The Scoop Spring 2017 | Page 25

While finding a place to play box lacrosse can be difficult, MBYLL coaches are turning to Chumash as an alternative to learn some valuable offensive concepts surrounding pick and rolls and various two-man offensive tactics without having to find a box lacrosse facility.

In Chumash, the playing area is tighter than the traditional 10-on-10 playing field, which poses a challenge for the offense as open space is usually tougher to find. This emphasizes the importance of pick-and-rolls to create space for the ball carrier as well as his teammates. If players are able to learn to set picks and communicate with their teammates in Chumash, this will be to their advantage once they expand their game to the big field.

Additionally, the tight playing field of Chumash mixed with the narrow goal accentuate the importance of accuracy of passes and shooting. Often times, young lacrosse players feel as if they have to shoot the ball as fast as they can in order to score a goal. But MBYLL coaches across the Bay State have been able to use Chumash to show players how important accuracy is when taking a shot. At the end of the day, if young players are able to score on a 12-inch wide net, shooting on the traditional 6 feet by 6 feet goal will be exponentially easier.

While Chumash offers a lot of teaching focus for the offense, it offers just as much for the defense. When it comes to defense, the ability to communicate as a team is one of the most important

attributes regardless of the playing level. Communication is crucial for slides, getting around picks on defense, stopping fast breaks, etc. While Chumash is a much more controlled game than traditional 10-on-10, the need for defensive communication is magnified by the small playing area and lack of additional teammates. In this sense, if the offense beats the defender—even by a half a step—the odds of scoring are substantially higher. This makes communicating with teammates to get through screens and determining who is sliding to help the defender even more important. However, once players are able to master these defensive principles in Chumash with communication, their team defense is bound to drastically improve when expanding the field.

Chumash has become an invaluable asset to coaches all across MBYLL. From offense to defense, the game

offers many tactical and technical teaching points that coaches have been able to use set a foundation for what they hope to achieve in a 10-on-10 setting. Dalton and other coaches have found Chumash so beneficial, they’ve decided to take the game beyond the practice field.

Dalton, who started his own town summer Chumash program several years ago, has personally looked to grow the game, starting with his own program in Chelmsford. “For our program, I have gotten many dads to build the special Chumash nets in town (a chicken in every pot and a Chumash net in every yard, was my motto) and then bring them for our Chumash summer program,” he quipped.

For young players new to the game of lacrosse, Chumash offers a unique opportunity to grow and develop their game. Dalton points to Chelmsford’s U9 program as a direct benefactor of the boom of Chumash. “Our U9 program was run in house last year and Chumash was its most important central organizing principle,” Dalton added. “It offered our players lots of touches, small space, game fundamentals, etc.”

With older players, many coaches in the Chelmsford program have turned to Chumash to switch things up at practice, often rewarding players for their hard work with a game of Chumash. However, outside of spring practices, Chumash has grown immensely, offering the unique game to be played all summer long. “During the summer, we use a big soccer field and have it broken into small spaces,” Dalton explained. “Last year we took over a big field and had the field lined for the entire summer just dedicated to Chumash!”

For Flip Naumberg and those at Rock-It Pocket in the early 1990s, Chumash was initially created just for fun. But as the game has grown, MBYLL programs such as Chelmsford have incorporated key learning points of the game while maintaining a level of fun that will leave lacrosse players of any age across MBYLL, New England, and the entire United States wanting more Chumash.

The Scoop / Spring '17 25