For lacrosse players that live in snowy climates, outdoor practice sessions aren’t an option. Teams may be prohibited from practicing outdoors for as long as six months, depending upon prevailing weather conditions in any given year. When training moves indoors, there will still be plenty of opportunities for individuals to improve their game skills.
Establish a Routine
Maintaining regular training sessions is critical during the off months. It can be tempting to rest and take a break, especially during rounds of holiday events and activities. Don’t let cold, snowy weather break regular training routines. Doing so will be a disservice to the players and will allow their skills to become soft.
Maintain Nutrition
Winter months can present special challenges to nutrition. In ancient times, colder and shorter days were a signal to begin putting on weight to survive the winter when food was scarce. It’s a survival imperative that still affects many individuals. Combined with the treats of the holiday season, players may be tempted to be lax in obtaining the proper nutrition. They should continue to adhere to a nutritious diet just as during active play season.
Play Basketball
Many of the positioning, movements, and defensive actions of basketball are very similar to lacrosse. Traditional winter training interspersed with games of basketball are instructive and help break up the monotony of indoor sessions.
Watch and Learn
During off-season training, break out recordings of elite lacrosse teams. Watch what they do and how they respond to situations that occur on the field. It can also be beneficial to watch hockey highlights to gain insight into taking advantage of openings as well as creating them.
Weighted Sticks
A good trick for building and maintaining muscles in the wrist and arms is to practice with a weighted stick. The shaft of most modern lacrosse sticks is hollow. Fill the shaft with sand or similar material. Start filling the shaft slowly until a player feels comfortable with the weight. Then add more until each team member feels comfortable with the entire shaft being weighted.
