This document provides coaching tips to improve a youth field hockey team. It lists strategies for passing, receiving, hitting, running off the ball, defending, and tactics. Key advice includes passing into open space rather than only when pressured; running diagonally to receive through passes; and maintaining possession under pressure by getting the ball to the defender's foot. The document emphasizes communication, commitment, and not letting mistakes affect composure.

1. Youth Field Hockey
What can be improved?
Derek E. Pappas

2. Mission
Run
Communicate
Have fun
Be committed

3. No around the back
switches
Move the ball across the midfield outside the 25
16 yard hits
Make a gap by standing in front of the other teams
forwards
Our forwards run back behind the gap to receive the
ball

4. Can't receive a through ball
on reverse stick if ...
If dont’t run diagonally to the right behind the defender
If the passer does not push the ball down the line.

5. If you don't run back to
receive thru ball ...
The other team will cut you out and get the ball
Creating a counter attack.

6. Can't push ball on the run
if ...
The straight part of the stick is not on the ball
If your wrists are not bent
If the ball is not by your right foot

7. No really strong hits
If the ball is left of your left foot
Get the ball between your feet
Get your right hand on top
keep you eye on the ball
turn you shoulders on your backswing
plant you left foot and bend your right knee

8. Can't pull ball back and hit
right
If you make the first touch to the left.
Stop the ball
Play it to your right foot
Turn your body 90 degrees and drill it
This will probably make the biggest difference

9. Can't stop hard hits
Use a vertical stick stop
Don’t be lazy and use a horizontal stick stop

10. Ball not by right foot
If your first touch is with your front sticks to the left you
are finished on grass or slow turf
Get the ball by your right root
Bend your wrists, back, knees, and ankles

11. Bad hits
Will give the ball away.
Watch the ball
Sweep hit the ball while standing up
Don’t chop wood
Don’t play baseball and swing and miss.
Stay down on the ball (bend your back)

12. Not much running off of the
ball
On offense run off of the ball
run right around the back of the ball carrier for a flat
pass
run diagonally through for a through ball
On defense stay with your man
don’t watch the ball

13. Problems receiving ball on
the run
Use short steps
Be in balance
Keep your eye on the ball
Stop the ball on the straight part of the stick
Get the stick vertical if the ball is bouncing
First touch away from the defender

14. Once they start running and
dribbling they look down
and do not pass
Look up
Don’t count bugs on the ground

15. Defenders don't step up to
put pressure on the player

16. Player with the ball when in
trouble does not go for the
foot to-maintain possession
When you are in trouble get the ball on the defenders
foot
Stop the ball.
Pull it to your right foot
Or curl it into the defenders foot

17. retain possession
Don’t give the ball up easily
Pass into the gaps where people are RUNNING
Put the ball onto the players stick
If you do lose the ball chase the player who has it their
team is probably not organized yet and you can get it
back
If you are winning 1-0 put the ball in the right corner
and ICE IT

18. Once the ball starts traveling
in on direction it continues in
that direction
If you move the ball from right to left and then are faced
with the sideline SPIN AWAY backwards and pass right
If you are running to the end line pass 5-10 yards
before you get there if you cannot run the curl around
the baseline. Put the other team other pressure.
Don’t let the sidelines or the end

19. Defenders do use stick
faints
to move offensive player with the
ball around
Don’t commit your body-Bruce Lee
Basketball defense-stay in front of
your man

20. Not much deception when
on the ball
Gives the defender control over the situtuation
Move the defender around with body dodges and
looking one way and passing another
Fake moving the ball one way and go the other.
Fake a pass right pass left and get the return pass
Visa versa

21. Not many give and goes

22. Not Many diagonal runs off
of the ball
Will allow the defense to control the situation
If you run diagonally behind the defense and get
through passes sent down the channels you will break
the game open

23. The entire team runs from
side to side
And then the other side is wide open for attack or
counter attack.
Maintain some width
Attack down the side lines where there are fewer
defenders
Defense don’t get caught pushed to one side and with
a flat back line-someone has to be the sweeper to
cover

24. Sticks are not flat on tackles
No swinging the stick.
Slide the stick when you tackle
Jab tackle when the move the stick over the ball
Use Faints/fakes
Bend your knees

25. No lifts on the run over
defenders sticks
And you run it flat into their front stick and they will
dispossess you
lift the ball over the defender’s flat stick tackle

26. Lots of lifted hits
An d you lose the ball

27. Ball outside of left foot on
hits
And you lose the ball

28. No spin sways with ball from
defender
And it becomes a 50/50 situation
Move away from the defenders stick

29. No vertical stick stops
And you will probably miss the bouncing ball
Push your left hand forward
Thumb down the back of the stick
Catch the ball with your right hand

30. No running the arc
And you do not put the other team under pressure
Run the arc and change the angle of the attack
Force the defender to turn
Create new gaps to pass the ball into and for others to
run into

31. No more than one pass and
then they run with the ball
If you receive the ball and don’t know where you are
going to pass to you have a problem and will probably
be under pressure
Look where to pass before you receive the ball
Move the ball into space as you receive the ball if you
can.
Pass as soon as possible. The ball moves faster than
the man. Turn the defenders by changing the play

32. They dump thru balls thru
behind defenders and run
If you are playing a run and gun team which pushes the
ball down the field and then pressures the ball
You need to get to the ball first
You need to get the ball on your right foot.
You need to make a good first pass pass

33. When running with the ball
they only pass when under
If you only pass when the defense is pressuring you
then you are letting the defense dictate the play
Dominate by passing into space and running onto the
ball
Repeat

34. No over the ball dummies

35. Players pass the ball when
they really aren't under any

36. it ends up going to the other
team

37. How do teams dominate
Hit the ball harder past the press
Pass down reverse stick and run after ball
Pressure the other team’s 16 yard hits
Be fitter and run by people

38. Commit fouls to break up
the other team’s flow
hip check
body check
stick foul
Especially after you score and at the beginning and end
of the game and do it outside of the 25 yard line
I NEVER SAID THIS :)

39. End game
If you are tied towards the end of the game and the
game goes to strokes to decide the winner ICE THE
BALL
Don’t get beaten with a counter attack

40. If you are playing a team
that is hitting long through
passes
You need to make sure you do not get beaten because
you missed the ball.
Do not deflect the ball past your defenders
Deflections usually help the offense
Space out the defense and don’t get caught flat

41. Short corners
Push it out to the top
Keep it simple
Push the ball on goal and rush the pads-reboud
Push it out
run around to the right to receive the ball
Shoot if you have space or drive to the goal or get a
foot

42. 3-2-1
3 defenders
2 midfielders
1 attacker

43. Roles
Attacker-receive ball with back to defense and dish it
off to midfielders
Attacker run into space
Right mid-go into attack along side line and cut in pass
through or pass square
Left mid-pass left to right square or forwards diagonally
or run left to right to put pressure on defense
Right defender supports the attack-if he goes up left
mid must drop in defense
Left back and center back are DEFENDERS

44. Tactics
Short passing to control ball
Long hard hits/overheads to release pressure
See other pages

45. Words of wisdom
Remain calm
Don’t be introspective-scores are 1-0 2-3
Mistakes will be made
The other team wants you to get mad because they
know you will play poorly

46. Final words
Run
Communicate
Have fun
Be committed