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It’s that time of the year when parents of young athletes are having the spring sport sign-up discussion. Perhaps you’re a parent of a “veteran” youth lacrosse player and the muscle memory of filling out rec. league forms is as real as the reality of smelly gloves and muddy cleats. But maybe your son is begging you to try this new sport that you have no idea about?

All you’ve heard is that lacrosse is growing, fast, Hopkins, Cornell, and UVA have good teams, and it involves big sticks. Your son is more excited than you are nervous, but you’re not quite sure what you’d be signing up for (literally) if you fill out those forms.

Here are a few start-up tips for those of you who are new to the game and who need some conversation ammunition when talking with your enthusiastic son:

• Lacrosse doesn’t have to break the bank. No longer is cost a true barrier to entry into the sport. All the major manufacturers offer entry-level sticks that can be purchased online or in stores for $50 or less [NOTE: this was not true 15 years ago!]. Consignment sports stores, like Play-it-Again Sports, offer used equipment for reasonable prices as well. If you can afford new gear for your son, great. If not, your son can still learn to play the game on a budget.

• Speaking of equipment…”It’s never the equipment.” My Dad, a Long Island guy who was an NJCAA North/South All-Star, always preached to me that “It’s never the equipment.” I always tried to come up with examples of when it IS the equipment, but his message was simply that mechanics, technique, and practice far outweigh the effects of stringing or what kind of stick you use. I believe your son should have a decent stick to use, but the point is this: don’t let him convince you he NEEDS the latest and greatest. He’ll do much better with a basic stick, and a whole lot of practice.

• Speaking of practice… Lacrosse is a little bit like golf – it’s fun to go out and hack around every now and then, but you’ll never be as good as the guy who goes to the driving range every day in addition to playing 18 holes every second Sunday. In the case of lacrosse, this means hitting the wall (hopefully not windows!) to hone stick skills and develop muscle memory. If your son is serious about getting good, use your parent magic to convince him to practice, practice, practice. Click here for a whole lot more on wall ball.

• Encourage him to play various positions. With no experience to stand on, it’s important for your novice lacrosse-playing son to try various positions on the field. Any good coach will tell you that if they were starting a team from scratch they’d likely put the best athlete in the goal. (Hand-eye coordination, leadership skills, etc.) Similarly, it’s not just big kids who play defense or fast kids who play midfield. Sometimes players new to the sport THINK they want to play one position, but in fact have the natural talent and instincts to excel at another. Encourage him to try new positions so he can see what fits best.

• Fill the ice trays now. Regardless of what position he plays, your son will likely be black-and-blue throughout the months of March, April, and May. Don’t worry. Most of these are superficial and although they may look nasty, they are actually considered badges of pride for the players. Just keep the ice bags ready and remind him: if it hurts too much, run faster next time!

These tips have nothing to do with rules or regulations of the game, but hopefully they will give you a starting point for answering your son’s questions about whether he can try lacrosse this spring.

It’s a great sport. If your son asks you if he can play lacrosse, you should say yes. Hopefully I’ve prepared you for a lot of what is to come!

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Mark Schindler is the Founder and Program Director of Nexus Lacrosse. A product of the nationally recognized St. Paul’s School (MD) lacrosse program and the current varsity head coach at Mercersburg Academy, Mark has committed to restoring the foundation of the current lacrosse market by establishing Nexus;  a new enterprise designed to provide premier, developmental lacrosse opportunities for elite pre-varsity players.

Based upon a foundation of traditional lacrosse principles that includes fundamentals and discipline, Nexus Lacrosse and its programs is focused on providing college-level skill, technical, and tactical development for players who currently play at the highest level within their age group. 

Visit www.nexuslacrosse.com online, and make sure you follow Nexus on Twitter and Facebook!

Ryan Powell, and the great staff at Rhino Lacrosse, will be attending five new camps this summer in the Carolinas, Bozeman, MT, North Country, NY, Rochester, NY, and Syracuse, NY – increasing their total offering to 12 Summer Academies.

With some of the brightest and most experienced minds in the lacrosse world staffing the camps, it is sure to be incredibly beneficial for every camper in attendance.

But it doesn’t stop there, as Rhino also announced a strategic collaboration with Lake Placid Lacrosse for their inaugural Saratoga Springs Lacrosse Shootout, kicking off in July of 2013. Summer 2013 is going to be a busy couple of months for the guys over at Rhino Lacrosse, but could easily be one of their most successful to date and you know the Rhino crew will have a blast while doing it.

