Lacrosse For Dummies

Your complete guide to the fastest growing sport in North America! Whether you′re a player, coach, or fan of field or box lacrosse, this friendly guide explains everything you need to know about the game. From the basic rules of the men′s andwomen′s games and the fundamentals of passing and catching to advanced offensive and defensive strategies, you′ll discover how to get the most out of this exciting sport. Understand the essentials — meet the players on the field and floor, discover how the game is played, and get to know the rules Get equipped — choose the perfect stick and select protective gear that gives you the freedom to move Become a better player — bone up on basic technique, develop your passing and catching skills through drills, and learn how to evade defenders and stop offensive players Improve as a team — investigate how your team can play as one — both offensively and defensively — to increase your chances of victory Coach like a pro — figure out what style of play suits your team, draw up winning game plans, and keep your players sharp Cheer from the sidelines — find the best ways to follow lacrosse on television, online, or in print; check out the top high schooland college teams; and keep up with the pros in the MLL and NLL Open the book and find: What makes women′s lacrosse unique How to read referees′ signals Helpful tips from star college and professional players Traits every great goalie must have How lacrosse is similar to basketball and hockey The ingredients for effective special teams Mental and physical conditioning plans to keep you game–ready Profiles of the top players Learn to: Understand the field, box, and women′s games Get the proper equipment Improve your offensive and defensive skills Keep up with college and professional games

Foreword. Introduction. Part I: Getting Started. Chapter 1: Lacrosse and You. Chapter 2: Suiting Up: Buying the Right Equipment. Chapter 3: Meeting the Team. Chapter 4: Laying Down the (Lacrosse) Law. Part II: Playing Lacrosse. Chapter 5: Getting the Ball into the Goal: Developing Offensive Skills. Chapter 6: Putting the Ball in the Goal: Shooting Fundamentals. Chapter 7: Keeping the Ball out of the Goal: Developing Defensive Skills. Chapter 8: Goaltending. Chapter 9: The Possession Game. Chapter 10: Practicing Team Offense and Defense. Chapter 11: Calling on the Special Forces: Specialty Teams. Chapter 12: Becoming a Better Lacrosse Player — Physically and Mentally. Part III: Coaching Lacrosse. Chapter 13: Fundamentals of Coaching Lacrosse. Chapter 14: Developing Your Coaching Philosophy for the Offense. Chapter 15: Coaching Defensively. Part IV: Following Lacrosse: The Fan′s Point of View. Chapter 16: How to Watch Lacrosse. Chapter 17: Getting in the Game. Chapter 18: Keeping Up with the Pros. Part V: The Part of Tens. Chapter 19: Ten of the Greatest Men′s and Women′s Lacrosse Players. Chapter 20: Ten Reasons to Get Excited about Lacrosse. Chapter 21: Ten Interesting Facts about Lacrosse. Glossary. Appendix: Resources. Index.

Jim Hinkson has coached at every level of lacrosse, from house league to professional. He has authored five books on lacrosse and coaching. Joe Lombardi is a multimedia journalist and was named man of the year in 2008 by the Lacrosse Coaches Association of the Hudson Valley in New York.