Daily Archives: September 10, 2009

In May of 2009 the Wall Street Journal wrote about the growth of lacrosse in the western states noting that almost 10% of men’s lacrosse players on DI rosters in 2009 came from five key western states: California (55); Colorado (37); Washington (13); Arizona (9) and Oregon (4.). With the announcement in June that Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach Bill Tierney left Princeton to become head coach at Denver University, many more eyes began looking west at the expansion and available talent.

A pair of those eyes belong to Don Zimmerman, head lacrosse coach for the NCAA Division I UMBC Retrievers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, since 1994. Coach Zimmerman is fresh from leading the team to its fifth consecutive outright or shared America East regular season title, and winning the 2009 America East Coach of the Year. This Halloween weekend, Oct 30, 31 and Nov 1, Grand Canyon University will hold a lacrosse camp featuring Don Zimmerman.

The camp will be open for experienced high school players looking to advance their skills toward a potential college career in lacrosse. “My coaching philosophy has always focused on teaching the fundamentals – the little things that make the big difference. Lacrosse is a game of skill and precision, best played when using a simple, basic approach,” said Zimmerman.  

Paul Weiss, Athletic Hall of Fame member for football and lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University and often found on the sidelines at many lacrosse games in Arizona, spoke to Zimmerman, his longtime friend  and fellow JHU alumni, and along with Adam Marshall, head coach at Grand Canyons’ NCAA DII Antelopes, the three created a first for Arizona.
“I have to give the credit to Paul Weiss for getting the whole thing started.  He and Coach Zimmerman go way back.  From there we had the facilities needed for the camp and it came together from there”, said Coach Marshall.

While there are some excellent lacrosse coaches in Arizona, and others have come to hold a number of camps in the state, no one with the Coach Zimmerman’s credentials and experience, consisting of three NCAA Division I Championships, and 30 years at the top level of the sport, ventured this far west to teach the game of lacrosse. “Great coaches are interested in great players, regardless of where they come from.  They’re also always looking.  The expansion of recruiting in the west has been amazing over the last few years, and coaches are finding great players from coast to coast”, said Marshall.

The events will begin Friday with a classroom setting coaches clinic, followed Saturday and Sunday with 10 hours of instruction at Grand Canyon University. The camp is limited to only 150 players, and is only $150. Registration is through local youth organization, Glendale Lacrosse. Information and registration is through their web site – www.glendalelax.com, or contact Coach Adam Marshall at 602-639-6397, or Bill Casey of Glendale Lacrosse at 623-334-2758

http://www.prlog.org/10336776-lacrosse-camp-featuring-don-zimmerman-at-grand-canyon-university.html