If you are a lacrosse fan, this is the blog for you! We had the pleasure of welcoming the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) Academy to HSC last week as professional players from the PLL put on an Offensive Overnight camp for the ages. Boys traveled from far and near to our little corner of Orange County from places like Washington, Indiana, West Virginia, and our own backyard of Warwick, NY!
HSC is no stranger to star power, however, we were thrilled when the likes of Joe Walters, Jules Heningburg, Mike Chanenchuck, and Matt Kavanagh stepped onto our campus! These professional lax players not only brought an extensive curriculum, they brought years of experience & energy to make this camp something truly special. The 50+ campers who joined us this week were not too shabby themselves as the talent level was well-above average. They showed up ready to make some noise on the lacrosse fields at HSC and to take their game to a new level. You could tell they were motivated to perform with their heroes instructing them as their attitudes and work ethic were phenomenal.
The 4-day offensive lacrosse camp had several areas of focus when it came to player development including, but not limited to:
1. Stick Work
2. Dodging
3. Off-Ball Movement
4. Footwork
5. Communication
Each day, the campers were taught some foundational as well as advanced shooting and movement skills. Veteran lax pro, Joe Walters, was especially focused on teaching the campers the proper way to approach your shot, and ultimately, the best techniques to finish at the cage.
Although each camper was there to improve their individual skills, the camp was designed to help each lacrosse player get better as a teammate. The coaches stressed the importance of all the minor details revolving around receiving, distributing, and ultimately shooting the ball. Split seconds and inches of where the ball is placed can make all the difference for your teammates, especially when moving higher into collegiate and professional levels.
In effect, there were a lot of drills dedicated to getting rid of bad habits and improving existing talents. We saw some 3-man weaves, dodging around the nets, and plenty of top cheddar finishes! The coaches made sure to go over overhand as well as sidearm shooting and even elevator shots among other facets of the game. Odd-man drills were performed as well as fast breaks to get the competitive fire going.
Each day the campers enjoyed learning from the pros, eating lunch together, and even playing some "Shark Tank" and Dodgeball to break the ice and have some fun off of the field.
In just four days, it was amazing to see how much the lacrosse campers improved. Not only was this due to the profound teachings from the professional players, but it was driven by the campers attitude and desire to truly get better.
We would like to thank the PLL Academy for allowing us to host such a wonderful camp. It was inspiring to see how motivated the campers were each day and the true passion the coaches had for the game. We wish all the participants luck as they continue to progress their games and to all the coaches as they compete in the PPL. Until next year...
