By Brett Hughes, Senior Editor

The Regis High School Goalie position has been filled for the past few years! Show stopper and recent Virginia commit Rhody Heller gets his first time between the pipes this year, which will come after he already committed to one of the top Lacrosse schools in the NCAA. Not a traditional path for anyone, but the Regis goalie has all the skills to play at the next level, and if you think it may be a little off to take a goalie who has never started for his high school, the last goalie to follow that path was Tillman Johnson, who became the 2003 USILA Player of the year and NCAA tournament MVP. Rhody has informed us that he will be heading to Charlottesville Virginia to play for the University of Virginia Cavaliers.

Virginia is in need of a Goalie for the 2011 class, and he will compete for playing time with current sophomore Rob Fortunato. Heller may find a great chance to learn from the up and coming UVA goalie for a year before taking his spot between the pipes.

More to come on Heller and fellow Colorado lacrosse standout Tanner Ottenbreit on the opportunity to represent Colorado as a duo at UVA. And what it would mean to have a Colorado tandem leading a defense someday for UVA.

 By Brett Hughes

Goalies are always fun to get to know, our MVP of the NELC in Virginia checks in with us providing some humor from the start but the rising Junior from Collegiate school in Richmond is all buisness when the whistle blows. He will be leading a strong defense with Peter Rossetti and these two are one of the better tandems in the country. Noftsinger is a big fan of former Virginia Goalie of the Year Tillman Johnson so it makes sense that his ability to make the big save is something he witnessed first hand and from seeing him practice and compete his effort is similar to the 2003 Final Four MVP.

Name: David Noftsinger

Position: Goalie
HS:  Collegiate School
Grade: Rising Junior


ESPN RISE: Why did you decide to play Goalie?
David Noftsinger: Because I HATE running, and its just a great experience to control the defense while getting lacrosse balls hurled at you.

ER: Who is your favorite Lacrosse Goalie of all time? Why?
DN: Tillman Johnson. Because as a kid watching  him making ridiculous saves was one of the reasons why I started playing goalie.

ER: How did Collegiate do this past season?
DN: I think we were 13-7. Ended up losing in the state semifinals to St. Annes Belfield...

ER:Outlook for this season?
DN: Even though we lost a lot of seniors this past year our rising junior class is very talented and should lead the way to a possible state championship. So far for this upcoming season I think were already playing Gilman, St. Marys Annapolis, and Georgetown prep. That should be a great experience for our young team.

ER: How do you get ready for a game?
DN:Before every lacrosse game I would listen to my I-Pod, stretch with the team, and then get warmed up. After that I just do my best to clear my mind and get ready for the game.

ER: What summer team did you play for?
DN: This summer I played for Virginia Elite 2 and our school team (Collegiate).

ER: What were a couple of your favorite events from the summer?
DN: Going to Blue Chip lacrosse camp was probably one of my favorite events because I met some very talented lacrosse players from all over the country, and its always fun to keep in touch with them throughout the summer. I also enjoyed the NELC camp at UVA, it had great instructors and I had a chance to get some good work in with great competition. I haven't been able to go to the beach much because we have had so much lacrosse, but ive enjoyed playing with all my friends so this summers been pretty awesome.

ER: Favorite subject in school? Why?
DN: History because I learn something new every day.

ER: What is your favorite College Program:
DN: Living in Richmond UVA has definitely always been my favorite school. But Im really still just looking around to see which schools are right for me.

Posted by ESPN RISE STAFF 

Long Island, NY – The Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp (NELC) came back to Long Island for the second year in a row.  With Long Island being well known for some of the Nation's best High School Lacrosse, the staff was anxious to see the top players in the area.  Not only does the staff want to observe the young laxer's stick skills they are also interested in observing their athleticism.  NELC allows for the laxers to showcase their athletic talents as well as their lax skills within the high paced 4 hour camp.  As Max Seibald, the current Tewaaraton Award winner says, "To be a high level Lacrosse player today, you can't get away with just being a wizard with the stick, you need to be an athlete.  I credit the work I put forth in my training to having a huge impact on my career.”  NELC is able to include this into this unique camp because they bring with them Chris and Doug Gizzi from Zone Ready, a top shelf performance training company.

