Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/1/17
The NXT Lacrosse Club is proud to announce some exciting new additions to its coaching staff, as well as upgrades to its player development model.
First, P.T. Ricci, who has joined NXT in a full-time capacity as Director of Elite Training & High School Clubs, will serve as head coach of the NXT 2021 team. Coach Ricci has coaching experience at Malvern Prep, Towson University, Loyola University, Haverford College and most recently at Division III powerhouse Cabrini University. Coach Ricci will help with the development of our high school players and make a huge impact in our college guidance program with his vast network of college coaches.
Coach Ricci’s assistant coach will be Steve Layne, who has experience working at NXT’s elite educational programs (NLA). Layne is a local product, having played high school lacrosse at Malvern Prep and his college lacrosse at Loyola University; he was an All-American as well as a team captain. Coach Layne spent three years in the college ranks as an assistant at the University of Richmond and was previously on staff at Loyola.
“I couldn’t be any happier to be reunited and have the opportunity to coach with my former college teammate Steve Layne,” said Ricci. “Not only was he a great lacrosse player, he was a phenomenal leader both as an All American player and Division one coach. Steve’s leadership and experience will be a valuable asset to NXT.”
Upgraded Player Development Model
The upcoming August tryouts for NXT are important: The way NXT’s high school teams are structured, players who make the 9th grade team at tryouts prior to their freshman year are guaranteed to remain on that team throughout their high school careers. Players and families who make the team know they will be on the same team, have the same coaches, and experience a consistent player development model for their entire high school career. Last year NXT had over 300 players tryout for their teams, and this year’s August tryouts are shaping up to be similarly competitive.
With new faces comes a restructure of leadership designed to focus and upgrade NXT’s player development model at all age groups. The hiring of Coach Ricci, who along with coaching the NXT 2021s, will oversee logistics and management of all three of NXT’s high school-age club teams, is also great news for NXT’s youth program. This move allows current club director Marty Kupprion to focus his energy solely on developing NXT’s youth teams.
Under the leadership of Coach Kupprion, NXT is working to attract the best players in the region and create elite age-appropriate curriculums and training programs. NXT will add black and silver teams exclusively at the middle school ages of 2022, 2023 and 2024.
NXT trains the most and feel development is paramount at the middle school age to prepare these players for high school. The black and silver teams will train together to create a more competitive training environment. This positive change allows for more coaches at each training session, will reduce roster sizes to 18 players and on tournament days these three teams will split, allowing for more game time for each player. NXT families in this age bracket can now feel more comfortable there will be a spot on one of our rosters during these important developmental years.
NXT plans to field youth and high school box-only teams. The season will begin in December and culminate with the PILC tournament in February. Coach Ricci, Coach Manney, Coach Lawrence and an elite group of coaches will lead these teams. Box-only teams will allow players to have consistent box-specific training, smaller rosters and to compete in three regional tournaments.
NXT has learned not every player in our club wants to play box in the winter and there are players outside of our club who want to join us for this specific training. This move allows our field club players to continue to train at MLSC in the winter and improve their field skills. The players who love box in addition to field lacrosse and really want to take advantage of the skills acquired with box training will have that opportunity with this new NXT Box Club.
Additionally, NXT will continue to offer specialized goalie and face-off instruction for all of its club teams. These specialty coaches will work with all NXT teams, from the youngest to oldest, ensuring consistency of instruction no matter the age of the player. These coaches will have no individual club team responsibilities, thus allowing them to simply focus on player development.
Finally, NXT has promoted Coach Bill Leahy to Director of Coaching and College Guidance. This move allows Coach Leahy to work with all of NXT’s players, coaches and families, and broaden the amazing impact and positive influence he has had.
NXT Coaching Staff Leadership
Peter Lawrence – Coach Law oversees curriculum and quality control across all of the NXT Lacrosse Club. Lawrence previously served as Head Men’s lacrosse coach at the University of Hartford for 11 years. He led the Hawks to two NCAA tournament appearances in 2011 and 2016, and was named the 2011 D1 New England Coach of the Year.
Andy Hayes – Hayes is the CEO of NXTsports and is the head coach of the NXT 2020 team. For 11 years Hayes was the head boys’ lacrosse coach at Episcopal Academy, and in 2012 led the Churchmen to the Inter-Ac Invitational Championship. Hayes has served as the US Lacrosse rep for Eastern Pennsylvania, and he has designed highly-regarded lacrosse training curriculums.
Bill Leahy – Coach Leahy serves as the Director of Coaching and College Guidance. He just completed his 26th year as head coach at La Salle College High School where he has achieved an overall record of 430-88 (288-4 in the Catholic League), which includes the 2004, 2008, 2009, and 2013 PA State Championships and 21 Philadelphia Catholic League Championships.
Brett Manney – Coach Manney serves as head coach for the NXT 2019 team and as Vice President of Sales & Recruiting at NXTsports. Manney is a defenseman and assistant captain of the New England Black Wolves, and also has played professionally outdoors for the Rochester Rattlers and the Chesapeake Bayhawks of the MLL. Manney is a 2008 graduate of the University of Delaware, where he served as team captain his senior year and helped the legendary 2007 Blue Hen men’s squad reach the NCAA final four.
Marty Kupprion – Coach Kupp was a star player at Episcopal Academy and the University of Delaware, where he was a member of the 2007 Blue Hen Final Four team. Kupprion spent seven years as an assistant coach at Episcopal Academy, and has been a leader in the NXT Lacrosse Club since 2010. Kupprion also holds a master’s degree in education from Cabrini College, and he uses his background as an educator to oversee all NXT’s youth teams.
NXT’s professional full-time coaching staff is dedicated to working and developing every player in the Club. NXT Club tryouts for the 2017-18 season take place August 18, 19, and 20 at the Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, PA. Interested players can register for tryouts at nxtlacrosse.com.