Woodberry Forest Lacrosse Camp: July 21-24, 2016

Woodberry alums and camp counselors Charlie Archer & Benny Pugh

At Woodberry Forest Lacrosse Camp, our coaching staff will work to develop individual skills of each player regardless of position AND teach important team concepts necessary to excel at the next level - whether it's middle school, junior varsity, or varsity.

The camp curriculum will be tailored to players of all levels, emphasizing core fundamentals such as passing, catching, scooping, shooting, dodging, and defending. This camp is geared towards the young player who wants to improve his skills and understanding of the game of lacrosse. Of course, we will also incorporate some competitive games and scrimmages and - most importantly - have fun!

The boys will stay in our air conditioned dorms, practice and play on turf fields, and have the opportunity to use our indoor and outdoor pools.

Our coaching staff will bring a tremendous amount of energy, experience coaching all ages and abilities, and will include numerous current and former Division I & III athletes.

Space is limited, so secure a spot today by printing out and mailing us the Woodberry Forest Lacrosse Camp Application

For more information or any questions, please contact Spotty Robins

Lacrosse Recruiting Tips with Ryan Boyle

Ryan Boyle, the CEO of Trilogy who is among the most decorated players of all time, offers some real talk about college lacrosse recruiting in the video below. Anyone interested in pursuing college lacrosse should give it a look see. 

Organized Confusion

Above is a picture from the April 28, 1962 issue of the The Woodberry Oracle showing Woodberry's season opening contest versus Augusta Military Academy, which the Tigers lost 9-4 the week prior. The caption underneath read "Organized Confusion". Barclay R. "Peter" Stanton - a young math teacher who played lacrosse at Williams College - founded our program in 1961 as a spring intramural and spent three seasons teaching the boys basic fundamentals. Lacrosse wasn't technically considered a varsity sport until 1963, the year after the above picture was snapped. I've copied the text of the article below:

Lacrosse Team Bows in First Game; Loses To More Experienced Augusta

       On Friday, April 20, Woodberry's newest and fastest-growing sport, Lacrosse, opened its season by playing Augusta Military Academy's veteran varsity squad. Mr. Stanton's stickmen lost to the Cadets 9 to 4, but the game was closer than the score indicated. Lack of experience and the loss of Kent Neal and Redge Hanes, two top-flight players, tipped the scaled to A.M.A. 

       Tom Cushman and Leeds Davis, Woodberry's starting attackmen, posed a constant threat to A.M.A's defense and tallied three points between them, while our opponents aided the Tigers with the final point. Cushman's cradling ability paid off as he scored in the first quarter and again in the third to keep Woodberry well in the game. 

       El Davis, the Tiger goalie, deflected the majority of A.M.A's attempts at scoring. David Toal also saw some action in the crease. Backing Davis on the defensive were Thorne Auchter and Keith Leachman, assisted by acting captain, Johnny Ward. Ward, Auchter, and Leachman checked the cadets, until experience overweighted Woodberry's desire. 

       Peter Lyon, Jim Elliot, and Bond Owen kept the mid-fields hot, as they continuously fed the attackmen and assisted the defensive players. 

       Charlie Small aided the mid-fielders, while Tog George, Steve Howard, and Jeff Leath backed up the defenders. 

The 1962 squad squared off against the Washington & Lee University Freshman team, the University of Virginia Freshman team, Severn, A.M.A for a second time, and Fort Belvoir. The Tigers failed to secure a win that year, but according to the year-end Sports Review in the May 26, 1962 edition of the Oracle, "Great improvement developed from the bitter experience of defeat...Woodberry expects an improved season next year with the possibility of games with Episcopal and other surrounding schools." The 1963 squad went 5-4. Great improvement indeed. Below is the 1962 team picture:

Welcome to the 2015-2016 Woodberry Forest Lacrosse Blog!

View of Walker Building from Robertson Lake. Old picture but appropriate as fall officially arrives.

Last night we had our opening meeting for all the boys interested in playing lacrosse this spring. Last time I attended a lacrosse interest meeting in Edwards Lecture Hall it was as a senior here in the fall of 2003. Since that day - frankly, since long before that day - the game of lacrosse has given me so much. It has helped develop lifelong friendships, given me a career that I love, and taught me countless life lessons and skills in the process. I can only hope that some of the guys in the room last night will develop that depth of relationship with this game.

Anyway, we are going to get straight to work on our offseason program. Our focus will be on improving our technique and hand-eye coordination since almost all of us are currently involved in another sport. I wouldn't have it any other way, for the record. Participating in another sport is the best way to prepare oneself for lacrosse season, and to get the most out of one's experience here at Woodberry. Lessons learned on the football field, soccer field, basketball court, wrestling mat, and on the track translate directly to the lacrosse field. Some of my best memories from my time here come from the football and indoor track squads. We just have to make sure we are also staying focused on developing our passing, catching, and shooting.

Parents: We will be returning to Florida for spring break from March 13-18 on the same trip the team took last year. Traditionally, the trip has been open to the varsity boys and a number of junior varsity boys. We will have three sessions per day there, and will play our first game of the season towards the tail end of the trip. The trip should afford us an outstanding opportunity to come together as a team and to prepare for a demanding season without having to worry about unpredictable Virginia weather or developing an early case of cabin fever at the start of what is a long, largely uninterrupted spring season here at Woodberry.