Shock???!!! You run a zone D. people would be "shocked" if you could run with the better teams, not just slow them down.
Wait, what coach has 11 & 12 year olds playing a zone???? That's ridiculous. There is a time and a place for a zone defense, and it's not in youth lacrosse. I'm a defensive coach for my district's varsity team and a former collegiate pole. A zone defense should be used to supplement your regular defense when you encounter matchup issues. You should never run a zone at the youth level. It teaches the boys nothing and doesn't prepare them for the game at an advanced level. Generally, zone defenses are employed by coaches that don't understand the game. It's very easy to employ; however, it should only be used AFTER boys have learned the full intracies of a man defense. And no 11, 12, 13 or 14 year old has yet. Honestly, if your coach has never played the game, your team is going to have a hard time transitioning to the next level. You'll more likely find that the team will plateau and no matter how much you practice your team won't improve.
Agreed. Youth is about learning how to play the game correctly. Playing a zone at this age is playing to win instead of learning the game. That'll get old really quickly as teams/coaching gets better and their zone is exposed. Then they switch to man and get smoked because the kids can't play. Generally a youth team plays a zone because its lacks athletes at the position or the coach figures its the easiest thing to teach.
Are people on here criticizing strategy? That's the problem in this sport plenty of old school/dated methods most likely not yielding much success - just because you were taught something 10-20 years ago doesn't mean that's the best way today - things change with time and for the better as people get smarter....to each's own....doesn't the #1 team in this age group run a zone? and run it well? They go by the name of the Bandits and anytime we've played them they ran a zone D....not to compare as I've never heard of this other team but to post opinion based comments is absurd and disrespectful. Plenty of nameless experts on this site...does anyone on here show their children what they post or even why they post? Most likely not...if so - what's the reaction? Can't be good....I think everyone is forgetting what this is all about - the KIDS. As adults we can do and say what we want but don't lose focus of the fact that's it's not about us - anymore. We had our time...leave them be and let them have fun in whatever they're being taught...opinions are perspectives - neither right or wrong but to express it in disrespectful manner - not ok.
Many of Bandits defenders are midfielders who changed positions to be on the team. They are fast, have great stick skills and learned how to play man-to-man as a middie. I'm not sure your point is altogether relevant, but thanks a lot for contributing to the negativity that you loquaciously lament.
