Our camp philosophy is born out of decades of coaching and playing experience. Mark Theriault and Tom Carmean have been directing camps for over ten years and have identified and developed teaching techniques that address the fundamental elements of the game. The core of our teaching is a systematic analysis and correction of any player’s fundamental skill set. For the youngest player, this means starting out on the right foot; learning to pass, catch, dodge, and shoot in a fundamentally sound fashion. For the intermediate and advanced players this means blending in the fundamental skills with a greater comprehension of the full field game; understanding the WHY as well as the How of the game. Too often aspiring lacrosse players find themselves on the sidelines at camp watching overly sophisticated demonstrations that are not relevant to their skill level and useless stick trick shows given by the latest college All American only to later realize that the most important ingredient to a successful camp experience was sorely neglected….. getting better at lacrosse.
At Elite 180 we dedicate hours of instruction time teaching young players to understand the fundamentals and mechanics that will allow them to improve as they practice the sport. We have developed teaching tools that are unique to sport of lacrosse, a blending of conceptual instruction with applicable drills that have proven to greatly accelerate the learning process for beginners as well as the more advanced player. This camp is dedicated to teaching and reinforcing the fundamentals of Lacrosse for the younger generation, especially in light of the rule changes that will be implemented in the future. These rule changes will return Lacrosse to an earlier era; an era in which knowing the correct fundamentals will be paramount. The changes being made will greatly limit the amount of offset allowed in the stick technology, which will force the upcoming players of tomorrow to rely far more heavily on ball movement and motion than in years past. Our camp will be devoted to teaching the principles that form the bedrock of fundamental Lacrosse play, and imparting those principles to the younger generation.
We have built a staff over the years that has proven expertise coaching at the college, high school, and youth level (see staff guide). We believe that it is essential to have the very best teachers available, coaches that have forged their philosophies with years of experience. This staff has collectively formed and implemented the Elite 180 system, a program dedicated to improving the young lacrosse player.
The beautiful surroundings of Amherst College enhance the camp experience. The College facilities are superb, and the campers will enjoy all the amenities from the swimming pool to the state of the art dining facility. We hope you will join us at the Elite 180 developmental camp this year. Please sign up quickly as spots will be selling out fast.