 

Here are the top 3 "Lax-letes” who caught the staff's attention with their tremendous athletic skills:

 

#1. Jack Reilly receives the top athlete award.  Even with an impressive frame and build, Jack moves with the fluidity of a basketball player.  His feet are quick and efficient to place his body in a position to win.  As Doug Gizzi, from Zone Ready said, "His feet are constantly getting back to the ground, it makes a swoosh sound as he moves.”

 

#2. Craig Goodermote – YES!  Goalies can be athletes too.  This guy has freakish hand speed and lower extremity dexterity.  He gets his body in front of the ball more often than not because of his superb starting speed.  ESPN Riser's Brett Hughes has been quoted, "I believe Craig may have an extra arm and/or leg.  But until officials rule extra appendages illegal, he can still play with the other kids.  Best goalie I've seen this year!”

 

#3. Alonzo Holcombe is very twitchy and has great recovery speed.  It's like he is reeling someone in when he gives chase.  Awesome shakes and the perseverance to match.  As Chris Gizzi, from Zone Ready said, "Alonzo is like a box of dynamite, when he goes off you swear you heard an explosion.” 

by Brett Hughes 

	Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	NELC JHU MVPs #653 Paul Harrison

DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, MD has been home to some great lacrosse talents from Paul Rabil to recent UVA commit Pat Harbeson.  However they have an up and coming talent, rising senior defenseman Paul Harrison, that may have gone overlooked.

Paul possesses the ability to play anyone on the field with great feet and an aggressive almost football like mentality around the crease. This is something that every goalie in the country as well as coach can appreciate.

His ability to smile and act like just another kid enjoying lacrosse is never misunderstood. Then the pads go on. He is as fierce a competitor.  His worth ethic is easy to see in the way he effortlessly covers a lot of ground. A few colleges remain in the picture for Paul Harrison although he has his favorites Loyola, UNC, Duke, UVA. Wherever he lands he will make an impact at the next level with his speed, size. If he develops more strength that will put him on the same level as the other defensive blue chippers in his class.

 

by Brett Hughes 

	Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	NELC UVA MVPS # 592 Peter Rosetti

Peter Rossetti stepped on the UVA campus on July 30^th and was almost sent to the coaches' check in table before someone realized this was an athlete, not a college coach. The 6-foot-4, 210 lbs. plus defenseman from Collegiate School of Richmond, VA does not look like a rising junior, unless you put him next to most rising juniors in college.

Next surprise he had was a strong handshake and followed it up with a "good to meet you SIR.” A word not used nearly enough these days with athletes. But make no mistake Rossetti was all about fun, right up until the attackman caught the ball.

Similar to Johns Hopkins commit Jack Reilly (Christian Brothers Academy, Syracuse, NY) this very physical athlete turns to all business when the job is at hand, and clicks right back to chirping with teammates and giving everyone including coaches a hard time.

His eagerness to learn and actually go out and give anything a try will put him high on every coach's list. His interests lie in UVA, Georgetown, UNC, Duke, Notre Dane and Johns Hopkins. The duo of Rossetti and up and coming goalie David Noftsinger of Collegiate School will be a defense to deal with this year in the VISAA Central Division 3 region.

We will catch up with Pete in the weeks to come, as the beast gets ready for the upcoming football season. 

by Anthony Kelly special to ESPN RISE

	Zach Heffner/special to ESPN RISE
	NELC Coach Anthony Kelly.

With the 2009 NELC Tour in the books, it's easy to say the future looks bright! With 8 stops on this year tour, all being very successful, I can't wait for 2010! We added San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver, and Ohio State all to this year tour, in addition to last year's stops Long Island, Syracuse, Virginia, and Johns Hopkins. All brought unbelievable talent, and we couldn't be happier with the results.

It's always exciting to see how the game is exploding outside of the traditional hotbeds as we pushed westward. At OSU we had over 80 great players! The talent didn't stop there as we mixed in the Denver stop and the Nor Cal and So Cal stops. The kids out on the west coast were also very impressive, and I know all the kids were pumped in our efforts to add them to the tour.

