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Trilogy Lacrosse: Ryan Boyle Interview

Editor‘s note: They teach you what to do AND they are very good at what they do. Trilogy Lacrosse and Ryan Boyle are checking in with Muamer Razic and these guys get into, what else? A little lacrosse conversation of course! We’ll let them take it from here.
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No meatballs here.  Let’s get right to it.  Trilogy lacrosse camps claims to be the “best overnight lacrosse camps and day lacrosse camps”.  How do you guys back this statement up?

Ryan Boyle: We take customer surveys, and based on the feedback we get, we draw that conclusion.

That’s what we believe and that’s what we strive to accomplish.

Outside of helping develop lacrosse players, what else are you guys doing to grow the game?

Ryan Boyle: We’re heavily involved in nontraditional markets; we travel extensively to work with programs to help drive interest into the game.  It’s all about growing it the right way. A lso, Matt Streibel and I have run US lacrosse conventions in both Utah and California.

You guys have built up a phenomenal reputation in 7 years; do you think it’s possible for Trilogy to team up with other camps in the future to help each other?

Ryan Boyle: I think everything in our business is based off relationships, and there is potential in building relationships with other respective camps, and it would help empower them and give us opportunities. It’s just a matter of connecting the right people to help make the relationships sustainable. We’d be willing to look into that down the road.

How is the decision made on where to have lacrosse camps?

Ryan Boyle: A large part of it is our relationship with the venue and the contacts we have there. There also needs to be a certain level of participation to the camp so it can happen.

I know that you guys have one in Kentucky, why’s that? Most camps tend to stay around the hot-beds.

Ryan Boyle: We are still in the hot beds (Like New York, Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey) but we can also get out to areas that are developing the game and need help to get the game up and running. We’re dedicated to get the level of play up for both sides.

Why should players/parents choose Trilogy Lacrosse over any other camps?

Ryan Boyle: It boils down to a couple factors; our staff is made up of the best players in the world. We have 4 Team USA members, and the adage “we teach what we do” explains what we teach perfectly. We literally go from having a game one day and then go to a camp the next day to help teach.

So not only will they be learning from us but they can watch us on TV doing what we taught them. Our staff’s dedication helps them decide too, the curriculum is what guides everything on the field. We have a plan for the team, and we update that on the regular basis to make sure we deliver the best instruction possible.

You have/have had some big names at your camps. Yourself, Ned Crotty and Matt Striebel just to name a few. How did you get these guys to help out at the camps?

Ryan Boyle: It’s really finding the right people that are dedicated in teaching the game and wanting to be involved and see it improve. We really try getting guys that are passionate about it.

I’ve known Matt a full decade now, and Mitch is someone who I’ve played with before and I knew they had special qualities. Ned also has that quality. With Ned, at first, we knew he was focused on winning a National Championship and winning with Team USA, so it took a little more time for him to become involved.  I think that helped us though, we were able to really see his interest in it, and so there was an interest for us to see how that would play out; once he was done with Team USA it ended up being a great fit.

Are there any plans to add more non-hotbed areas to your camp programs?

Ryan Boyle: Yeah, we definitely have some other areas in mind. We aslo want to deepen our relationships in certain areas that we have now and cement our support for them and how we can help them and vice versa.

Is there any plan for expanding Trilogy to having boys and girls camps?

Ryan Boyle: We will expand the girls if we know that we can do it better than anyone else in the country. To be honest we have done some girls camps in the past but because that person wasn’t with us full time it didn’t work as well as we liked and we weren’t as confident so we deiced to focus on boys camps.

Now the big question; how and why did Trilogy Lacrosse get started?

Ryan Boyle: It got started because I have been involved in the industry since I was a freshman in high school so I had seen the various ups and downs in the quality. When I graduated a lot of people wanted to get me on with their events. I did an event with Rob Lindsey that was successful and made a strong impact on the player and I really loved seeing that.

The things we were teaching were the things we actually used and we were more innovative and able to connecter to the players. So after the event I got a lot of different requests, but Rob and I came to the decision that we could do this better than anyone else. We had a lot of confidence to move forward.

Many people may not know this, but you guys offer internships. How did that idea come about?

Ryan Boyle: Well, we’re a full-time business and we wanted to offer something to people that are interested in working the lacrosse world and working in the sports world; so we’re the perfect set.  Our interns are treated like everyone else in the company and they are given responsibilities that work for their skill sets. We’ve had people go from being an intern to working for us part-time and even to full-time.

There is a balance with the people that want to work and get involved and it helps us use them most effectively. So it really helps both parties. We try to empower people here as much as possible; I’m very active with the people that work here. I’m open about where I see them within Trilogy. For example, we had 2 interns this fall and 1 moved on to work for the Mets while the other one is sitting about 15 feet away from me taking care of his responsibilities effectively.

Can you explain the concept behind your weekly webinars?

Ryan Boyle: Those are something we did this past off season; it was a good way for us to connect to the national audience because it enabled us to have a more continuous dialogue. It was also a way for us to deliver some content that we previously didn’t have a platform for.

So using this technology really enabled us to go over some x’s and o’s with coaches, players, and parents from the comforts of our office and their homes. The ease helped us deliver more education and provide more instruction so it was really a no brainier. It got a lot of great feedback and we think it was successful. We definitely look to build it out down the road.

You are regarded as the smartest player in the game today; how does that make you feel knowing people look up to you like that?

Ryan Boyle: I’m honored and humbled in the same breath. If my play has inspired others to pick up a stick, or improve their own, or to even become more passionate about the game; I’m thrilled. I feel incredibly honored because I remember growing up watching certain players play and I know how that helped me, so to be mentioned with them in the same light it pretty special. I try to keep my head down and keep working hard. I enjoy the moments but then it’s right back to work because you have to work hard to improve.

Matt Striebel and Ryan Boyle wearing the Red, White, and Blue!
Matt Striebel and Ryan Boyle wearing the Red, White, and Blue!

Who were some of your influences?

Ryan Boyle: My oldest brother Michael was my biggest influence. He’s the one that taught me how to analyze the game from an x’s and o’s standpoint from a young age. He taught me a lot of lessons that were very advanced for me. I was learning Princeton’s slide defense at 6th-7th grade. He was a huge influence.

As a professional athlete, what’s it like to be able to be doing all the things that you dreamed of as a kid?

Ryan Boyle: It’s pretty special to be a kid and dream about these things and then accomplishing them. It speaks to my point about working hard at things and its put me in a position to continue to evolve as a person and a player in the lacrosse world. Of course winning a medal is awesome but it’s important to continually push yourself to get better.

It’s really inspiring to help see what I’m capable of. You’ve also got to have the right people around you. When I was on Team USA it was truly a team. It helped me understand that its important with who you surround yourself with.

What’s one thing you want the LAS community to know?

Ryan Boyle: I’d have to say you have to work hard in life to succeed. I don’t know if it’s the bro culture or the flow but when that becomes more important than the substance of the game then that becomes an issue. To have any success in life we have to put forward an incredible amount of effort and I want people to know that you have to work hard for the things that you really want to accomplish.

Thanks for taking the time out for the interview Ryan! 

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