Lacrosse in P.E.

Lacrosse is one of my all-time favorite P.E. units.  While the sport continues to experience major growth throughout the state, it is still very new to many of the elementary school students.  I find that the students that are new to lacrosse are eager to learn the sport.  Fortunately, we were able order brand new lacrosse sticks for this spring.  The sticks that we use in class are smaller versions of the actual sticks used in league play.   

This is a sport that can be frustrating when you first attempt some of the skills.  With that being said, I take the time to discuss this with the students before we begin our unit.  We talk about the importance of trying our best, continuing to practice, and not giving up.  As in all units, effort is the key, and if students aren’t putting the effort in, the skills become much harder to master. 

            We briefly cover the history of the game, and all students are notified of the safety rules associated with handling the stick.  In lacrosse, it is important to remember to keep two hands on the stick, so the students are showed how to properly handle their stick around others.  All students have done an excellent job of taking care of their stick during the course of this unit. 

            In many classes, there is a student or two that either plays on a team, or has had some experience with lacrosse in the past.  I talk to these students at the beginning of the unit of how cool it would be for them to help their classmates learn the skills.  I call them my “teacher’s assistants”, and it is amazing to see how well the students interact with each other as they practice.  I have seen some really nice things during the past couple of weeks with students helping each other out.  It is a real self-esteem booster for both students that know the game, and students that are new to lacrosse.

            There is no checking allowed with the stick or body, and the P.E. version is called “soft lacrosse”.  We focus on the basic skills that will allow us to gain an understanding of how the game is played.  The skills that we work on include: Catching, Throwing, Cradling, Scooping, Shooting, and Defending.  Students in the younger grades focus a lot on spacing and the handling of the stick.  Each class in grades K-6 participates in drills and games that help develop these skills.