After a long 2 weeks of training, lacrosse, and traveling, we closed out the NELC tour at Johns Hopkins. It was probably our most talented group of young players we have seen in one camp all year. We had numerous Division 1 and 3 commitments on hand at Friday's camp. It was awesome to watch them all playing and interacting with one another. I was thoroughly impressed with the guys when we got to 6 vs. 6, and the up and down 3 vs. 2 "basketball” drill. The stick skills and lacrosse IQ of these players was very obvious at this point.

As we closed out the day and all headed back to our normal lives, it was nice to sit and reflect on the camps. What's great about the NELC tour is that it gives these great players an opportunity to come to a camp, for FREE, work with some awesome trainers from Zone Ready, play some stress free lacrosse getting them away from the "recruiting summer”, having an opportunity to meet new friends, and most importantly have fun doing it and learn a bunch of new concepts to take home and incorporate into their own training. All of which will ultimately make them all better lacrosse players and hopefully better people. For me, it's just exciting to be able to help they young players achieve that and watch them grow as players. 

We'll see you all next summer!

by Jimmy Borell special to ESPN RISE

  

	Kirstin Olsen
	NELC Coach Jimmy Borell

Jimmy Borell here for NELC, just completed the last leg of the NIKE Elite Lacrosse Camp Tour, and what a way to end up. We visited my home state Virginia and Brett Hughes' alma mater UVA where I was very impressed with D-middi Lateef Evans (Maury, Norfolk, VA) who was really solid on D and very scrappy, and coming from a fellow D-middi ...his form was perfect.  

I saw some great athletes including Peter Rossetti (Collegiate School, Richmond, VA) who put out all day long... and gave the 4 hairs of Kyle Harrison's face a run for their money. Owen Van Arsdale (St. Anne's Belfield, Charlottesville, VA) dominated the athletic section with some fancy footwork, giving Max Seibald a run for his money in the agility web, and showed no signs of slowing down, all together a great day.

After somehow making it through another eventful bus ride, brought to you by K18, we arrive safely in Baltimore, MD for our last NELC camp at Johns Hopkins, and as it worked out, I'm glad we saved the best for last.

I was greeted by a few future Maryland Terps, Quinn Haley (Queen Anne's, Centerville, MD) and Brian Cooper (Archbishop Spalding, Severn, MD), who were all shocked an amazed by my one arm pushups (had surgery on my torn pec six weeks ago) and 180 degree hip swing in the agility web. Speaking of the ACC, UNC verbal Mark McNeill (St. Mary's, Annapolis, MD) showed great range as both an offensive and defensive middi, not to mention a stride that would make Alberto Salazar (great Oregon track star) jealous. Patrick Harbeson (DeMatha, Hyattsville, MD) was a stud all day, and had a great pair of calves to go along with his game.  My favorite part of the day though had to be during the half field 6 vs. 6 when the defense started to remind me of swiss cheese, until Paul Harrison (DeMatha, Hyattsville, MD) started laying the lumber, and making everyone think twice before they stepped into his crease.  NELC coach Greg Bice was even scared... as to be expected though.

Stoked about how we ended up, looking forward to next year's tour!

by Max Seibald special to ESPN RISE

	Kirstin Olsen
	Max Seibald at NELC OSU

Will Campbell, a rising senior out of Worthington Killbourne (Columbus, Ohio), is the epitome of SPARQ.The kid is a straight up beast!He has speed, power agility, reaction and quickness.  

Will has a 6-foot-3 200+ pound frame, and will only get bigger and stronger with time. Not only is he an unbelievable athlete but he is a great lacrosse player with a lot of potential. Will was ripping corners on the run and then getting back in line and bodying kids up on defense rep after rep.

If Will continues to work hard and push himself, he will be a two way middie who has the potential to be an impact player early on in his college career. He may not have the slickest or smoothest handles, but he utilizes his strength and speed to create an advantage over his defender and that is not always easy to teach.If he tightens up his stick skills a bit he will be a force to be reckoned with at the next level.  

