Advanced Development Program

A good example is helping our offensive players increase their shooting velocity and accuracy.  To achieve better results, we explain how foot and arm angles enable a player’s core strength to be maximized.  Another example is the awareness our dodgers must have if their “first move” does work against a good defender.   Each year, we make a strong point of emphasis on proper approaches, how to create contact, different ways to counter contact, and reading defensive players.  Counter dodges or “2nd moves” are coached such as the execution of a split and roll, swim and roll, in-out-in, etc.   

For young defenders who may be picking up long poles for the first time, our Directors Jamie Hanford and Will Koshansky and Eclipse Coaches Ryan McClay and Tommy Smith continue to add to the curriculum using a mix of skills they learned growing up and the current trends being used by college and professional players of today.  For defensive players, we are making sure we teach the correct footwork, angles, and a basic understanding of individual vs team defensive concepts.  Many of the drills we have our players execute are drills they can perform on their own in their backyards or before/after their practices throughout the year. The “magnified” curriculum on defense increases the focus on finer details such as the proper angles to take to cut off an offensive player at X, hand placement and a balanced stance when using a long pole, and when and how to be an aggressive checker.