NS Coach Newsletter Vol 2(10) November, 2013

Volume: 2 Edition (10)

Posted: Monday, November 25^th, 2013

“If we can make things better, how cool is that!”

News: “Professional Development Update!”

At CLA’s AGM, it was passed that all “Certified” Competitive Introduction coaches will get credit for professional development events led by NCCP or passed by LNSS and CLA. Twenty points will need to be acquired in five years in order for coaches to remain active Competitive coaches.

News: “Want to Learn from The Best?”

Sport Nova Scotia’s Director of Coaches will be running a special coaching session Saturday, December 14^th, at the Canada Games Centre for FREE. The session, running form 1-4pm, will provide insight from leaders in Sport Psychology, Strength and Conditioning and Nutrition. Please email lacrossetechdirector@sportnovascotia.ca if you wish to attend.

News: “Doping”

The national body (CCES) responsible for monitoring and testing athletes for banded substances tested lacrosse players at National events over the past two years. Coaches, players and parents, particularly at the Major lacrosse level, need to be familiar with the testing process. In the New Year, LNSS will provide the details on how to take the free module, which for Certified Competitive Coaches, should add to their professional development points.

News: “Team Nova Scotia”

For the very first time Lacrosse Nova Scotia has begun interviewing all its Head Coach candidates: A part of Team Nova Scotia’s strategy to become competitive with Tier 1 teams within the next five years. At this time LNSS is on schedule to release the names of the successful Head Coach candidates for November 30^th.

News: “Provincial ID Camps”

Dates have been set for the 2014 Provincial ID Camps at Exhibition Park for Saturday, January 4^th and February 15^th. The camps are a chance for returning provincial players to get their sticks back in hand and help mentor new and potential provincial players in their age group. Also, all coaches are encouraged participate to brush up on their skills and/or learn something new from the Provincial Head Coaches, who will be leading the sessions. We are very fortunate to have a box lacrosse surface available in the dead of winter and details regarding playing times will be posted on LNSS’s website in December.

Technical Director’s “My 2 Cents”

Continuing on last month’s LTAD theme, I decided to compare the basic LTAD program versus CLA’s Lacrosse for Life (L4L). After creating separate diagrams (See Website) for boys and girls it was very clear that the coaching regime we use for girls should not follow the boys. But before we get into that, let’s compare the wheel diagrams.

The inner ring for both boys’ and girls’ figures represent the standard LTAD divisions per age. The number represents the age of the player and beside that is the LTAD stage. You’ll see in the boy’s wheel that at age six, Active Start and FUNdamentals overlap. This happens three more times for the boys at ages ten, twelve and sixteen. Interesting to note that there are no overlaps for the girls.

When I began to add the outer ring to the figures, CLA’s Lacrosse for Life LTAD stages, I found that I couldn’t quite label the new cells quite the same for boys and girls. For the boys, the outer ring shows the player’s age, then the L4L stage and finally the age division related to box lacrosse. Following CLA’s L4L guide, FUNdamentals and Train-2-Train are divided into two phases, 1 and 2, respectively. When adding the outer ring to the girls’ figure, I left out the L4L terms because the girls advance at a faster rate than the boys. Therefore, it appears that a coach would do better to relate to the general LTAD guidelines for the girls and then reference L4L for any specifics.

Why I like developing visual aids is their ability to show glaring differences that can be tough to see from written descriptions and booklets. This clearly happened when I placed gold and green dots to highlight the FUNdamental and Train-2-Train stages. Looking at the diagrams it’s quite clear that boys run through a much longer FUNdamentals stage versus girls, 5 to 2. The same happens for the Train-2-Train stage, but there is not as dramatic a spread, 5 to 4. The red dots indicate the introduction of the Competitive and Win phases of the LTAD (Learn & Train 2 Compete and Learn & Train 2 Win, respectively).

So, what can we take away from these diagrams? We can’t develop female and male lacrosse players using the same training regimes. Where ever possible, the physical and mental differences between boys and girls at the same age, in the same age division, need to be addressed. It’s clear too that we need to start training basic skills to girls at a slight earlier age if they are to meet high performance levels as they get older. What a greater incentive then to grow the women’s box and field lacrosse programs with coaches that clearly understand the needs of their players.