Will is a verbal commit to UNC and Coach Breschi is fortunate enough to have one of the top recruits out of the Midwest joining their freshman class in 2011.

Posted by ESPN RISE Staff

Denver, CO – Before the routine spring afternoon thunderstorm, the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps rained down on Denver Colorado in mid June.  In their 2nd season, the NELCs (Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps) are a chance for elite high school lacrosse players to improve all facets of their game, from sports performance development to full field play.  Dick's Sports Complex in Denver would be the first stop on a tour that is planned to bring the best sports performance and lacrosse coaches to select West and East Coast cities.

This Nike project brings together two very familiar organizations – ESPN Rise and ZoneReady to provide a four hour event that brings out the best in high school lacrosse.  ESPN Rise, who consistently sets the standard for high school sports combines and educational/competition camps; is aided by ZoneReady's unique approach to integrate sports performance training with specific sport skills and competition.  Add in half a dozen of the best players at various positions from the Major Lacrosse League (MLL) and the participants are in store for a lacrosse experience like no other.

ESPN Rise member and MLL Denver Outlaws defenseman Brett Hughes is the impetus behind NELC's growing popularity.  "Our intention is to provide an educational experience for the college bound lacrosse player,” admits Mr. Hughes.  "Players come to this camp to get the best instruction on sports performance training and lacrosse skill and strategy.  This is 'Priority One' – it's what differentiates us from other camps that are purely for playing experience or recruiting status.”

Brett's sentiments are echoed in the voice of his instructors.  Outlaws midfielder, Lou Braun couldn't say it any clearer.  "This is an elite camp!” he proclaims as passing drills proceed amidst his watchful eye.  No time for being a babysitter, a referee, or spectator – the NELC's coaches are entrenched in their work to provide high level instruction at every turn.  Top effort, positive attitude, and a high level of lacrosse aptitude are prerequisites for every athlete's invite and entry.  No time for crawling today – the NELC asks that its athletes fly high.

With a high level of lacrosse skills being the operating standard, how do these laxers adapt to the high performance demands of sports performance specialists from ZoneReady.  Coach Doug Gizzi from the cutting edge sports performance company comments:  "If we get 100% effort and a positive attitude, the athlete will improve.  For the NELC; we've created safe, impactful, and fun drills to improve general athleticism and lacrosse specific movements.  Sports performance training is new for lacrosse; we want to show them how easily it can fit into all the other training they must engage in to improve their game.”

When the four hour long Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp is done, there is no question that the full gambit of everything it takes to be a successful collegiate lacrosse player is covered.  Athletes are overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge they were exposed to in a short period of time.  They enjoy a unique "lax-perience” where education is the focus and they are coached from current stars like Kyle Harrison, Sean McCarthy, and Max Seibald just to name a few.  The future of lacrosse camps is here and it is doing more every time out to catapult America's fastest growing sport to another level.

Stay tuned for more on the NELC tour. with four stops remanning in the 2009 tour season.  

By Kyle Harrison special to ESPN RISE

I'd be lying if I said I was a little disappointed when we finished setting up for the NELC San Francisco.  One of the top high school recruits in the nation (and he's not from Maryland or New York folks!), stood in his Nike jersey with no equipment or cleats on, a backwards hat, and a Proton Power in his hands. Rob Emery injured his back dead lifting in summer football training a few days before camp and was unable to participate. I've heard so much about this kid's potential that I had to introduce myself and get a few minutes to talk to the West Coast high school lacrosse legend in the making.

One year from now Emery will be headed to the University of Virginia as the most hyped West Coast high school lacrosse player in the history of lacrosse. The fact that he would even come out to camp knowing he can't participate just to be a part of it, says a lot about the person and player that he is. I watched as he followed around NELC coach Max Seibald (last years NCAA Player of the Year and 2009 Tewaaraton winner) and picked his brain on how he was successful in his college career and how he's coping in the MLL. I noticed for 5 hours of being on the lacrosse field, he didn't put down his stick once. That may seem insignificant to most, but there's a reason he's got great stick skills and is clearly ahead of the high school lacrosse curve in California. He simply wants to be the best lacrosse player he can be and that was evident today in the short time I spent with him.