Keep up to date with all things Rhino Lacrosse at RhinoLacrosse.com, on Twitter, and on Facebook. Rip Rhino and the gang have been releasing some fantastic videos lately!

Grow The Game! Good luck gentlemen!

The Gem state is honored every summer to welcome Coach Rhino and his staff of lacrosse all stars to the Boise Valley for a week of world class lacrosse and fun. So listen up Idahoans! If you want to improve your stick skills, pick corners like it’s your job, and bob and weave through every defender like they are standing still, well then this is the camp for you.

From daily giveaways to the World Famous Rhino Competitions (Yes, WORLD FAMOUS), Rhino is sure to leave you with some lasting memories. Check out this video of one of the celebration competition.

Not only will you have a blast at this camp but it also comes at a very affordable price and camp scholarships are available. With a camp like this spots are going to fill up quickly so be sure to sign up ASAP. Check it out.

Still not convinced that this isn’t one of the best camps in the country. Check out my blog from the daily happenings of this past summers camp and see for yourself. (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4)

Interested in signing up so you won’t miss out on all the fun? Check out RhinoLacrosse.com and be sure to hit the early bird special on sign-ups! The first 22 campers to register for each academy gets to receive a custom 7075 lacrosse shaft. Not to worry if you miss out though, every camper will receive a Rhino Gear bag.

The 2013 Rhino Lacrosse Academy in Boise will be held from July 8th – 11th at Fairmont Park for Boys from 3rd – 12th grade. Sign up here!

The total cost of this awesome lacrosse experience is a steal in the lacrosse camp world and discounts for group, sibling and goalies may be applied. Hurry and apply though! The first 22 campers receive customized Nike Vandal lacrosse shafts!

From daily giveaways to the World Famous Rhino Competitions (Yes, WORLD FAMOUS), Rhino is sure to leave you with some lasting memories. Check out this video of one of the celebration competition.

Bend might still be a growing city, but lacrosse there has taken off and all the campers at the Rhino Academy are sure to be apart of the next generation of All Americans.

The Rhino Lacrosse Camp in Bend is an awesome experience. Check out my blog postings of all the fun activities that you will do on a daily basis (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4).

Interested in signing up so you won’t miss out on all the fun? Check out RhinoLacrosse.com and be sure to hit the early bird special on sign-ups! The first 22 campers to register for each academy gets to receive a custom 7075 lacrosse shaft. Not to worry if you miss out though, every camper will receive a Rhino Gear bag.

The 2013 Rhino Lacrosse Academy in Bend will be held from July 22nd – 25th at Big Sky Park for Boys from 3rd – 12th grade. Sign up here!

Rhino getting the show started.

Over the past few summers, lacrosse greats such as Brian Dougherty, Casey Powell, Joel White, Brett Hughes, Coach Ventiquattro, John Galloway, Ben Gaebel, and many others have taken part in the Rhino experience and all the fun that goes along with it.

Check out my blogs from each day at camp to see all the behind the scenes action and everything campers get to experience in a week at the Rhino Lacrosse Academy (Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4).

Interested in signing up so you won’t miss out on all the fun? Check out RhinoLacrosse.com and be sure to hit the early bird special on sign-ups! The first 22 campers to register for each academy gets to receive a custom 7075 lacrosse shaft. Not to worry if you miss out though, every camper will receive a Rhino Gear bag.

The 2013 Rhino Lacrosse Academy in West Linn will be held from June 18th – 21st at Mary S Young Park for Boys & Girls from 3rd – 12th grade. Sign up here!

Maybe it’s because I’m not a parent, maybe it’s just a topic that has never crossed my mind, or maybe I’ve forced it out of my mind because it’s a problem I don’t have to deal with… yet! In the end, The Parents’ End Game is a topic I found interesting, so I wanted to share it with our readers…

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People say Death and Divorce are extreme cases of loss. Less extreme, but still notable, are changes in “structure” of what we, as (Lacrosse) Parents, know. Recently I have been hearing from my contemporaries that this end of lacrosse structure is now well in sight, and in most cases, they didn’t realize it was coming.

For 9 years, I, and thousands of others, have made the committment to our children, the programs they play for, our towns, and our game, to be there year round on the field, on the sidelines, in the stands, running consessions, buying equipment, getting up at the crack of dawn to drive, staying in hotels, being a voice of reason to others Parents who were not as involved, helping kids of all levels grow as athletes, and more important as growing young adults, running dinners, setting up tents, spending thousands of dollars in snacks, waters, gatorade, gas, miles on the car, restaurants, and all in all extremely varied weather, and all for the love and support of children…

It’s admittedly crazy, but it’s also something that we wouldn’t trade for all the tea in China.