News: “World Lacrosse Conference Coming to Halifax”

Hosted by the Centre for the Study of Sport and Health, plans are under way for the Transnational Lacrosse Conference to be held at Saint Mary’s University, October 2^nd-4^th, 2014. The event’s theme, “Thinking outside the box”, will feature papers and posters from academics from across the world regarding lacrosse: A historical and contemporary perspective. Along with the academic presentations, activities will potentially include lacrosse games, Try Lacrosse sessions, skills competitions, Nova Scotia lacrosse artifacts and more. The conference will have something for everyone celebrating Canada’s National Summer Sport. More details will available shortly when the call for papers goes out.

News: “Next Month”

Keep track of up-coming events on LNSS’s website newslider and calendar.

• Free Learning Facilitator Modules, November 29^th-30^th
• Prov Head Coach Meeting, Dec. 3^rd , Sport NS, 7-9pm
• Senior Winter Lacrosse, Starts Dec. 11^th, Facebook, “Maritime Senior Men's Lacrosse”
• Masters Winter Lacrosse, Starts Dec. 11^th, Facebook, “Maritime Masters Lacrosse”

“Players should expect the best - We can deliver”

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NS Coach Newsletter Vol 2(9) October, 2013

Volume: 2 Edition (9)

Posted: Wednesday, October 28^th, 2013

All Newsletters available at www.laxcoachns.blogspot.ca

 “If we can make things better, how cool is that!”

News: “Professional Development and YOU!”

Did you attend the Atlantic Coaching Conference this past year or coach a team or complete an NCCP module like, “Making Head Way in Sport”? If yes to any or all, starting in 2014, the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) will give Certified Competitive Introduction coaches credit for attending these professional development (PD) events. And don’t think lacrosse is the only one who has figured out that life-long learning greatly benefits all our athletes, not just the high performance achievers.

The CAC is helping every sport across Canada to formalize the number of points Certified Comp Intro coaches will acquire and the time period, or cycle, with which to complete the total number of PD points. At the CLA coaching sector meeting held in Toronto last week, the committee recommended that CLA adopt a five year cycle in which coaches would achieve 20 points.

Professional development can come in many forms in the way of NCCP modules, sport specific clinics or sport related sessions like sport psychology or nutrition. As points for these events vary, CAC has set up a points matrix which can be viewed in the following PDF file (pages 9-14, points matrix table on pg 14:  http://www.coach.ca/files/NCCP_Policies_ImplementationStandards_Jan2013.pdf )

                                                                                                             

In the future Certified Competitive Development coaches (the next step after Comp Intro) will work towards 30 points in the five year period. At this time, CLA is still putting the final touches on the Comp Dev program and plans to offer two of these clinics in 2014, roughly January and March next year.

News: “Team Nova Scotia Head Coaches”

Reminder that the Team Nova Scotia Head Coach application deadline is only days away, Friday, November 1^st. If you have not received or require the Process and Application documents, please forward an email as soon as possible to lacrossetechdirector@sportnovascotia.ca . Like last year, applications will be accepted up to 5pm.

Teams requiring Head Coaches for 2014 include: Girls’ (box) bantam, midget and juniors; Boys (box) peewee, bantam, midget and Founders; and, men’s field U16 and U19. If you are interested in coaching any of the other potential provincial teams (eg. President’s Cup), please state your intentions, and submit your application, before November 1^st.

Technical Director’s “My 2 Cents”

It just makes sense to me that we divide our box and field divisions into age groups, but after spending two very intense days working on CLA’s new skills matrix table last week in Toronto, the LTAD stage categories do better help coaches deal with gender and life stage development versus date of births. A case in point: Last January I posted the LTAD skills “wheel” diagrams on our blog, www.laxcoachns.blogspot.ca . The five wheels are separated by the age groups we use in box lacrosse, tyke to midget. What I wasn’t able to accommodate was the needs of female box lacrosse players because some of their guidelines run between the age divisions.

