Field Hockey: coaching points block tackle

I am coaching my first season as head coach. I am confident that my team has improved on alot of skills (mostly due to sportplan.net, thank you!). The only thing that is driving me crazy that my team has not improved on is the over committing block tackle. When an opponent is coming down the field on a breakway, my defense runs up and block tackles, and the opponent shoots right past them. This will happen two or three times in a row, one defender after the other. I've told them to keep their feet moving and to keep off their toes, keeping their momentum with the opponent. I don't know how to practice this with them. We only have 9 players (this is a high school varsity team) so we can't scrimmage full field during practice. Please help! I'm desperate for a solution.

Hi allI'm running a session on friday night (21 April 2017) and was hoping to move beyond stuff like deflection goals only, to compensate for not having any goalkeepers.Session theme is unfortunately on goalscoring too.Any tips/suggestions?I have some rebound nets (crazy catch), which might actually work brilliantly to simulate saves but any other ideas would be welcomed.Regards,Gary

Hi all- I am 37 years old. I played field hockey for 3 years only (in high school). As you can imagine, I'm not very good/experienced. I was a competitive soccer player which made me good enough athletically to play field hockey but anyway, the point is: I never played field hockey at a high level.I now find myself in a head coaching position. (Long story-I did coach some field hockey some years ago and had a blast but it was a while back). Anyway, I have three assistant coaches who aren't much more experienced than I am. Our high school program is VERY weak and so nobody really steps up to coach there.Basically, my question is: what do I do? I have some girls who have played but not much. Then I have girls who literally don't know how to hold their stick and are quite I athletic. We barely have enough girls to field a team. As for drills, I'm trying to use this site but if you were in my position, what specifically would you be doing with these girls so they don't lose 7-0 every game? Right now, I'm focusing on body control and comfort with the ball- (we are playing possession and they are so uncomfortable they just hit the ball away because they don't have the skills to hold). Any help you can give is greatly appreciated!Brooke Asked using Sportplan Mobile App

I've got some girls aged 11-14, basically made up from two different clubs. We're playing 7 a side and have a squad of 12. One club dominates in terms of numbers (75% of the squad) and although they are not doing anything 'wrong' at all, the 9 players are accustomed to their own company and there's a bit of a divide that has emerged. I can't understand why the players aren't just getting on with things but I'm getting some reactionary behaviour from some players, because of this 2 camp scenario. Any tips?Thanks.

I just became the head coach of a middle school field hockey team and would like some pointers on how to coach. I have experience with goal keeping and defensive drills, I was a keeper, so I would like to learn more about offense as well. Any help is appreciated!!

In field hockey, how do you hit a tomahawk flat and accurately?

Hi allI am looking for advice on how to implement processes in my girls school hockey team. processes of setting up presses, defensive structures and counter attacking thinking. I have 14 players in the team from 15 years old to 18. we train twice a week. only a few play club hockey as well. We either play a 3-1-4-2 or a 3-1-3-3.I find it difficult for example, when you want to teach a press on the opposition 16, to simulate gameplay with only 14 players (if they are all at training). I can have my halves setup for taking the 16 and then get my strikers and links to setup, but then I still want defenders to see things from the back but they are taking the 16? Also when taking the 16 they then don't have any support in the drill because everyone else is setting up a press?I know we need to work on our basics in order for the other tactics and skills and game plans to work. However I find it frustrating with this team that on counter attacks for a few reasons which I am struggling to mend;- they only head forward. No one holds up the ball to wait for support.- they run straight and don't use angles- they pass too late and get tackled - they don't have the vision to see an early pass or pass into space- players without the ball do not run into useful positions and angles and get caught out by the person with the ball who then makes a pass to no one and it runs out of play.So suggestions please for;- open, creative but simple counter attacking- teaching processes for presses on free hits and 16s- coaching how to take 16s and work your way out- coaching vision and expecting your players to be in support. RegardsMatt

hi allI'm currently coaching 12 and 13 yr olds and the team has a massive problem with shape and being disciplined positionally.Any tips, ideas, drills etc for helping with / teaching this?many thanks,Gary