It’s all for the kids… Ok, it’s 99.9% for the kids!

Now, many of us are faced with our children entering High School, where 90% of the above tasks are taken out of the equation. We are told “Thanks,” by the HS Coaches, “but we will take it from here…” This is life, something that is good and the way it is supposed to be… but it still hurts.

For most, it is a good hurt: the type you get from a job well done… but for some it hurts bad: we feel disconnected, we feel old, and we feel not needed anymore.

As High school arrives, the lucky kids are still playing, and we parents show up before game time (not the 1 hour before for set up and warm up) and leave after, as transportation is provided by the school. It used to be we drive them home and get to talk about the game, the highs and lows… for many, those drives were defining, and sometimes there was a turning point where our child did something great that showed how all the backyard work paid off. Other times, not so good, where our answer (asked or not), was, “you need to work harder”.

Either way, it was a moment for both sides that helped develop the current future.  The HS Sports life is not so bad though, as it means something. The student-athletes are playing for something now, whether class acceptance, regional recognition, or maybe if they are really lucky, a shot at playing in College.

There is nothing like the pride of watching your child compete for something that means something. Most parents will admit that they still see the little kid with a uniform too big rustling around the field when they were 10… and this is what makes us feel old… as well as the fact that  the HS years come and go quick, like a gas tank that always drains faster from half filled to empty vs full to halfway. And then, it’s over.

And this brings me to Love. It is the next phase of life, and it encompasses the pictures, game films, articles, and memories. All of that last a lifetime.

For me, I empathize completely… I had a conversation with a Dad like me, that has turned his garage into a glorified Sporting good store as this 9th and 11th grader play Lacrosse and Hockey year round. He was showing me the abundance of sticks, uniforms and equipment that the boys have grown out of over the years.

He said, “the end game is coming… and I am not ready for this.“

My sons are also 9th grade and 11 grade, and both play Lacrosse year round. The 11th grader is looking at Colleges and is lucky to have worked hard on and off the field thus having some real legit options to continue into College.  My parental pride is bustling as I know first hand how hard this process has been, with all the ups and downs of the process.

Club Lacrosse aside, the ride is winding down. My involvement is diminishing. My being needed in this regard is going from a sunny day to a casual shade of gray. Then I look to my left and see my Twins 3.5 year old boys… and I know in a few years, I get the benefit of continuing the love all over again… doing all of the above again (hopefully better), definitely smarter with experience under my belt, and right then I realize that I am the lucky one.

Most of my brethren are not so lucky… so as the new year is now here, I raise a bottle of diet Snapple peach iced tea and salute my Brothers (and Sisters) in arms for a Lacrosse life well done, and I know in my heart that our Children are the better for it, and more importantly, so are we.

Fall ball is just prep for the Spring.

However a team plays in the Spring, one thing is clear. Programs are trying to get something positive out of the extra time. So how a team goes about their practices speaks volumes on how they will approach the Spring, and it brings up the question about which practice route is better: heavy scrimmaging? Or lots of drills?

Some mix of the two probably creates the best results, and I’m a bit of pro-scrimmage kind of guy, so instead of trying to call one a clear winner, I will lay out the best, and worst, aspects of each methodology. I’ll start with the positives of both, and then get to the detracting factors. And then show you how to mix the best of the two, to chase perfection.

2012 D3 fall ball action.

For more photos from the Megan Puls Tourney at Stevenson, check out 24SevenLax on Facebook.

Drills are great for coaches because drills provide as much control as possible. They get to see the players they want to see in the positions they want to see them in. The possibilities are unlimited, and certain drills also double as fantastic conditioning exercises. Coaches can see how players react to similar situations time and time again, and for the players, they get to practice important aspects of the game over and over again. For skill building and timing, repetition is key.

Drills seem like the route to take when seeking slick stick perfection for all the reason I’ve laid out above.

Scrimmaging creates scenarios and situations that only an active game can produce. Thinking ahead is harder, and true game play forces guys to be in the moment, and succeed when they get their shot. There is no replication of true game situations, but scrimmage play comes as close as possible and prepares players well for the “real” stuff soon to come.

Scrimmaging can also be great for team conditioning and bonding, especially if it is up and down and competitive. Coaches can see who can get the job done when it counts, and can get a much better idea for overall lacrosse IQ on the team when taking in a scrimmage.

