If I coached a 7th and 8th grade team
June 6, 2025
Over the past 43 years, I’ve coached men’s D-III college lacrosse, boy’s varsity lacrosse, and boy’s JV, too.
For more than 20 years, I also coached mostly high school-aged boys at the old-school lacrosse camps at West Point, LeMoyne, Cornell, Oswego State, and Hobart, as well as the All-American and Top 205 camps.
But I’ve never coached a boy’s modified team, typically comprised of 7th and 8th graders (I don’t know why they call it modified, except that maybe because of the minor rule changes).
These thoughts go through my head these days because I’ve been refereeing a lot of modified lacrosse games the past four weeks. Fulton, Central Square, Oswego, Syracuse East, Syracuse West, Whitesboro, and Auburn – and most of these teams more than once.
Obviously, I’m not privy to what goes on at these teams’ practices. I don’t know how much time they spend on this or that. I don’t know what drills they do or how many touches a player might get in any given day. I can’t speak to what the coaches are doing day in and day out.
But honestly, I reffed my last modified game last night, and my partner said to me late in the game, “This is not good lacrosse.” I couldn’t argue.
So I’m basing the following ideas strictly on what I’ve seen over the past month. And granted, it’s easy for me to sit back in my rocking chair and opine on the state of the 7th and 8th grade game in Upstate New York. I’ll admit that it’s a very small sample size. I haven’t reffed a Bville game, or an F-M, West Genesee, Marcellus, LaFayette, or Liverpool game this year.
Still, allow me to make some suggestions…
Please preach the importance of using both hands. Yes, truth be told, many can get away with being one-handed, but the players who can use both hands are so much more prepared for the challenges that await – and they will never get their on their own. Make the boys use both hands every day in various drills.
From what I’ve seen, more work needs to be done on ground balls. Reffing these games, you’d be amazed to see how often the kids just cover and clamp down on a loose ball, maybe expecting everyone else to leave them alone because they – what – got to it first? At the college level, we stress first-time ground balls. In a perfect world, we want every GB to fall into that category, but at the modified level? Never. Coaches, please introduce the concept, use the phrase, and recognize a player who manages to scoop it up on his first try (in the kids’ defense, though, most of the modified games I’ve reffed have been on fields with knee-high grass; still, the game field is often the same one used for practices, so…). Also, please see to it that players understand they can’t just pick up a ground ball and stop running, or turn into traffic. Tell them that once they do finally pick up a ball, it’s time to run away from the crowd (“Get out of Dodge!”). And while we’re at it, stress the concept of moving the ball to the perimeter as soon as possible after a GB. Too may players look to dodge to or feed the crease once they win a ground ball. Trust me – a quick perimeter pass (maybe even followed by another one or two) will do more damage in the long run.
Next, let’s talk about clearing. Again, I’ll admit that an aggressive, maybe larger attackman might win more than 50% of the loose balls thrown his way via “Gilman” or “cheap” Hail Mary clears, but what are we teaching? I’ve see 7th and 8th grade defenders heave the ball backwards over their shoulders when facing their own goal, lacking the confidence or know-how to dodge, turn, run, and find an actual target. The other common strategy at this level is to give the ball to the biggest, fastest, best midfielder and let him do a “punt-return” clear. Again, it might be a better clearing average, but what are we teaching? Clearing is really quite simple: the clearing team has seven players; the riding team has six. Let’s teach players how to create 2v1s and find the open player. Clear via passing rather than watching a teammate do it all himself.
Reminder: no one is reading modified boys lacrosse scores on lacrosse websites. College coaches aren’t coming to junior high games with scholarship offers. The purpose of modified sports in general is to introduce basics and get kids to enjoy the sport. Sure, wins are more fun than losses, but modified is about teaching.
So, let’s talk offense and defense.
For offense, stress on-ball and off-ball picks. And clear out for the sweep or the dodge from X. Demonstrate how effective a give-and-go might be. Judging by what I’ve seen this spring, these basic fundamentals aren’t in the players’ toolboxes – or vocabulary.
On defense, don’t settle for playing zone. Yes, it’s easier to teach (maybe). And maybe it’s your best option on game day. But again, what are we teaching? Play “NBA” defense in practice (no sticks, just hands on opponent and plenty of footwork). Use nubs to do 1v1s. Have defensemen – and midfielders – do footwork drills. We like to say that lacrosse is the fastest game on two feet, but there aren’t a lot of 7th or 8th graders doing very much running.
Teach defenders (long and short sticks) to take away the middle of the field when up top and top side when playing from behind. Are they going to be perfect? Of course not – but we’ve got to introduce the idea at the modified level. Those who get it will be the starters on JV – or maybe even varsity; trust me.
More for defenders… two words: choke up! I tell defenders I’m new to that when the other team has the ball, hold the stick at full length; use every inch of that stick! But when the ball is on the ground, in a teammate’s stick, or in your own stick, choke up; hold that long stick like one of those beach toys. Slide those hands up and don’t worry about the butt end. You’ll be able the throw, catch, scoop up ground balls, and cradle that much better if you choke up. Fact!
