Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 2/3/12
Registration remains open for the 5th Annual Patriot Games Youth Lacrosse Showcase, a popular boys’ lacrosse tournament, which will be held July 21-22, 2012. The event will take place at 3 venues in the heart of beautiful and historic Bucks County, Pennsylvania – Herbst Field Complex, home of the Central Bucks Athletic Association, Palisades High School, and New-Hope Solebury High School.
“The Buck County locations provide a convenient forum at the crossroads of major lacrosse hotbeds, including Maryland, New England, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania,” said Chris Bates, Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Princeton and one of the Tournament Directors. “The event has grown over the last few years. In 2011, 184 teams representing 14 states participated. Over 100 teams have already registered for the 2012 Tournament through January, so registrations are proceeding at a good pace. “
The event attracts the top club teams looking to test themselves against a diverse field of elite programs from other regions. Many clubs view the event as a chance to punctuate their summer travel season with a grand finale. In addition to teams from traditional hotbeds on the East Coast, the event has drawn talented contingents from Canada and emerging regions of the country, including California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin. Past events have also included “Bridge” programs from Baltimore and Philadelphia.
This year, the Patriot Games has been selected by NDP Lacrosse as an “Official Qualifying Event” for the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, which will take place outside of Tampa in January 2013. Top finishing teams in selected divisions will earn bids to join other top club teams from around the nation to compete in the high profile, national championship event.
The 2012 Patriot Games offers Youth and High School brackets. Youth brackets (U11, U13, U15) are broken down into 3 divisions (AA, A and B) to ensure teams are playing at the appropriate level and to optimize competition. High School brackets feature A & B divisions and consist of JV/Rising Stars (Rising Freshmen/Class of 2016; Rising Sophomores/Class of 2015) and Varsity/Elite (Rising Seniors/Class of 2013 or younger).
As in 2011, teams in each age group will be recognized for sportsmanship based largely on sportsmanship scorecards kept by certified officials and site marshals after each game, taking into account the spirit of the game and conduct on both sides of the field, including spectators.
“We are hoping for another good weekend of competitive lacrosse and camaraderie with a varied group of top quality club teams,” said Bates. “Last year we had to close registration for the Tournament in April, the event seems to have generated a loyal following and is growing based on word of mouth.”
“We are thankful for the support of CBAA and the athletic directors and staff members at Palisades and New-Hope Solebury, as well as a fine group of PIAA certified officials. We’ve also enjoyed working closely with the Bucks County Visitor’s Bureau to make the event a great overall experience for our guests, with a positive economic impact for the host communities.”
For more information about the Patriot Games and to register, please visit the tournament web site (www.patriotgameslax.com).
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