While both drills and scrimmaging are brimming with positive aspects, they also have their downsides.

Drills can be repetitive, sometimes even predictable, and everyone knows of at least one kid who shines during drills but flops in real games. Drills can be boring. They allow players to focus, but often don’t force players to see the big picture. They are great for the practice of a skill or scheme, but can fail to prepare a group for how to properly use it in a game.

Scrimmages often lack structure and meaning. They can easily devolve into “just playing lacrosse”. Without a concrete goal in mind, and an engaged coaching staff, scrimmages could conceivably even hurt a team, especially if it allows players to reinforce bad habits, doesn’t stress team concepts, or is not evenly matched.

The key here is taking the best aspects of one way of practicing, and transferring it on to the other.

When players are engaged in drills, the drills can made more game-like. Don’t just give the ball to the offense every time, but instead, make the teams fight for a ground ball to start it off, then when the offense possesses, the drill begins. Adding in aspects of game play to drills increases IQ and helps players better understand the game. It also keeps everyone honest.

When scrimmaging to learn and improve, control must be exerted. If the team has been working on a new clear, then both sides should be required to use that clear every single time, otherwise it is a turnover. If you want to work on fast breaks, every time someone gets slashed, give them a fast break from midfield, but like in a game.

Work on what you want to work on, and if you don’t like how something happened, stop the scrimmage and review it. By creating drills within the scrimmage, players get to see how things develop and how the scenario fits in with the overall plan.

The truth is that each team out there probably needs a different mixture of drills and scrimmaging. Each coach has a preference or style, and none are necessarily right or wrong. As long as the best concepts, laid out above, are taken into account, success should be yours.

For more on practice planning, check out Mark Schindler’s posts: The Pros and Cons of Traditional Line Drills, A Lacrosse Coach’s Guide To Limited Practice Time, and Mercersburg Academy (PA) Lacrosse Blog: Use Tennis Balls! It’s all super helpful stuff!

And if you REALLY think your team has what it takes, then you can challenge Ryan Powell, Mike Powell and Matt Gibson to a game of 3.3, but be forewarned… these guys are good!

Here are some of the basics:

- There are two FREE 3-on-3 tournaments! The first is for kids in 5th and 6th grade. The second is for kids in 7th and 8th grade.

- Teams are limited to ONLY three players total. All players must wear a helmet, gloves and use a short stick. Goalies will be provided by Rhino Lacrosse.

- There is no checking, and no crank shots. It’s all about skill and inside work in this exciting format!

- If you want to play, follow the instructions below and make it happen!!! Teams will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.

Simply email info@rhinolacrosse.com with the following information:

Team Name

Grade Division (5/6 grade or 7/8 grade)

Player 1 Name, email and grade

Player 2 Name, email and grade

Player 3 Name, email and grade

Teams will only be admitted with ALL complete information as listed above. Rhino will respond as soon as possible with confirmation.

The first 12 teams that sign up will be accepted, and I know we mentioned this already, but I am going to say it again… This event is FREE! That’s just how the GTG Tour and Rhino Lacrosse roll!

Come hang out with Lacrosse All Stars and the Rhino crew, and enjoy some fun lacrosse, games, and prizes! We want to see you there!

The headliners for this tournament are the MCLA teams, which use the event as a fall ball experience, and the mens’ elite teams, which comes in droves for the Las Vegas experience. The Best of The West tournament is the MCLA component, and top quality teams like BYU, Cal Poly and Arizona, Stanford, and San Diego State will all be in attendance.

Arizona = Mickey Miles Felton = Awesome Sneaker Boots.

On the men’s elite side, LaxAllStars.com will obviously be there, but so will the Salt Shakerz, Xiphos, and 2011 Champion, Twisted Steel. On top of all that, there is also a Women’s Elite tournament, a U-19 girls tournament and a Boys U-13 tournament. That’s a whole lot of lax!

The games will be played at Kellogg Zaher Sports Complex, which boasts 11 beautiful fields and plenty of amenity. There will be food trucks (and these are NOT your standard food carts!) and a lounge for “adult stuff” set up at the venue as well. Teams can also get fed banquet-style, so it’s really all right there.

Come to Vegas, see the stars!

Easton and Warrior are both sponsoring the event, and Easton’s Matt Gibson and BYU’s Matt Schneck and Julie Smith will put on clinics on Friday night for youth players. John Christmas will be there meeting fans and reaping his Encore Brand. LAS will also be there with a tent, and we’ll have giveaways, pro players to meet and greet and so much more. So stop on by!