A quick review of the LTAD groupings:

Active Start –                                      G & B 0-6 years                       MiniTyke: 4-6

Fundamentals –                                  G 6-7               B 6-10              Tyke:Novice 7-8:9-10

Learning 2 Train –                              G 8-10             B 10-12            Peewee 11-12

Training 2 Train –                               G 11-14           B 12-16            Bantam 13-14

Learning & Training 2 Compete -       G 15-21+         B 16-23+          Midget:Jr 15-16:17-21

Learning & Training 2 Win -               G & B 17+                                Senior & Pro

G=Girls, B=Boys

So at a quick glance, you can see that the box age divisions don’t fit neatly into the LTAD scheme which reflects “physical, mental and emotional capacities in athletes according to scientifically-recognized principles and stages of human development”. A great point raised last week while reviewing the miss-matches, what if a set of standards with measurable criteria were available to group players into their LTAD divisions? Certainly for boys at the peewee stage where height and weights seem to range the most, this plan could bear fruit. But lets get back to reality, that ain’t going to happen.

So what to do? Well, it was the committee’s job to identify every technical and tactical skill related to box lacrosse (men’s and women’s field to come) and create a delivery path for each skill based on INTRO, DEVELOP, REFINE and PERFECT (Each of these where also divided into three more divisions). These four pathway divisions were then spread across the LTAD divisions, which could mean that a single delivery division could span several LTAD divisions. An example: Scooping’s DEVELOP division spans Fundamentals to Learn 2 Train.

At this point the KISS rule (Keep It Simple Stupid) and our rapidly expanding skills matrix table seem to be at odds, but the key for every box coach is to know when a skill needs to be introduced, when its complexity needs to be enhanced and/or incorporated into game tactics and making sure players reach the appropriate skill level related to the highest standards and/or measurable levels for a specific LTAD division.

To put the highest standards in perspective of their impact, my first thought was National competition. However, listening to Ontario’s technical director, their apex is easily the NLL. Imagine then if we backtracked using my standard versus Ontario’s to the level of our peewee provincial and select teams.

To really go out on a limb here, what if we box coaches took charge and set one evening a week to novice, peewee and bantam divisions during the month of April at Rocky Lake Dome? An example: All novice teams and coaches meet every Tuesday evening for one-and-a-half hours (Three-hours if two sessions are required). Over three to four weeks, coaches and players review the basics and introduce all technical skills up to the level recommended by the present LTAD suggestions. For peewee and novice, basic tactical skills could also be reviewed. As players went through “basic training”, coaches could develop and refine their teaching skills with the help of more experienced coaches and work towards NCCP Comm Dev standards.

Another great reason for doing this is that the CLA coaching sector is working towards removing the workbook requirements for Comm Dev. We could kill two birds with one stone: Review basics for players and get them up to game speed before May 1^st league play and more conveniently move coaches through the NCCP Comm Dev coaching process/manual (Completely admit to ripping off Wayne Finck’s coaching clinic “module” idea).

The Metro Minor Lacrosse League took a great step in grouping tyke and novice games last year, which absolutely helped the development of new tyke players and coaches. As technical director it was great to sit down and watch four or five novice games in a row, but as much as the MMLL wanted to help develop novice coaches, more focus had to be placed on the newer referees, who received great on-the-spot game feedback. The novice game schedule did not allow group coaching sessions like the tyke’s program, but perhaps we now have a time and a place to change that.

News: “Tips From The Crease”

“Get Coaching!”

The following link (www.coach.ca/get-coaching--s16572) says it all in its first paragraph, “Is this your first year of coaching, and you have no clue what to do? Or, perhaps you've been a coach for a couple of years, but know that there are still some things you could learn about planning your practices? Packed with tips, tools, and resources you can download, these FREE tutorials will set you up for success!”

OK, betting you have some sort of clue as to what coaching is about, but who hasn’t come out of a NCCP Comm Dev clinic and felt a bit overwhelmed or wished there was time to go into more depth on certain topics. Certainly for those looking to beef up their practice plans, the Get Coaching site is a great resource, whether you’re coaching lacrosse or any other sport.

