By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/7/16
Kathryn Kelley said her main goal Saturday at the Frozen 150 girls’ showcase in Fredericksburg (VA) Field House was to be a good teammate.
“I was looking forward to the Frozen 150 because I heard it was competitive and had players coming from all over the East Coast,” said the 2019 midfielder from Perkiomen Valley and Dynamite Lacrosse. “I wanted to work to enhance my game and work with new players and coaches.
“I always go into a Showcase or tournament wanting to do my best and hopefully be recognized as someone who helped my team.”
Kelley’s team play were recognized. Victory Events, which ran the showcase, awarded her as one of three MVPs on the Hawks. In all 12 players were named as MVPs and Kelley was the only one from Philly.
The event began with drills through multiple stations that including man-up/man-down situations, shooting drills, double team defense/getting out of doubles, and techniques for taking the draw. That clinic portion was led by coaches from Villanova, St. Joseph’s, VCU, Navy, and Winthrop.
After that, a Q&A recruiting panel was held for both parents and athletes. In the afternoon, the girls split into four teams and played 7v7 showcase games. Those teams were also coached by the college coaches.
“I felt like the team worked well together and our coach did a great job of putting players in positions where they could do their best,” Kelley said. “I tried my best to contribute to my team each time I was on the field. And I tried to use some of the things that the coaches had taught us in the clinics.
“My teammates were great and it was easy to work together. Everyone was there to learn and improve so we all wanted to play our best.”
What did Kelley learn from the event that will help her prepare for the coming season?
“I really enjoyed working with Coach (Princess) Livingston (Villanova), and I learned a lot about different cradling techniques and moving the ball in a settled offense,” she said. “I learned a lot about taking the draw from Coach (Gabby) Capuzzi (Navy, Archbishop Carroll grad) and also about getting good body position in checks from Coach (Meg) Decker (VCU). Coach (Amanda) Shimp (Winthrop) helped us with shooting technique. The coaches were great and really helped me to improve!
“I think the Frozen 150 was a great experience! I was able to work very closely with some top women’s coaches and met some terrific people!”
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Camryn Mann had new goals for the New Year Saturday when she returned to compete in the Frozen 150 girls’ showcase.
“Last year I competed in the Frozen 150 and I loved it!” said the Walsingham High (VA) 2018 midfielder. “There was a lot of tough competition and college coaches. It’s a great place to get noticed for sure.
“Last year, my goal going into the event was to take that first step in the recruiting process and get some traction from college coaches. This year I came in with different goals because just a couple days before Christmas I committed to play D1 at Arizona State.
“With that being said the ultimate goal this year was to learn from different coaches and just keep a stick in my hand. After you commit it’s no time to take a break, that’s when the real work begins!”
Mann, of Storm Elite, was one of three MVPs named for the Rams, along with Arianna Shea (Integrity) and Marissa Lagera (Hero’s). Other MVP’s included: Natalie Pugliese (Team United), Nicole Orella (Long Island Yellow Jackets), and Madison Corcoran (Lady Roc) of the Wildcats; Kira Repich (Storm Elite), Kaitlyn Arcari (Capital Lacrosse), and Kelley (Dynamite Lacrosse Club) of the Hawks; and Alyssa Wright (Hero’s), Morgan Akers (Ulax/Uproar/Revolution), and Sam Kreis (Black Dog Lacrosse) of the Eagles.
“Overall, I learned a ton from each of the coaches,” said Mann. “It was pretty much impossible not to learn from such knowledgeable people! One of my weaker points is off ball defense, but after this weekend I feel very confident in that area of my game.”
What went well for Mann?
“To earn MVP honors I did my best to show my strong points, and even if I was working a weaker area of my game, always going 110 percent was the priority,” she said. “My team meshed pretty well.
“It’s always a bit challenging coming onto a field with a bunch of girls you don’t know too well, but communicating with your teammates all over the field is definitely a necessity to be a successful team in this kind of environment. Along with that, really trying to connect with other girls on your team and finding things you have in common with them really helps to make a connection on the field.”
The field featured players from over 25 clubs. represented from states including VA, MD, PA, NY, CO, and MA.
Also winning MVP: Kaitlyn Arcari, 2018 MF/ATT, Bishop O’Connell High School (Capital Orange)
What kind of goals did you have coming into the showcase and did you fulfill them?
Arcari: “My goal going into the showcase was to get through the entire day giving it my all and hustling for every ball no matter how tired or worn out I was. ‘Keep going and NEVER give up no matter how hard it is’ was my motto.
What went well for you to earn MVP honors?
Arcari: “I think I played really well because I was having a ton of fun and I received great instruction from my coaches and great support from my teammates. I liked the small and relaxed environment the showcase had. I also put in a lot of work on my own time before the showcase to prepare.
“Just because you may not be (at) the same skill level as everyone there there’s still room for them to improve also. If you practice practice practice you can achieve anything! Don’t be afraid to try new things, it’s how you learn. So get out on the wall! Repetition is key for success! And don’t forget to have fun!”
What did you learn from all the coaching that will help you to get ready for the high school season ?
Arcari: “I enjoyed working with all the coaches and they all gave me great information but I especially liked the sliding double drill that I did with the VCU coach. I will definitely be able to use the information that I learned in this drill during my high school season.”
How did your team mesh ? What did you have to do to play well together?
Arcari: “I knew no one going into the showcase but I really enjoyed my team and I think we played really well together as a team. The group of girls made it easy to mesh together because we all had different things to learn and teach one another and we all wanted to get better. Communication was a key part of our success. Throughout the day we got better and better at communicating with each other which resulted in winning team.”
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