Emery mentioned to me how important it was for him to be able to practice with his football team later this summer as the quarterback and one of the leaders of the team.  It was great to see a kid who understands the importance of hard work, leadership and most importantly being a part of a TEAM.

    The crazy thing about Rob is I haven't seen him play a minute of competitive lacrosse and I KNOW that he's going to be a great one. What I learned about him was far more important than his shot on the run or his split dodge. He's a hard working kid who handles himself the right way, and I'm certain will have four successful years at UVA and put Bay Area high school lacrosse on the map. Being an East Coast guy, it pains me to say it, but Rob Emery is proof that West Coast high school lacrosse is about to make a HUGE impact on the NCAA in the VERY near future.
 

Posted By ESPN RISE Staff

	Kirstin Olsen/ESPN RISE
	NELC Denver action

The 2009 Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp kicked off the first event on June 15th at the Dick's Sporting Goods Complex in Denver, Colorado. Over 65 kids were registered for the camp from four states, Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, and New Jersey. The facility was top notch and provided a great setting for the elite camp.

The NELC Denver coaching staff boasts some of the top players in the game today. Johns Hopkins All-American and Tewaaraton winner Kyle Harrison returns this year. Newcomers to the NELC Denver Staff were Johns Hopkins alum Lou Braun, Hofstra All-American Sean McCarthy, Maryland alum Jimmy Borell and Cornell's 2009 Tewaaraton winner Maxwell Seibald.  Coaches interacted and instructed athletes and also spoke to the athletes about the importance of training.

The talent of the camp was very diverse, with All-State, All-American players and several eager athletes equipped with work ethic but not as skilled as the others. The format of the camp provided something for both while not taking away from the authentic camp experience. Feedback from athletes was great and many had said that the performance training and elite competition format was the first they had experienced at a lacrosse camp.

The top players at the camp were evenly distributed so we had a chance to see the square off head to head. An up and coming goalie named Rhody Heller will be a show stopper for Regis Jesuit in Aurora, CO next year. We may have been the first to see Heller's skill because he was behind a senior this year. Kyle Harrison thinks he is "the best goalie I have seen all year.”

Some of the other standout players were middy Michael Rea from Fairview High school in Longmont, CO, who received All-Conference and All-State honors as a sophomore. Another soon to be Division I recruit, incoming junior defender Tanner Ottenbreit from Regis Jesuit has the potential to play anywhere in the country. Lastly, middy Ehret Faircloth competed in three varsity sports his sophomore year for The Lawrenceville School in Princeton, NJ and was recommended by a Princeton lacrosse player as an up and coming talent.

Next Stops:

NELC San Francisco, CA Redwood HS July 6th
NELC Los Angeles, CA Home Depot Center July 7th

NELC Syracuse, NY Syracuse University July 9th

Posted by Brett Hughes

Incase you have not seen the NELC site check it out. We will update it throughout the summer with pictures and video as well as hear from players, coaches, and staff on each camp as we tour the country in year two.

There is a link on the page to email us with any questions you have on the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps. 

by ESPNRISE.com

In our current economic situation it seems everything is downsized, cut or eliminated. However, the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps (NELC) are back for year number two, have doubled in size and will expand to eight cities across the country.

	ESPN RISE

Last year, the camps were a huge success at Syracuse, Mitchell Field (Home of the Long Island Lizards), Johns Hopkins and the University of Virginia. This year the camps will expand to the Midwest and West Coast. Plus, the camps have a slightly different format.

Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps are geared toward elite players and designed to make the best players, better. Each camp is lead by professional players and coaches and features Nike SPARQ Training; where, athletes learn innovative ways to train and take their game to the next level. The elite competition portion of the camp incorporates competition amongst the nation's best laxers!

Recently, lacrosse coaches nationwide were invited to nominate their top players for an invitation to the NELC this year. It is a pre-registration only camp, and nominations are being accepted daily for the summer events. Coaches must contact ESPN RISE to submit names for consideration. For information please contact Brett Hughes at brett@studentsports.com, for a Player Recommendation Form

Don't miss out on a great LAX experience at the NELC Camps this summer. Step up your game and tell your coach to nominate you!

