Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/12/13
Registration continues for the annual Ward Melville-LB3/Phillie Elite Pre-Season Camps on Sunday, March 3, the day before the opening of the PIAA lacrosse season.
The event will be held at the Shipley School main campus turf fields in Bryn Mawr from noon to 4 p.m. Both the 7-to-15 age group and high school aged group will be held at the same time. Originally, the 7-to-15 class was to be held on Saturday, March 2.
The spring tune-up is a comprehensive one-day set of clinics used to prepare players for the upcoming lax season. Elite coaches and pro players as well as former college stars head the lost of instructors players
Players from all clubs and high school programs are encouraged to register.
Registration is $125 for the Phillie Elite high school camp and $85 for the LB3-Ward Melville youth camp.
The director is LB3 founder Liam Banks, the 2001 Final Four MVP and NCAA champion for the Syracuse Orange and a graduate of famed Ward Melville High on Long Island.
Other coaches for the camp include:
Josh Amidon, played at Syracuse
Kevin Crowley (Wings standout, Shipley assistant), Stony Brook
Tim Harder, Syracuse
Brian Silcott, Nazareth
Joel White, Syracuse
Tim Goldstein, Cornell
Dennis Goldstein, UNC
Old Man Banks-Three Village Lacrosse
J.P. Banks (Upper Dublin coach), Johns Hopkins
Mark Duncan (Shipley head coach), Lehigh
Kevin Banks, Hobart
Brian Silcott, Nazareth
The Ward Melville-style coaching refers to the progressive and team-oriented play that Banks learned at the perennial powerhouse while growing up on Long Island. Traditionally, many of the coaches have been Ward Melville grads or players from Long Island.
The mix of coaches and lacrosse instruction will appeal to older and younger players. The focus is on basic skills in the framework of a winning lacrosse attitude.
“We wanted to encourage younger guys to come for the Ward Melville-style coaching; we have done it in the past and those guys do a great job with the younger group,” said Banks. “What we also wanted to do was to provide the highest level of coaching for older high school guys.
“We are trying to get the best players in the area to come out. It’s a great chance for any player to get the chance to excel and see the highest level of coaching. A lot of players come out from other clubs.”
Banks said the clinics are the perfect primer for the PIAA season for high school players or a strong skills builder for the youth player.
“With tryouts being held and the Philly market becoming ultra-competitive, this is one last shot to hone in on skills before the season,” he aid. “You may pick up three or four things to help in your tryouts.”
