May 12, 2008

Dear US Lacrosse:

My name is Andrea Springer. I am from Hamburg Middle School in New York. I am currently a seventh-grader. I am writing you to find out more about the sport lacrosse. I am a beginner and I just started last year. I really enjoyed it. I would like to ask you some questions.

1. Do you have any advice for me to help get better at lacrosse?
2. What are some good exercises for me to get in shape?
3. Do you have any good drills for me?
4. If so, how can I improve in them?
5. Where can I get more information about all the rules?

Sincerely,
Andrea Springer

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Dear Andrea:

I'm so happy to hear you've decided to play lacrosse! Not only is it the fastest-growing women's sport in the country, but it is, in my opinion, one of the most fun. Since you are just starting out, my best advice to you is to practice your stick skills. Find a partner to play catch with, but if you can't, finding a good brick or concrete wall to throw against will do. Start with 10 passes with your right hand to your partner's right hand, followed by 10 passes with your right hand to your partner's left hand. Then repeat the process - only this time, pass with your left hand. Being equally good with both hands is very important and will give you such an advantage come game time!

Work on hitting your partner's stick head, or if throwing against a wall, pinpoint a spot a little bit above shoulder level, and practice hitting it with an accurate, hard, direct pass every time. You should catch the ball slightly above shoulder level with your stick upright, giving as you receive the ball to prevent it from bouncing out. If you can, practice 10-20 minutes every day, or at least a couple times a week. After you've warmed up, practice throwing and catching on the run - pass laterally while you and a partner run down a field, simulating a "give-and-go" in a game, and make sure to throw the ball slightly in front of your partner so that she doesn't have to slow down when catching. Again, practice with both hands. A good 20-minute passing/running practice will improve your stick skills and your conditioning. And don't forget to practice scooping ground balls!

For endurance conditioning, try running one or more miles three times a week. Sprint work is equally important, however, so practice sprinting forward 10 yards and backwards 10 yards for 30 seconds, resting 30 seconds and repeating. Work on exploding off the line as fast as you can and on making quick pivots. Your first step is crucial to getting a head start on the lacrosse field. Also work on longer, 100-yard sprints, to increase your sprint endurance, and on lateral shuffles and karaoke for 10-yard intervals to quicken your feet.

All it takes is a little practice! The more you practice, the better you will get and the more fun the game will become!

To learn the rules to the women's game and to find a complete women's lacrosse rulebook, visit www.uslacrosse.org.

Lindsey

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Straight Shooters" is a US Lacrosse-produced advice series that runs every Sunday in the Baltimore Sun and on baltimoresun.com. The series can also be found here on Lacrosse Magazine Online at www.laxmagazine.com.

Lindsey Biles, of Annapolis, Md., was an All-American and Tewaaraton Trophy finalist during her college career at Princeton, and was a member of the 2006-07 U.S. Women's National Team. Biles also works as a sideline analyst for ESPNU.

E-mail Biles at lindsey@laxmagazine.com.