Posted by Sheldon Shealer

Charlie Graff stands out in a crowd.

Especially in a Chicago crowd - toting a stick and searching for a place to play lacrosse.

"I feel kind of goofy walking around with a long stick in Chicago, Graff said with a laugh. A life-long Indiana resident, Graff recently relocated to Chicago and lives in a high-rise - 27 stories up.

"There is no place to play wall ball, he said. "But I found a spot by a bridge on Columbus.

Graff, a rising junior at McCallie School (Tenn.), is a top flight lacrosse recruit for 2010. He attended a pair of stops on the Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp tour last week. His dedication to lacrosse reflects a growing trend. This once East Coast-based sport is now spreading to a national audience, and even in the Midwest, lacrosse is gaining popularity.

Like several Midwest lacrosse players, Graff was a hockey player who found lacrosse late in middle school. He and his friends started a pair of pick-up teams that received instruction from local high school players.

As a freshman, Graff went to Culver Military School, Indiana's lacrosse power. The team won the state title his freshman year. Midway through his sophomore year, Graff, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound left-sided midfielder, transfered to Hebron Academy in Maine, where the team won the conference title.

He and his father decided to relocated, yet again, this school year, and Graff will be at McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tenn. At McCallie, he will team up with Troy Kemp, another NELC participant. Graff likely will play football for McCallie, as well. He projects as a starting linebacker.

Posted by Sheldon Shealer

 

 

 

"Who's got 'Miami,' shouted the goalie.

 

By then, it was too late.

 

Jobe Gerlach (pictured) slipped behind the defense and rifled a shot into the net during the 3 on 2 drills at Thursday's Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp stop in Charlottesville, Va.

 

Although the third stop of the NELC showcased top prospects such as Chris LaPierre, Harry Prevas and Howie Long, the event brought out 44 other players looking to improve their skills and gain name recognition.

 

One such athlete was Gerlach, a rising junior at Gulliver Prep in Miami, Fla.

 

The swift attackman, nicknamed "Miami during the day's session, and his defensive-minded high school teammate Thomas Koslowski made the trip to the University of Virginia just to be seen.

 

Koslowski said that Miami lacrosse "is lacking and he and Gerlach are taking every opportunity to get exposure.

 

"I want to go to college [for lacrosse], Koslowski said. "I've been to Maryland four or five times already this summer. The competition up here is really tough.

 

"I didn't know what to expect when I got here, but I was surprised by the intensity, Gerlach added.

 

Gerlach's play was impressive, especially given the fact he missed the entire high school lacrosse season due to a broken left arm sustained during the football season. He said he will not play football this fall in order to focus on lacrosse.

 

Gerlach and Koslowski are receiving early interest from NCAA Division I programs. In fact, the next stop for the two will be a team camp in Atlanta this weekend run by Loyola and Harvard.

 

Gerlach's family made Thursday's lacrosse event a stop on their summer vacation through the Mid-Atlantic region. Meanwhile, Koslowski made the trip with his mother, Sheri Turner.

 

"Brett Hughes called us and told us about [the NELC] and it seemed like a good thing to do, Turner said.

 

When it came to crunch time in the competition part of the NELC on Thursday, Gerlach's teammates ushered him to the front of the attack line in order to get another crack at goal, which he delivered.

 

After Gerlach scored, he hustled to the back of the line where he was greeted with a high-five by Koslowski. Another teammate simply shouted out, "Way to go, 'Miami.'"

Written by Kyle Harrison

Posted by Senior Editor Ronnie Flores

We just finished up the second of four Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps at Mitchell Field ajacent to Hofstra University on Long Island, N.Y. It was a beautiful day on the Island, and more importantly, the camp's participants got after it for over four hours.

We evaluated some amazing athletes out there. When you've got lacrosse players who are athletic to begin with, but also passionate about becoming better athletes, you can't help but to get fired up. The talent level here at our LI NELC camp was the best group of high school lacrosse players I've ever seen on a single field.

