At The Sports Xpress | Starts October 18th, 2026 | 11:30-12:30 First Block
October 18
November 1
November 8
November 15
Future block dates
November 22
December 6
December 13
December 20
BUILT FOR LACROSSE
Coach: Joe LaLeune
U17/U19 Field Lacrosse Development Program
On going | 1 Practice Per Week | 60 Minutes
Built for Lacrosse is a developmental field lacrosse program designed to help U17 and U19+ athletes become better individual players at their position while developing a deeper understanding of the field game.
Many athletes have good general lacrosse skills but have had limited opportunities to develop the specific skills, positioning, decision-making and game understanding required in field lacrosse.
This program is designed to change that.
Players will develop through the Built for Lacrosse progression:
Prepare → Acquire → Connect → Decide → Integrate → Compete
We will develop skills first, then progressively challenge athletes to execute them while moving, against defenders, while making decisions and eventually within realistic game situations.
The goal isn’t to run more drills.
The goal is to develop better field lacrosse players.
ATTACK
Develop the ability to create offence against field defenders and long poles.
Attack development will include:
Dodging poles • attacking from X • stick protection • change of direction • re-dodging • finishing • shooting accuracy • feeding • reading slides • cutting • spacing • off-ball movement
Attack-men will learn not only how to beat their defender, but how to recognize the defensive reaction their dodge creates and make the next play.
MIDFIELD
Develop the ability to create offence in space and play fast in the field game.
Midfield development will include:
Alley dodges • sweeps • split dodges • re-dodging • shooting on the run • shooting accuracy • attacking short sticks and poles • reading slides • moving after the dodge • transition decisions • playing both ends of the field
The goal is to develop midfielders who can play fast without playing rushed.
SHORT-STICK DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD
Develop the ability to defend athletic midfielders in space.
SSDM development will include:
Approach angles • defensive footwork • positioning • leverage • contact • containment • recovery • communication • slides • team defensive responsibilities
Players will learn to defend with their feet and positioning first rather than relying on reaching, chasing sticks or throwing checks.
The goal is to develop short-stick defenders a defence can trust in space.
DEFENCE & LSM
Develop smarter, more technically capable field defenders.
Pole development will include:
Approach technique • footwork • positioning • leverage • poke checks • lifts • controlled stick pressure • defending different dodges • sliding • recovering • communication • team defence
Players will learn that great field defence isn’t about throwing more checks.
It is about controlling space, taking away dangerous areas and understanding how six defenders work together.
GOALTENDERS
Goalies will receive deliberate technical development rather than simply being placed in the net during shooting drills.
Goalie development will include:
Arc positioning • angles • set position • crease movement • tracking • stepping to the ball • hand and body positioning • rebound control • reading shooters • reading feeds and dodges • communication • outlets • clearing
We want to move goalies away from guessing and relying entirely on reactions.
The goal is to develop goalies who understand where they should be, what they’re seeing and what is likely to happen next.
HOW WE TRAIN
Practices will combine position-specific development, technical skill work and competitive field situations.
Players will regularly separate into positional groups before reconnecting those skills through 1v1, 2v1, 2v2, 3v2, 3v3, 4v4 and eventually larger team situations.
This creates more touches, more decisions and more meaningful repetitions while allowing coaches to progressively increase pressure and game realism.
Across the program we will develop:
Individual skill • positional skill • dodging • shooting • defending • off-ball play • team offence • team defence • transition • clearing • riding • communication • field lacrosse IQ
Skills will not be introduced once and forgotten. They will continually return under more difficult conditions as the athletes improve.
THE OUTCOME
We want athletes leaving the program with better skills, greater confidence at their position and a much stronger understanding of how the field game actually works.
Recognize the situation. Understand the problem. Make the decision. Execute the skill.
BUILT FOR LACROSSE
Develop the player. Understand the game.