Grade Level Expectations 7/8
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Players should know main principles of the game. Spatial recognition, timing of cuts and movement on offense. Should know how to find space and move with each other. All offensive sets should be understood and should be used as a base for an offense. Uneven drills should lock home how to use space, how to clear through, and how to react with one another. Dodge - pass - pass re-dodge is fully grasped. All slide packages from adjacent to crease slides should be known by the time they enter HS. Zone principles should be understood. Man up Man down principles should be grasped very well. Being more patient on defense and really comprehending angles. Getting the ball out of your stick quicker at this age level is a must. Do wall ball but really work on the time it takes to get the ball out of their stick!
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Offense
- Comprehend 1-4-1, 1-3-2, 2-2-2, and Crown (2,1,3) - All counting from behind
- Squaring up to your man on your dodge
- Attacking the top foot well
- DON’T BALL WATCH! It happens on offense too. Easily seen because players to read and react to what the defense gives them
Ability to pull defense and replace - balancing up field - better understanding of space and time
- Power dodging - using your body to create separation
- Separation Dodge - using your speed and change of direction to create separation
- Ability to get separation while defense is engaging - stepping in stepping out to get hands free
- Understanding the importance of dodge pass pass redodge
- Understanding the 2 man game and off ball spacing and movement of 2 man game
- Flat Break and L break for fast break
- Slow break and variations
Offensive skills
- Finalizers & other multi move dodges
- Finishing over the top on GLE - using Dpole as a screen
- Hard Roll Backs on dodge to finish with inside hand
- Using bottom hand on stick and inside jab to create separation
- Pulling the offense and defense by back peddling
- Use of picks at GLE (North - South Picks)
- Mastering inside finishing. Pipe to pipe and high to low
- Change of plane shooting. high to low, low to high, pipe to pipe
- Hitches, Rockers, Face Dodge to finish
- Options at the 5X5 and how to react to your defense
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Defense
- Importance of keeping offense player down the alley’s (explain how this ties into slide packages) and squaring up on GLE - angles angles angles!!!
- Taking away topside
- Keeping stick up field when applicable
- Knowing all slide packages of every offensive set. 1-4-1, 1-3-2, 2-2-2, 2-1-3 or crown, and open
- Importance of being slide ready and athletic at all times - over emphasizing the ball U man triangle
- Fully conceptualizing team defense - When in doubt sink in! Knowing your role exactly wherever the ball is on the field
- Communication!!!! Over Emphasize communication in practice with every drill
Skills to know
- Exact angles of approach from all locations on the field
- understanding how to function and recover on bad approaches
- Full understanding of timing of approaches, giving ground
- Pop Wrap Check
- Quick cradle on ground balls
- Splitting your stick into thirds for handling
- Face dodge to free up space on clearing
- Step in step out to create separation to clear