Two players that stood out were Brennan Bicknese and Mike Morris (Georgetown commits). Not only were these two long poles absolute animals during SPARQ Training and competition portion of the camp, but they have great personalities. They kept the other campers and coaches laughing throughout the day.

Attack men Connor English and Matt White (Virginia commits) are as good as advertised. UVA definitely picked up two big-time recruits there. White is a calm and comfortable quarterback behind goal, and Conor's dodging and finishing ability is pretty ridiculous. He even got a defender with a split dodge behind his back.

Midfielders Max Van Bourgondien (Cornell) and Peter Berg (Harvard) are two athletes that came in shined during the SPARQ Training portion of camp. Watching all of these elite players go head to head is what the NELC tour is all about.

While some of the campers are already committed to colleges, there are some others who will be big-time recruits in the future. Tobey Armour from Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut is a rising junior long stick midfielder who won the camp's defensive MVP award. The kid tore down the gauntlets, which is easily the most difficult aspect of SPARQ training, and was one of the most athletic kids in camp.

A few others to keep an eye out for are Dallas Humphreys (rising senior from Fla.), Mike Ehrhardt (rising junior from Chamanade) and midfielder Paul Carafello. He is a rising senior that is undecided on a college.

Lacrosse is growing and I hope everyone can see it. The athletes in this sport are completely different then they were five years ago. The sport not only has top-notch athletes who are committed to becoming great lacrosse players, but committed to becoming great athletes.

The fact that the NELC was able to bring together some of the top recruits in the country to come out and compete with each other is something this sport has never had.

High school lacrosse players across the country are starting to take the commitment to become better athletes seriously. Through the NELC, they now have uncanny access to SPARQ train with some of the best trainers in the country and learn from many of the best college and proffesional players. That is exactly what this sport has needed for years.

Written by Greg Bice

Posted by Senior Editor Ronnie Flores

Long Island has been rumored to be home to great delis and great lacrosse. After our stop at Mitchell field in East Meadows, believe what you heard, Long Islanders serve up a great sandwich and now how to lax. 

Day two of our Nike Elite Lacrosse Camps brought out the best talent we have seen so far.  Today was the best lacrosse camp experience I have ever been a part of and I hope the week continues to bring out such talent.  Here are some players who caught our eye and really tore it up today:

Toby Armour -- Physical defensemen who is super aggressive and loves to lay the lumber.  He won the defensive MVP and reminded me of Clubber Lang from Rocky III (minus gold chains and Mohawk). Prediction for opposing attackmen...PAIN.  He is a rising junior at Choate Rosemary Hall.

Mike Morris & Brennan Bicknese -- These two rising seniors are heading to Georgetown in the fall of 2009.  They have the potential to be the best defensive duo since the bash brothers from Mighty Ducks II. The defense performed a textbook "flying V in six vs. five transition that shut down the offense and cost coach Harrison and his crew pushups.   

John Urbank -- Rangy defensemen who can cover a ton of ground.  He is tall, athletic and has a great attitude.  Expect to hear this kid's name a lot in the near future.  He is a rising junior from Chamanade, N.Y., the home of John Dauro.

Peter Berg -- This absolute workhorse is heading to Harvard in '09.   Berg was among the fastest players in camp and worked hard all day.  This guy is a gladiator and as coach Kelly says, he has no problem paying the man.

Connor English & Matt White -- With White's vision and English's finishing ability they are going to be a great addition to the University of Virginia's attack line in 2009.

Bruce Pirie -- One of the top performers in camp.  Absolutely destroyed Coach Doug Gizzi's "meat-grinder gauntlet and was ready for more.  The way he played made me thin of the Steve Prefontaine quote, "Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.   I don't think anyone out worked this kid today and has that attitude every coach is looking for in an elite lacrosse athlete. He's a rising junior middie from Oakland, N.J.

If you were curious, the Gizzi "meat-grinder consists of the following: 180 degree hip pivots through a ladder, figure 8 sprint, 10 medicine ball push ups, 60-yard sprint, hurdle lateral run and a 40 yard ladder shuttle. Keep in mind it was 90 degrees and we did it after our training session.   