Twisted Steel and Xiphos do work in 2011.

The LVLS is also hosting parties at LAX and PURE nightclubs on Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. So there is something for everyone! The LVLS is also supporting Movember this year as a charity, and the best mustaches will be awarded with prizes. Not too shabby!

There are 14 hotels available for reservations, so if you’re going get in touch with the LVLS and they will hook you up!

Andrew Romando heading to the goal.

In the face of this tragedy and loss, Andrew’s teammates have decided to keep his memory alive, and we fully support their desire to keep Andrew with them on the field, and in their hearts.

Andrew’s team wants to get custom bags with Andrew Romando’s name on them, and since there is a contest being run by Jensen Lee right now, they are vying for that option. So do us a favor, do Andrew’s teammates a favor, and LIKE their photo on Facebook. We want to help these guys keep Andrew’s memory alive… and hopefully, this little piece of equipment with Andrew’s name on it can help their community begin to heal in some small way.

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LACROSSE IN OTHER NEWS:

- Towson to host Keio University from Japan this fall | Baltimore Sun

- George Huguely gets 23 year sentence in murder trial | Boston.com

- Prospect Lacrosse League to open in Chicago this Summer | Prospect Lacrosse League

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LACROSSE VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

So you want to be one of those DIII guys who makes it in the MLL? Work out like a beast. Andrew Sellers sets the base level with this intensity in tent city workout program.

Ok, the entire LAS crew DEFINITELY needs to get back in the weight room! Putting in work! I don’t know if our shorts will be quite as long as Sellers‘, but that’s ok.

The classic video below is a great example of that very thing happening:

The first time we watched the above video, we were sure that the kid in orange was going to be the crazy lacrosse player.  He does deliver a nice little chop check to start things off. But oh no… how wrong we were! It turns out, we, and the guy in orange, had no idea as to what was about to go down.

Don’t get us wrong, the player in blue takes a solid slash to the abdomen. But doesn’t a return slash to the orange player’s head kind of equal that out? Apparently the retaliation slash evened things out a bit, as the player in blue ditched his stick, but it’s clear this wasn’t “over”, in any way, shape or form.

Drop the stick, chase after the original offender, and then attempt to blow out his ACL with a horse collar form tackle. Makes total sense.

Some people will say the video is funny, others will use it as evidence that lacrosse is a dangerous or violent sport. We’re posting it because we want parents and coaches to see how easy it is for things to get out of control, and how it can happen quickly when dealing with younger players… Also the video is 6 years old, so it has to be at least kind of funny by now, right?

Props to the ref for throwing the flag and getting in there right away!

In the case of fall ball, the above is especially true; and I recently found an article on the Atlanta Youth Lacrosse website that really delivers some great points about fall ball, and why there is such an over emphasis on some of the less important aspects nowadays.

First, the AYL blogger, Gordon, lays out “what is fall ball?“

It’s a time to improve skills you already have, develop new skills, and fall in love with lacrosse through fair play and sportsmanship. I’m with him on that clean and simple definition.

Then, Gordon gets into “what fall ball is NOT“. He points out that the games don’t matter, the idea is to have fun and enjoy the game of lacrosse, and to improve as a person as much as a player. Personally, I think the author may be too big a supporter of the phrase “goofing off”, but his point that fall ball should be FUN certainly stands.

However, my favorite part of the article has to be the portion where the author lays out the responsibilities of players, coaches, parents and even the officials, and goes in-depth as to what this means. (It’s about half way down the article.)

Here’s a little snippet from his advice to coaches:

Chill out. You are not coaching in an NCAA final. You aren’t even coaching in a state playoff game. Win, lose or draw no Fall Ball game has any impact on regular season standings. So try to keep the game in perspective.

Good point! I see way too many parents and coaches screaming on the sidelines. They are yelling for and at their kids, at the coaches, at the refs and sometimes even at the other parents. It’s embarrassing really. So once again, I’m with Gordon here!

Check out the Atlanta Youth Lacrosse page for the full article, it’s well worth the read!

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LACROSSE IN OTHER NEWS:

- Want to play goalie at Cuse? You have a 1 in 7 shot. | Syracuse.com

- George Huguely sentencing is quickly approaching | CBS News

- Massachusetts teen attack another teen with a lacrosse stick for $20 | My Fox Boston

- Should we combine men’s and women’s lacrosse? | The Forecaster

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LACROSSE VIDEO OF THE WEEK:

Did you start a club team in the last five years? Do you have a promo video like the one above? NO??? You should. Excellent work here!

