When it comes to the creme de la creme of the lacrosse world, all eyes start on the Eastern seaboard. And when looking for a capital, what makes a better argument than Baltimore, Maryland?Cue the perfect setting for Trilogy Lacrosse Middle School Aces East.
Temperatures hanging in the mid-90s all week didn’t slow down the most talented eleven to fourteen year old lacrosse competition the Eastern seaboard had to offer. Over 110 young athletes from Boston to the Carolinas, and nearly everywhere in-between, came together at Towson University for five days of intense lacrosse education. Brought together by lacrosse icon Ryan Boyle and the Trilogy Lacrosse crew, you would be hard-pressed to find such a pure concentration of 2021-2023 talent anywhere else.
All of the action took place across a massive 200,000 square foot turf playing surface, with another turf field perfectly suited for lacrosse immediately adjacent. The fields could be divided in countless ways to optimize practice time. With the reputation and focus of lacrosse at Towson, there was no doubt that the complex was adequately suited for the future all-stars of the game.
From 9am to 9pm, the student-athletes were tested on and off of the field. Since the recruiting clock is on once an athlete hits high school, Trilogy designed this event to help build a strong foundation for Middle School lacrosse players. Trilogy staffers spent the weekend preparing the group – mentally and physically – to take their skills to the next level. Instead of slip ‘n slides and dodgeball, these young men went through combines, film analysis and educational seminars.
Trilogy, founded in 2005, has continued to boom under the direction of some of the most focused minds in the lacrosse industry. Through constant expansion, Trilogy now offers four editions of the Middle School Aces event: New England, UMass-Amherst; Midwest, Hanover College; South, University of Georgia; and of course East, Towson University. Each week-long camp features top talent from the region selected through recommendations and an application process.
I was on-hand 24/7 the Middle School Aces East event, and I couldn’t help but realize the wealth of lacrosse knowledge available to these kids throughout the week was uncanny! Just take a look at this staff:
- Co-founder & CEO, Ryan Boyle – ESPN Analyst, 4x NCAA All-American at Princeton from 2001-2004, 2x Ivy League Player of the Year, 2001 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, MLL Midfielder 2004-2014, NLL Forward 2005-2011, Team USA at 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Lacrosse Championships
- Senior Staffer, Brian Farrell – Head Coach of Boys’ Latin, MLL Defenseman 2011 – 2016, 2x Captain at the University of Maryland, 3x NCAA All American
- National Director, Joe Banno – 2x All-American at Haverford College, MLL Goaltender 2013 – 2016
- Ben Rubeor – Head Coach of Loyola Blakefield, MLL Midfield 2008 – 2016, 2x NCAA All-American at Virginia, 2x Tewaaraton Finalist
- Bill McGlone – MLL Midfielder 2006 – 2014, NLL Forward 2007-2014, 2x Captain at the University of Maryland, 2x NCAA All-American
- Austin Sims – Current Princeton Tiger, Second-leading Tiger goal scorer in 2016, Team USA at 2016 U19 World Lacrosse Championships
The lacrosse-wisdom-to-camper ratio had to be one of the best in the country this summer. Every minute of the camper’s experience was thoroughly planned out, and any free time inevitably led to more quality time with staff.
Aces East Video Content
From drills, to combines, to scrimmages, the group was kept busy. Scroll along with me as I share my week at Trilogy Middle School Aces East – the following photo essay is an attempt to motivate youth players, current middle school athletes, and parents alike to grow the game of lacrosse and elevate their lacrosse experience. We’re convinced that Trilogy is doing things the right way!