Dallas Humphreys -- Easily the best name in camp.  He is a rising senior who has flown under a lot of coaches' radars because he is from Florida.  News flash to all college coaches: there are great players from places other than Baltimore and Long Island.  He has tremendous upside and could become a good college player.  Humphreys is a rising senior from Boone High in Orlando who has not committed to a college yet.

Next stop on the NELC tour: The University of Virginia

Written by Anthony Kelly

Posted by Senior Editor Ronnie Flores

My hat is off to the fifty kids that had the guts and willingness to compete at the first annual Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp at Syracuse University. They came from Ohio, upstate New York, Michigan and even Canada.

 They came rolling up to the fields looking as wide eyed as a kid in a candy store approaching the unknown, a new and unique lacrosse camp, executed unlike any other camp in the country. These kids decided to march to the beat of their own drum and test their abilities against many of the best players in the country.....and they absolutely crushed it!

The day began with the partcipants competing in the Nike SPARQ training session and enjoying every minute of it.  The athletes were put through a variety of sport specific training drills, medicine ball work, and speed training.

I believe SPARQ Training is one of the most beneficial aspects of the camp because the kids were taught by some of the best sports performance trainers in the country.  Not only were they taught drills they can use the rest of their lives, but also the proper way to train.  This is key to an athlete's success.

From there we took it to the lacrosse field to do work! 

We challenged the participants by putting them through a tough series of drills where they had the opportunity to showcase their skills against other top-notch athletes in a competitive atmosphere.

There were so many talented athletes on the field that it was hard to stand out. Even so, a few players really made an immediate impact on the coaches.  Austin Wright (Worthington Kilbourne, Columbus, Ohio) had an unbelievable day from start to finish.  He is a very skilled and dynamic offensive player at the midfield position, as well as a great kid.  Austin earned midfielder of the day from the NELC staff.

Chris Isle (New York Empire Team Central) was the day's MVP for his play in goal.  He was killing it in the cage!

Joe McCormick (Forest Hills Central, Grand Rapids, Michigan) was the defensive player of the day.  James Cathers (Corcoran, Syracuse, New York) graded out as the attackman of the day.

There were too many great players to name them all, but some others that stood out were Chris Nourse (Cazenovia), Ronnie Caputo (Fayetteville-Manlius) and Brandon Piersma (Forest Hills Eastern). 

Day one was a complete success. The kids competed hard as left tired.  The coaches were all excited to see the kids responding so well to their instruuction.

The NELC tour is currently on its way to Mitchel Field (Long Island) where we expect to have another great camp.

Written by Steve Brooks

Posted by Senior Editor Ronnie Flores

Day one ran smooth as butter.  It started off with our staff, as we had MLL all stars, college All-Americans, professional football players and six coaches from 2008 NCAA national champion Syracuse. Participants came in from all over the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest, including some from Michigan and Ohio. 

During the first session, the participants went through skills training, which they responded quite well to.  One standout I observed was Christian Albertson. He dominated every skill station and is a great athlete.

In the second session, the participants played in live games. A standout during the scrimmages was an Onadaga native coming off the U19 World Games representing the Iroquois nation.  James Cathers and Dalton Powless have great stick skills and made others around them better players. Cathers ended up as one of the MVP's of the camp.  

Kudos to the kids who traveled a great distance to participate and make a name for themselves.  Ben McDougal drove all the way from Port Huron, Michigan to attend. I spoke with him after and he had some positive things to say.  McDougal couldn't believe how the first training session helped him with ideas to apply back home about foot work and player development. Coming from Michigan and making a name for himself, he couldn't believe how well everyone played together.

"Great chemistry, and the game play was intense," McDougal said.

His comments go to show how mcuh the the sport is growing nationwide and how badly kids want to improve their game by competing against the nation's best at the NIKE Elite Lacrosse Camp.

Overall, the NELC is going to help Lacrosse grow, since there are four areas we are hitting. The feedback we are receiving from the camp's participants is unreal.  With the staff at the NELC and the variety of skills we have to teach the campers there is no doubt in my mind the NELC tour will become the premier Lacrosse camps in the country.