Daily Archives: August 5, 2009

(From Inside Lacrosse Blogs) Avoiding the trap of “too much of a good thing,” the people at Student Sports, ESPN Rise and Nike took their traveling roadshow approach to the hectic summer lacrosse camp circuit established last year, and doubled the tour stops in 2009. In addition to the returning cast of characters (joining director Brett Hughes for a second go-around were Kyle Harrison, the Chicago Machine’s Greg Bice and Anthony Kelly and Zone Ready trainers Doug and Chris Gizzi), reigning Tewaaraton winner Max Seibald joined in on the fun.

With a pared down, but still intense, hour of physical training preceding drills, there was plenty of opportunity for the NELC coaches to impart their experience as professional lacrosse players on those in attendance. That unique teaching element — on display from when Harrison first began warming up the goalies through Kelly’s giving face-off lessons on one ankle — prompted several high school and college coaches who happened to see the event to remark at how desperately the summer circuit needs instructional camps like the free, invite-only NELC.

Below are most valuable players at each position from two California camps:

San Francisco

Gabe Gilleran, Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.)
Ryan Bullen, Acalanes (Lafayette, Calif.)
Patrick Worstell, San Ramon (San Ramon, Calif.)
Nick Alimam, St. Ignatius (San Francisco, Calif.)

Los Angeles

A.J. Rafter, Tustin (Tustin, Calif.)
Zach Rogers, Palos Verdes (Palos Verdes, Calif.)
Turner Hanley, Palisades (Pacific Palisades, Calif.)
Cameron Cole, Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.)

But with plenty of time reserved for competitive drills and games, there were ample opportunities to evaluate the players on display. Getting to attend both the L.A. and Baltimore sessions, I had a unique opportunity compare an emerging lacrosse spot in the South with the established bed of Baltimore.

Here’s how those two camps stacked up.

7/7/09 Los Angeles
Home Depot Center, Carson City, Calif.

• One of the most notable aspects of the L.A. camp were the style and swagger the top players showed up, wearing visors or blazing yellow shoes. The kids were prepared to handle the physical toll of Zone Ready fitness challenges despite the heat. Still, some of the killer instinct was slow to come during the West Genesee drill.
• While the singular matchups weren’t at the level they were in Baltimore, there was still tons of excitement as the drills got competitive, including a moment when three goalies carried the ball up the drill for the game-winning goal.

7/31/09 Baltimore
Homewood Field, Baltimore, Md.

• The amount of enthusiasm and intensity in the play surprised and impressed the NELC coaches. They got after it at the level that met nearly every other camp.
• The individual matchups were legitimately fun to watch as guys challenged each other, particularly at the end of the first West Genny drill when it ended tied and the teams voted St. Mary’s Mark McNeill and De Matha’s Patrick Harbeson met at midfield for a Braveheart.

http://blogs.insidelacrosse.com/2009/08/04/nike-elite-lacrosse-camp-takes-big-strides-in-its-second-year/