News: “Next Month”

Keep track of up-coming events on LNSS’s website newslider and calendar.

• Team Nova Scotia Head Coach ApplicationDeadline, Nov. 1^st
• Petro-Can Sport Leadership Sportif, Nov. 7^th-9^th, Calgary
• LNSS AGM, Nov. 9^th See Website
• CLA AGM, Nov. 15^th-17^th, St. Johns
• Free Learning Facilitator modules (LF), Nov. 29^th

“Players should expect the best - We can deliver”

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Free for Now! Online Concussion Module

Best way to help your players in the case of a concussion is to be prepared and NCCP is offering, "Making Head Way in Sport" for free online until the end of October, 2013. After this date the module will cost $15.

If you have an NCCP number go to www.coach.ca and click on eLearning. You should then have to log in using your NCCP number and password. If you don't have an NCCP number you can register for one. Once in, choose the multi-sport, "Making Head Way in Sport".

The module will take between 1-2 hours but is well worth it for your players, parents and yourself and it's FREE at this time.

Don't miss out, the module will help you with any contact sport you coach.

NS Coach Newsletter Vol 2(8) September, 2013

Volume: 2 Edition (8)

Posted: Wednesday, September 25^th, 2013

“If we can make things better, how cool is that!”

News: “Canadian Championships – That’s All Folks!”

It was a very exciting Labour Day weekend for the men’s U16 field team at the Canadian Nationals held in Montreal, which wrapped up Nova Scotia’s 2013 provincial program roster. Trying to up their achievement, where the U16 team won its first game ever in 2012, the 2013 team came back from a 0 -6 deficit to beat Team Manitoba, 14 – 12, to win the Red Pool Bronze medal.

Come backs and tight games where the norm for the U16 team this year, which was not reflected in their 1 -3 round robin record. A chance at the gold medal game was still possible, but the team just fell short against Saskatchewan in their 14 -9 playoff loss. In addition to the team’s bronze achievement, Cole Davis, was named to the tournament’s U16 All-Star team because of his face-off dominance.

Over the next two years the U16 and U19 teams and coaching staffs will be very focused on the 2015 Canadian Championships which will be held in Halifax. They will also have their eye on Team Canada U19 tryouts for the 2016 World Championships in BC. For players and coaches who want to be involved, don’t wait until 2015, get involved next year and be part of the building process.

Building on this year’s bronze medal achievement, the next goal is to beat one or more of the top tier teams during round robin action over the next two years, but for now, that’s all folks for this year’s Canadian National Championships.

News: “The Biggest Field Event, Guaranteed!”

For those coaches very serious about their field lacrosse game, men’s or women’s, the US Lacrosse Conference is a must, as it is the biggest gathering of coaches, officials, administrators and exhibitors in North America.

As it was last year, the conference will be held in Philadelphia, January 10^th-12^th, and early-bird registration is on until November 30^th, $95 ($115 after Nov. 30^th). In order to register for the conference you’ll also have to purchase a US Lacrosse membership, $50, which comes along with a great subscription to US Lacrosse magazine. Also, those who register for the conference can go back for one year and see and/or hear the seminars and live field demonstrations online.

For more details, go to the “Events” tab at www.uslacrosse.org and click on the “2014 National Convention and Fan Fest” link. Also, explore any possible grant funding opportunities by getting in touch with Greg Knight, lacrosse@sportnovascotia.ca. This is truly a great event for coaches and you’ll be all jazzed up ready to get going with your new found insights and tricks after this conference, guaranteed!

News: “LaxPath”

A very interesting statistic being circulated after the NLL draft, September 16^th: The top 16 drafts all came from US College programs, whether they were born in Canada or the US. So it doesn’t appear career-wise that leaving Canada to play NCAA field lacrosse hurts strong NLL prospects. Also, every member of Team Canada’s U19 2012 team was a US College prospect or had already played a year of NCAA ball before the 2012 Worlds.

