Lacrosse training at home

A weekly at-home training plan

Four training days and one light day. Keep sessions to 30-45 minutes — short and consistent beats long and occasional.

• Monday — stick skills

  15 minutes wall ball (50 right, 50 left, 25 quick stick each hand), then 10 minutes one-handed catching. Cue: soft hands, top-wrist snap.

• Tuesday — footwork and dodging

  2 cones, 5 yards apart. Split dodge 10 each way, roll dodge 10 each way, cone weave 4 rounds. Cue: one hard plant step, then accelerate — no stutter steps.

• Wednesday — conditioning

  6 x 100-yard sprints with 45 seconds rest, then 3 rounds of 20 squats, 15 push-ups, 30-second plank. Cue: sprint at 90%, land quiet.

• Thursday — shooting

  50 shots into a net or rebounder: 10 time-and-room each hand, 10 on the run each hand, 10 question-mark finishes. Cue: hands back and hidden, release off the outside foot.

• Friday — ground balls and reaction

  30 ground balls (rolled, bounced, contested by a bag), then 20 tennis-ball reaction catches off a wall. Cue: two hands, butt low, accelerate through the ball.

• Weekend — play

  Pick-up, box lacrosse, or just 15 minutes of relaxed wall ball. Unstructured play is where creativity gets built — don't skip it.

What you need (and cheap substitutes)

• A wall

  Garage door with a tarp, concrete foundation wall, dugout or rebounder net. Avoid drywall and vinyl siding.

• A bounce-back or net

  A cheap soccer goal with a tarp works for shooting. No net? Shoot into a fence corner with a target taped to it.

• Cones

  Shoes, water bottles or chalk marks all work. You need two.

• Two balls minimum

  Chasing one ball wastes half your session. Six is better. Keep them out of the sun so they stay grippy.

Training for tryouts

Start six weeks out. Coaches cut for three things: conditioning, weak hand, and ground balls.

• Weeks 6–4: base

  Daily wall ball with weak-hand emphasis (60% of reps left if you're right-handed). Three conditioning days a week.

• Weeks 3–2: speed

  Everything at game speed. Add shuttle runs and contested ground balls. Film one drill a week and review it.

• Final week: sharpen

  Cut volume in half, keep intensity. Full rest the day before. Show up hydrated with a taped, strung stick that works.

Common questions

• Can you train for lacrosse alone?

  Yes — stick skills, footwork, shooting and conditioning are all solo work. The only things that need teammates are passing on the move and live defense, and a wall plus cones substitute better than most players expect.

• How often should a youth player train?

  U9–U11: three short sessions a week, 15-20 minutes. U13–U15: four to five sessions of 30 minutes. High school: daily, 30-45 minutes, with one lighter day.

• What should I do in the offseason?

  Keep wall ball daily, add strength and mobility work two days a week, and play another sport. Time away from the field prevents burnout and builds athleticism that transfers back.