Girls’ Beginner Lacrosse Practice Plan: Developing Skills Through Play

This practice plan is designed for young girls who are just beginning their women’s lacrosse journey, providing a fun and engaging introduction to the sport. The focus is on developing fundamental skills like scooping, cradling, and ground balls, while incorporating free play to help them build confidence and a natural feel for the game.

00:00 to 00:15
Scooping and Shooting
Keep players engaged from the moment they arrive
Suggested Drill: Scoop and Shoot

00:15 to 00:25
Warm up and Jog around the field

00:25 to 00:40
Teaching how to Cradle
Suggested Article: Cradling the lacrosse ball for beginners

00:40 to 1:00
Teaching how to pick up a ground pall
Suggested Drill: The 5 yard Scoop drill

1:00 to 1:20
Fun drill using cradling skills and ground ball technique
Suggested Drill: Steal the bacon

1:20 to 2:00
Let them play!
Let the kids have fun with the game. Set up two goals at each end, no goalies. When a team scores, the defense grabs the ball and pushes play the other way—no stoppages, just continuous action. It’ll be chaotic—plenty of dropped passes—but as long as they’re safe, let them play and discover their love for lacrosse. Don’t stress about offsides or technical rules. Avoid over-coaching—kids learn best by playing, experimenting, and figuring things out for themselves.
Suggested Article: Let Them Play: A Simple, Fun Lacrosse Game for Young Beginners


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This practice plan is designed to introduce young girls to the fundamentals of girls’ lacrosse in a fun and engaging way. At this early stage, the focus is on building confidence, enthusiasm, and a love for the game. Instead of overwhelming beginners with too many rules, this practice prioritizes hands-on learning, allowing girls to stay active, develop instincts, and enjoy playing.

By emphasizing repetition, movement, and free play, this session helps girls develop essential skills such as scooping, cradling, and ground ball control. The practice ends with a scrimmage, giving players a chance to experience game flow, make decisions on their own, and build their lacrosse IQ.

Scooping and Shooting

One of the first skills girls need to learn in lacrosse is how to scoop a ground ball, as it is key to maintaining possession. This drill reinforces proper technique—getting low, using two hands, and following through—while incorporating shooting to keep things exciting. Girls love taking shots, and adding this element ensures they stay engaged and eager to practice.

Warm-Up and Movement

Keeping girls active from the moment practice starts is essential. A dynamic warm-up helps prepare their bodies, improves coordination, and builds excitement for the session ahead. Warming up with light jogging, agility drills, and stick work ensures they are ready to perform at their best.

Cradling Basics

Cradling is one of the most important skills in girls’ lacrosse, allowing players to maintain control while moving. Many beginners struggle with this at first, but with practice and repetition, they will develop a natural feel for it. Encouraging girls to experiment and adjust their technique on their own helps them build confidence with the stick.

Ground Ball Drills

Winning ground balls is crucial in girls’ lacrosse, as it often determines which team controls possession. Teaching girls to scoop quickly and effectively gives them an advantage on the field. Ground ball work should be a consistent focus in every girls’ lacrosse practice, ensuring players develop this fundamental skill early on.

Fun Game: Steal the Bacon

Games like Steal the Bacon keep girls engaged while reinforcing key skills. This drill combines ground ball pickups and cradling under pressure, making it a great way to introduce competition in a fun, low-stress way. By making skill-building enjoyable, players are more likely to stay motivated and eager to improve.

Let Them Play!

The best way for girls to develop their lacrosse skills is through free play. Setting up a scrimmage with no goaliesallows them to run, scoop, cradle, and shoot without rigid structure. The game will be messy—balls will be dropped, mistakes will happen—but that’s part of the learning process. The goal is to keep the girls active, let them make their own decisions, and help them develop a natural feel for the game.

At this stage, there’s no need to worry about offsides or strict positioning rules. The focus should be on letting the girls play freely, experiment with their skills, and most importantly, have fun. Coaches should avoid overcorrecting and instead let players learn through experience.

This girls’ lacrosse practice plan ensures that young athletes build confidence, develop essential skills, and foster a lifelong love for the game in an engaging and supportive environment.