levels. By implementing drills with an "Individual, Group and Live" structure, you will be able to build confident midfielders with all the skills necessary for elite play. Through a drill structure that progressively challenges players, you will be able to tailor midfielder training to concentrate on the areas your team needs to improve the most.

63 minutes. 2015.