Over this past year, several Nova Scotia players, male and female, have been approached by US Academies and Colleges to head south to play lacrosse within their academic institutions. But if you’re a coach trying to help a player along this path or a parent wondering about the professional scouting businesses, you might want to take a look at some of the resources online. Within Linkedin.com’s, “Lacrosse Partnerships & Business” group, the question was asked, “what’s the best college (US) recruiting software for lacrosse players and why?”: One suggestion was, “LaxPath”.

Don’t be fooled, but anyone offering recruiting services usually has some financial angle of some sort, so it’s very important to dig under the surface of any of these resources. A good place to start with LaxPath is its FAQs section. Like many other recruiting businesses, they’ll help players and coaches network, edit and/or display game footage, display bios which will include academic standings as well as physical fitness status, even review academic transcripts.

All-in-all, get to know these recruiting tools, as they can help when dealing with Academies and Colleges in asking the right questions and knowing what expectations these institutions should have. At this time US players are likely more savvy about developing a portfolio of their academic and athletic achievements, a skill Nova Scotia players would do well with, whether for lacrosse or future endeavours like job applications.

News: “A Bit of Online Fun”

For smart phone users, there are two more ways to enjoy field lacrosse. The US College video game has been out for several years and are presently asking for beta testers for their iOS and Android versions on Facebook, “College Lacrosse, The Game”. You can also download Brine’s free app, “Shootout” and jack up your scoring stats, although we’re not sure they’ll hold a lot of weight for recruiting purposes. Enjoy!

News: “Calling Team Nova Scotia Head Coaches”

For some it may feel like Nationals weren’t that long ago, but the Head Coach selection process will start gearing up in just under a week, when applications become available Tuesday, October 1^st. Like last year, applications will be accepted up to 5pm, Friday, November 1^st. Since this year’s LNSS AGM will be held early in November, coaches won’t be announced until the last week of November.

Teams requiring Head Coaches for 2014 include: Girls’ (box) bantam, midget and juniors; Boys (box) peewee, bantam, midget and Founders; and, men’s field U16 and U19. If you are interested in coaching any of the other potential provincial teams (eg. President’s Cup), please state your intentions, and submit your application, before November 1^st.

Technical Director’s “My 2 Cents”

Twice a year Sport Nova Scotia runs the Sport Milk Fair, a three-day event that introduces students to organized sports within the province. This fall, October 22^nd – 24^th, the event will be held again at Exhibition Park and will be another great opportunity for MMLL, and NSFLL Clubs and Coaches to interact with registered players, as well as potential new players. As with each sport fair, Lacrosse Nova Scotia will sponsor a booth with a table for promotional and display materials and nets will be set up with soft lacrosse balls and sticks for students to try their hand at shooting.

The lacrosse booth is always packed, as each fair draws close to 2,000 students over the three day event. Please get in touch with your club president or LNSS to volunteer. You can volunteer for the entire day, but typically the heaviest activity is between 9am to noon. Lets get started talking about next year’s season now and show these students how much fun they could have playing lacrosse.

News: “NCCP Certification”

A very successful women’s field lacrosse Community Development coaching clinic was run Saturday, September 14^th by Learning Facilitator Joanne Stanga from Ontario. Coordinated by Julie Finck and Greg Knight, Anne Johnson, Caroline McNamee, Kathleen Dehmel, Haley Glazebrook, Jenn Banks, Charlene Cisakowski, Danica Cooley, Kerry Costello and David Kehoe worked with NSFLL’s morning girls’ program at Burnside, then completed the classroom session at Sport Nova Scotia. Julie Finck also completed her first requirements in becoming Nova Scotia’s first female Community Development Learning Facilitator. Congratulations to all.

News: “Next Month”

Keep track of up-coming events on LNSS’s website newslider and calendar.

•  Applications available for Team Nova Scotia Head Coaches, Oct. 1^st
• Turkey Shoot Tournament, Thanks Giving, Oct. 12^th-13^th
• Sports Milk Fair, Exhibition Park, Oct. 22^nd-24^th

“Players should expect the best - We can deliver”

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