APPROACH
Our Priorities
Authentic
Opportunity
Development
Timeline
Program Standards
The Loggerhead Lacrosse Club’s primary purpose is to promote the game of lacrosse throughout the City of Charleston in a fun, safe and sportsmanlike environment. LLC is dedicated to the skill development of our participants without emphasis on a team’s winning record. LLC will endeavor to instill the values of sportsmanship, respect, teamwork, fair play and a love of the sport of lacrosse for players, coaches and officials. LLC believes that sportsmanship is a way of life and will set an example of good sportsmanship and friendly competition for our young players.
The Loggerhead Lacrosse Club is an active member of US Lacrosse and the Positive Coaching Alliance. In the spirit of this philosophy, we have composed guidelines for our coaches that are designed to help them with the practical challenges of coaching and to clarify expectations regarding the execution of our curriculum.
This manual will attempt to provide a framework that our coaches are meant to follow in order to provide continuity across the program in ways that promote best practices as defined through feedback among the LLC coaching staff as well as guidelines from organizations such as US Lacrosse and Positive Coaching Alliance. While each coach will contribute his or her own style to teaching lacrosse, the LLC Board believes that certain standards should be pervasive across the program and help set a tone of excellence that will continue to endure over the years among all LLC participants.
Mission
The mission of the Loggerhead Lacrosse Club is to ensure a unified and responsive organization that develops and promotes the sport by providing services to its members and programs to inspire participation, while preserving the integrity of the game. The Loggerhead Lacrosse Club was founded on January 1, 2010, as the first Regional lacrosse club and the only organization which represents the past and the future of the sport in South Carolina.
The LLC is the result of a ten-year strategic initiative to unify all regional lacrosse educators in the area an effort to unify resources, as well as maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of lacrosse promotion and development. The result is an organization which combines the contributions and talents of individuals formerly involved with a number of independent national constituencies, such as US Lacrosse, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association and the Intercollegiate Men’s Lacrosse Coaches Association.
We envision a future which offers all Charleston area kids the opportunity to discover, learn, participate in, enjoy, and ultimately embrace the shared passion of the lacrosse experience. We want to grow lacrosse in our community in participation and skill. Creating higher levels of competition and opening more lacrosse opportunities.
The Club provides a leadership role in virtually every aspect of the game throughout the Region, and offers a number of programs and information services to its membership.
The Loggerhead Lacrosse Club’s policy is determined by a regional board of directors, the officers of which meet monthly to monitor the progress of the organization.
Program Objective
Our objective is to formulate a complete curriculum for the boys’ lacrosse program that fosters the development of players and coaches at every level of the program and is consistent with the philosophy of the program. The structure which is driven by the contributions of coaches, and through observations of experts in the field, and will become the guide for the organization for years to come.
Central to the success of this curriculum will be the offering of an environment where young kids can develop skills in a fun and positive setting. The foundation of the curriculum is based on the development of our player’s fundamental lacrosse skills. This, in combination with our focus on sportsmanship, camaraderie, work ethic, respect, and fun will help achieve our goal of instilling a lifelong passion for the game of lacrosse. Achieving these outcomes in our players and coaches will inevitably lead to a winning program, which is an important, but secondary goal.
Skills Progression
At the youngest levels, little can get accomplished without first developing the social and motor skills necessary to be part of a well-functioning team. Getting 1st -4 th graders just to focus and listen is essential before they can learn anything from you. We aim to build from the bottom up. Team skills will be very important in high school but learning to develop individual skills and knowing how to interact on a team is the priority of the youth lacrosse program. Without this basic foundation, there is little benefit to teaching set offensive or defensive plays, or moving onto more advanced concepts. The basic fundamentals of proper catching, throwing, scooping, dodging, shooting need to be drilled over and over again before more advanced concepts can be implemented.
Lower School Objectives
The elementary unit introduces the history, fundamentals and tactical skills of the game of lacrosse for 4th, 5th and 6th grade students. The focus is acquiring the fundamental skills of cradling, scooping, throwing and catching required to play a small game. The basic tactical concepts of game play at this level are introduced and the social and personal responsibilities of fair and safe play are emphasized.
Psychomotor Objectives:
1. Students will apply basic skills (cradle, scoop, throw and catch) to small game situations.
2. Students will perform four basic skills of lacrosse with enough skill to play in a 3 v 3 game.
3. Students will combine skills together to successfully outplay an opponent.
Cognitive Objectives:
1. Students will describe two basic cues for each of the four skills of lacrosse.
2. Students will explain how to maintain possession as a team.
3. Students will explain the goal of offense and defense.
Affective Objectives:
1. Students will work cooperatively and collaboratively in small groups in practice and small games.
2. Students will take on roles and responsibility in a competitive setting.
3. Students will practice and recognize good sportsmanship and support each other.
4. Students will gain confidence and self-esteem by focusing on the basic elements of the game.