Jake Wilson is a graduate of Boise State University and currently lives in McCall, Idaho. He coaches the local lacrosse team in the McCall-Donnelly area and plays with the Scallywags LC during the Summers.

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Playing Lacrosse In Rural and Emerging Areas

As a Coach:

Get to know the kids in your community

There are really two key points to be made here…

1) Make appearances at other sporting events and practices to make yourself known, and give the kids your best lacrosse spiel.

2) Athletes in small towns are usually involved in a sport during every season, so you either have to get kids to kick track, baseball, and other sports to the curb, or arrange your practices so that they can do both.

Get parents involved in your program

In many rural areas you may be the only person who knows anything about lacrosse.  However, you might be surprised to find the dad who grew up playing before moving out West.

Use the resources/connections that are available to you

Don’t be afraid to call in those favors to your college buddies who are coaching at bigger programs.

As an Adult Player:

Be Active

Get yourself in as many activities that best mimic lacrosse movements as possible.  I use Crossfit, coaching, and hockey as my lacrosse alternative activities.

Get Others Involved

Find others in the community whether it is local high school players, friends, or laxers visiting from out of town to work on your basic skills and keep your stick active.

Don’t be Shy

Stay as involved in the lacrosse community in your state and region in as many ways as possible.

Be Prepared to Travel

If you’re already rural, you are likely going to have to do some significant traveling to stay on top of your game.

Hit the wall, hit the wall, hit the wall!

As a High School/Youth Player:

Follow the same concepts as an adult player.

Grow The Game! 

Talk to your friends and classmates about lacrosse and get them to come throw around with you.  As we all know, most of the time lacrosse is highly addictive and it won’t take much to get them to stick with it if you can just get them out the first couple of times.

Involve yourself in other sports outside of lacrosse season

The better game shape you are in, the better you will perform when the season comes around. Plus it’s a chance to convince other kids to try the sport!

Keep your stick in your car all summer

When the beach, park, or backyard lax opportunity comes your way, you are prepared.

Hit up some camps

Get yourself into as many camps as possible during the summers.  In a rural area, a good lacrosse camp isn’t always likely to come your way any time soon, so talk to your coach about camps within travel range and find a way to make it a priority, and make it happen.

Go see college games and summer tournaments

While you’re there, pay attention to what the players in your position are doing.  You’ll be surprised by how much you can pick up by focusing on the play of others.

Knowledge comes from weird places

In a resort town like mine, you may have an influx of tourists and others in town for the summer. Get to know the people you work with or see around town, as some of them are likely to be laxers from other areas. Get a group together and play some pick up. Whether it’s one on one, three on three, six on six, or full squads, you can work on your skills with anyone.

Hit the wall, hit the wall, hit the wall!

I said that already, but it’s just so true!

Rhino Lacrosse Academies are known for a lot of great things, one of them being their World Famous competitions held at each camp location nationwide. Rhino: Boise was another huge success this year and this contest was proof of that. Campers are able to get top notch coaching from some of the best in the game AND have an opportunity to take in some of the most fun activities a lacrosse camp could offer.

Missed out this year? No worries, you know Rhino will be coming to a city near you in 2013!

Last Day of Lax. Kids are ready to go out BIG though.

As the kids warmed up with some static stretching and line drills, it was amazing to see how far these kids had come in just a few short days. Passes were on target and being caught with ease.

Teams huddle before the games start.

The games were off and running and the Narwales were yet again ready for battle. The competition was stiff the night before and it was eager to see that Coach Nick and his team were looking for revenge. Coach Nick’s team quickly went up after a bombardment of shots but the Narwals quickly responded with a laser from downtown. In what appeared to be a game ending with a tie, Coach Nick quickly devised a plan and a top right cannon stung the back of our net.

Kids watch as Coach Nick works his magic

Unfortunately I had to catch my flight back to the homeland (IDAHO baby!) so I was unable to see our second game but I heard from an undisclosed source that we ended up beating Coach Butters. Found myself doing an air fist pump on the shuttle on the way to the airport.

The camp ended with the awards from some of the games played the previous day as well as such prestigious titles such as Most Improved Camper, Camp MVP, and many more. I had an awesome experience with the Xcelerate Lacrosse Camp and was honored to be working amongst such a garnered staff. I highly recommend this camp to any kid looking to improve their game and have a great time doing it. Be sure to sign up soon though because spots fill quickly.