Youth Skill Expectations

[byualum]

Need your help...I've been asked to create a document for our youth program that entails what skills each kid should learn during that year. It's to be given to the coaches, so they know what skills we're expecting them to be teaching during the upcoming spring season. It's for kids grades 2 - 8.

Anyone have any thoughts/experience with something like this, or know if something like this already exists?

Thanks.

[Rob Graff]

Here's a rough approximation for me.....A first draft.

I'm tasked with doing something similiar, but am trying to put it off....


2-4 Development of fundamental skills and love for game.
Learn and develop proper scooping/throwing/catching mechanics.
Learn and develop proper ideas of passing to moving target, catching on move, and keeping head up while moving.
Learn and develop proper ideas regarding moving feet on defense, and forcing to outside.
Learn and develop proper poke check/lift check.
Install ideas regarding keeping the ball moving.
Teach mechanics of shooting, and begin to teach ideas about where to shoot
Rotate players through positions, including goalie.
Do so in a fun-focused way with positive reinforcement and teaching.

By end of 4th (and assuming they start in 2nd), players should have strong hand catch/throw/scoop/shot, weak hand catch/throw and basic bounce shot. Playerrs should understand that matador defense is not allowed - must move feet and poke (shading is possible with advanced 4th graders). Players should be running with head up, and catching/throwing on move.

4-6 Development of basic team/game concepts
Refine and continue to develop above fundamentals, but at faster speed with more challenging drills - Do it Faster!
Learn basic unsettled concepts - 4 v. 3 fb's, Getting ball to X, Moving ball 2x after GB - Defensive zones/rotation in unsettled - what will we give up in unsettled, what is a good shot in unsettled.
Learing more complex unsettled situations 5-4/6-5
Learn basic motion offense concepts - isolate defenders, dodge to space, bounce away from doubles, and move ball to open player.
Learn basic team defense concepts - from where do we slide? How do we slide, When do we slide? Do we all slide?
Refine offensive dodging - defensive 1-1 moves.
Work with F/o men
Begin to specialize into positions, but allow flexibility. Specialization allows for teaching of dodging from certain positions in field, defending certain locations, cushion for D-men, finishing for offensive players.
Teach basic clears/rides, including transition clearing after shot.

By end of 6th, they should be doing all of what was suggested at end of 4th, but faster, and with fewer drops. Better shooters will be shooting with both hands. Good offensive players will be making one pass to shot. And good finishers will be making a fake before shooting in tight. Goalies should begin to take specialized training. Defenders should make sure they are moving fieet, learning cross hand holds, and understanding how to pressure with a cushion.

6th - 8th Grade - Integrate and Accelerate
Focus here is making the right DECISION! ANd doing it FAST.
Situation specific drills to drive acceleration in thinking and stickwork.
Conditioning focus
COntinue to refine stick skills - force repitition, force speed
More teaching in game-related situations - double teams, moving ball 2x to shot, early slide defenses, counters to those defenses.
Expectations rise for stick skills.
Refining offensive and defensive skills - setting up dodge, dodging off pass, movement off ball to facilitate same, Defensively - when to check, more work on holds, really emphasize defensive talk as an expectation.
Learn to play with pace- advantage of slow v fast pace.
Clearing/Riding become big focus here.

8th graders should be confident in all throwing/catching/scooping situations. Should understand transition offense and defensive concepts. Should understand unsettled offense/defense. Should understand basic settled offenses and defenses and some unique options off of each. Defensemen should be playing with 6 foot poles. Goalies should be able to outlet into transition.

Again - first draft.....

[Beta]

Rob,

That is fantastic.