At-home lacrosse drills for 11 to 13 year olds: midfield

This is a free sample week of at-home lacrosse training for 11 to 13 year olds, for a midfield: 3 of the 7 plans SSTracker has for this group, each 13 to 14 minutes, with every step and minute. Nothing here is written for this page alone; it is what the app gives a family.

Everything here can be done in a room, garage or yard. Drills that need a team are left out; a parent can be the partner in a pair drill.

A free sample week of lacrosse for 11 to 13 year olds

Session 1

Transition legs 13 minutes

Split dodge footwork · 4 min
Plant hard, switch hands, accelerate
Cradle sprints, 20 yards x 6 · 5 min
Full rest between
Change of direction around cones · 4 min
Low hips into the turn

Session 2

Midfield: Cradle and Dodge 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Cradle and Dodge · 5 min
Hands relaxed, stick away from pressure.
Snap-Down to Stick · 5 min
Snap and stick, quiet feet. Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Session 3

Midfield: Zigzag Dodge Run 14 minutes

Warm-up: easy jog, skips and arm circles · 2 min
Start slow and build up. Loosen up; nothing should hurt.
Zigzag Dodge Run · 5 min
Plant, switch, explode. Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight.
Off-Hand Scoops · 5 min
Switch hands early. Safety: No body contact: go for the ball, never the player. Helmet and gloves on when a partner rolls the ball.
Cool-down: walk and easy stretches · 2 min
Breathe slowly and hold each stretch about 20 seconds, never to pain.

Want the rest of the plan?

This sample is 3 of the 7 lacrosse plans SSTracker has for this group. In SSTracker every step is on the screen, your child logs the work, and you see it. No club needed: the family plan is $7.50 a month per player, or $12 a month for the whole household, and the first 14 days are free.

Get the full plan free for 14 days Coach or club director? Set up your team free Print a free week for another sport or age

The drills in this week

Cradle and Dodge

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Protect the ball while you move around defenders.

Set 4 cones in a line.
Cradle with your stick across your body as you move.
Dodge around each cone with a quick change of direction.
Do 6 trips.

Coach's cue: Hands relaxed, stick away from pressure.

Bring: stick, lacrosse ball, cones

Snap-Down to Stick

Ages 10 to 14 · 8 min

Rise onto your toes with arms up, then snap down into a quick athletic landing. The safest way to learn to absorb force.

Stand tall and rise onto your toes with arms high.
Quickly drop your arms and hips into a quarter squat on flat feet.
Hold the landing: knees over toes, chest up, for 2 seconds.
Do 3 sets of 5.

Coach's cue: Snap and stick, quiet feet.

Bring: soft ground

Safety: Land softly on grass or a mat, knees over toes, never caving in. Keep the number of jumps low. Stop if knees, shins or ankles hurt.

Zigzag Dodge Run

Ages 11 and up · 10 min

Carry the ball through a zigzag at speed, planting hard at each cone.

Set 6 cones in a zigzag 5 yards apart.
Cradle through, switching hands at each cone.
Sprint the last 10 yards.
Do 6 runs.

Coach's cue: Plant, switch, explode.

Bring: lacrosse stick, ball, 6 cones

Safety: Warm up first. Stop if a muscle feels tight.

Off-Hand Scoops

Ages 11 and up · 8 min

Scoop with your weaker hand on top so you can pick up a ground ball on either side.

Roll the ball off a wall or have a partner roll it to your off side.
Switch to your weaker hand on top before you reach it.
Scoop through and pull the stick to your ear.
Do 20 scoops and count the clean ones.

Coach's cue: Switch hands early.

Bring: lacrosse stick, ball, partner or wall

Safety: No body contact: go for the ball, never the player. Helmet and gloves on when a partner rolls the ball.

Safety for ages 11 to 13

Plans for this age group use beginner and developing drills only. Advanced drills open from age 13 in the app.
Home plans use only drills for a room, garage or yard. Stop if anything hurts.

Before you start: lacrosse

Boys: helmet, mouthguard, gloves, arm pads and shoulder pads (ND200).
Girls: certified eyewear (goggles) and a mouthguard. Goalies wear an ND200 chest protector.
Boys: no body checking at 10U; follow your league's rules at 12U. Girls' lacrosse has no body checking at any age.
Stick checks only to the stick, down and away; never at the head or neck.
Shooting: an empty goal or a goalie in full gear, and keep the shooting lane clear.
Scoop ground balls with knees bent, back flat and eyes up.

For every sport and age (7)

Head knock or concussion signs (headache, dizziness, confusion, feeling "off"): when in doubt, sit them out. See a doctor, and no return the same day.
Back to sport only with a doctor's written OK, after a step-by-step return. Every U.S. state has a youth concussion law.
Heat: drink water before, during and after. Take shade breaks, ease into hot weather over about two weeks, and stop if dizzy, sick or headachy.
Lightning: if you hear thunder or see lightning, go inside a building or a closed car. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder (the 30-30 rule).
Pain is a stop sign, not something to push through. Stop and tell a grown-up; pain that lasts or comes back each session needs a doctor.
Water and rest are part of training: 1-2 rest days a week, plenty of sleep, a meal or snack before and after, and other sports welcome.
Know where the nearest AED (heart defibrillator) is, and who calls for help in an emergency.

The research behind these plans

Which drills are shown at which age, and the safety notes, follow the 21 sources below: national governing bodies, medical associations and studies on youth sport (last reviewed October 2026). Where no study gives an exact number, the plans use cautious defaults, and we change them as the research does.

Lacrosse: governing bodies, safety and development (1)

USA Lacrosse, 2024 rule changes for boys' high school and youth lacrosse

Youth athletic development and safety (20)