And while we’re on that topic, coaches, please don't let your shorter d-men use 72” sticks. They can’t handle them. Yes, those titanium and alloy babies are expensive and I can understand why Dad won’t allow Junior to cut his six-footer down a few inches, but maybe Modified Coach can talk Varsity Coach into adding a few extra poles into the program budget so he can cut them down for his 7th and 8th grade d-corps. In just two years, the Varsity Coach will have better stick-handlers coming up through the program. Guaranteed!
I’ve seen some pretty good modified goalies this year, especially when it comes to their passing skills. But I’ve also seen shots blow past goalies who look like they’re struggling to get in front of the ball. Coaches, work with your goalies. Use tennis balls or soft lacrosse balls. Young goalies don’t have to be covered in bruises or duck when the ball comes at them. Build confidence with softer balls. And your goalie doesn’t have to see every shot taken in practice, either. Find a back-up and let them share time, especially in shooting drills. Have your shooters practice with targets or dummy goalies, not your starter. Instead, let him step away from the cage and do hand-eye coordination drills, footwork drills, etc. And yes, goalies can do the same stickwork drills as everyone else – right, left, GBs, over-the-shoulder, etc.
Finally, explain some of the procedural rules so your players don’t annoy refs with ignorant protests. Explain the differences between personal fouls and technical fouls, what gets wiped out by a goal and what doesn’t. Explain that offensive end restarts always begin out in the alley, never inside the box. Let them know that no player can carry the ball into the crease (and the call is “out and in,” not “in and out.” After all, “in and out” is what happens all game long, right?).
Tell your players about possession at the end of quarters when man-up or man-down. It appears that kids think they need to force an extra-man shot at the end of the period, when that’s usually the wrong play.
Coaches, cover face-offs, man-up, and man-down. I know it’s a lot, but that’s your job. If you only do enough for your team to win, many of your players won’t be learning enough skills to contribute at the JV level, let alone varsity or maybe even college.
I know, I know. There are only so many hours in a day. Maybe you’ve only got 90 minutes of practice time each day. It’s a short season. Kids are squirrely at this age. There are all kinds of excuses, but I’m pretty confident that more can be done.
Don’t give up!
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Once again, please, drive carefully, and put down that cell phone! Donate blood. Get vaccinated. Volunteer. Put a dollar in the collection jar, and stay safe, stay smart, and stay kind. Help someone in need – and be sure to take care of your crew!
- Dan Witmer
Dan is the author of four books: The Best of Road Trip Dad – The Laker Lacrosse Collection is an accumulation of 45 articles written for www.JustLacrosseUpstate between the years 2012 and 2018, about the history and traditions, the people, and the stories of the Oswego State men’s lacrosse program. … and piles to go before I sleep – The Book of Wit is his memoir describing his 33-year career teaching HS English and coaching at Hannibal Central School. His third book, The Best of RTD – A Lacrosse Coach’s Handbook contains more than 55 weekly Road Trip Dad blogs spanning 2012-2020, featuring Xs and Os, highs and lows, and even some Dos and Don'ts, and plenty of advice for coaches of all levels. His latest book, The Best of Road Trip Dad – On the Shoulders of Giants: Upstate’s Lacrosse Founders and Legends, profiles more than 50 icons who helped grow the game in Upstate NY. All four books are available at www.amazon.com.
Dan grew up in Lynbrook, NY before coming to Oswego State to earn his teaching and coaching certifications. He then taught English at Hannibal High School for 33 years before retiring in 2015.
In addition to coaching the Oswego State Laker men’s lacrosse team part-time from 1982-2010, Dan also coached JV and varsity girls’ soccer at Hannibal for 16 years, girls’ ice hockey at Oswego HS for 8 years, and boys’ JV and varsity lacrosse at Oswego HS for 12 years.
Dan is now in his 18th year assisting Summit Lacrosse Ventures with their various tournaments, especially the annual Lake Placid Summit Classic, and he worked for 3d Lacrosse for three years as well. He has served on the staffs of the 2014 FIL World Games in Denver, the 2015 FIL Indoor Championships in Syracuse, the 2018 FIL World Games in Netanya, Israel, the 2022 U21 World Championship in Limerick, Ireland, and the World Lacrosse Championships in San Diego in 2023. He was the game ops staff director for the World Lacrosse Men’s and Women’s Box Championships in Utica in September of 2024. This year he created Witmer Solutions LLC, a lacrosse event staffing and internship offering service that he hopes will get his foot – and others’ – in the door at lacrosse events worldwide.
Dan served as the Community Service Coordinator for the Oswego State athletic department from 2010-2023 and has been a certified lacrosse referee for the past seven years. He has also been the Volunteer Event Organizer for the annual St. Baldrick’s fundraiser in Oswego for the past 18 years, raising more than one million dollars for childhood cancer research.
In 2023, he returned to the Oswego State coaching staff as an assistant coach, where he currently serves as defensive coordinator and alumni liaison.
Dan and Sue Witmer live in Oswego, while their sons Brian and Eric are currently living in Prague and Denver.
The hope is for many more road trips to come.