Liberty University Club Sports Athletics
Lacrosse camps celebrate 10th year, continue to emphasize fundamentals, faith
7/27/2023 10:56:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
In their 10th year of directing the Flames Futures Summer Camps, Liberty University men's lacrosse Head Coach Kyle McQuillan and Assistant Coach Mike Zumpano divided them into two sessions for players 15-and-under and those ages 19-and-under, drawing more than 80 players overall.
In their 10th year of directing the Flames Futures Summer Camps, Liberty University men's lacrosse Head Coach Kyle McQuillan and Assistant Coach Mike Zumpano introduced a new format for this month's camps. The first week was designated for players 15-and-under and the second, held this past Saturday through Tuesday, was reserved for those ages 19-and-under and drew 60 players, including 42 overnight campers.
"Our camps were a really big success this year," Zumpano said. "We had the same number of campers as we did last year, but we were able to be a lot more focused, with the younger group to give them more specific work on the fundamental skills and get a lot of repetition with that, and for the older age group … adding the element of a championship format, tournament-style competition to the whole thing."
during Tuesday's tournament semifinals. (Photo by Chase Gyles)
He said the camp included a tournament, following the model of the Liberty Hockey Camps, held in late June for boys and early July for girls.
"That's going to really help develop players," Zumpano said. "They learn the skill and then they have an environment where they can put that skill into practice. We borrow a lot of ideas from the hockey team's camps, and they've had a lot of success,"
Joshua Haney scored five goals in the championship game to lead The Snipers to a 12-8 triumph over The Soakers on Tuesday. A midfielder/attack from Wilmington (Del.) Christian School, he brought three of his teammates, all coached by former Flames midfielder Micah Norcross ('18).
"We all play soccer, too, but lacrosse is probably my strongest sport," Haney said. "I'm looking to play somewhere, maybe here. It was a fun environment (and) I got some good positional advice."
Flames graduate assistant and former attack Mark Rolewicz look on a larger role this summer as camp coordinator/assistant director. Camp counselors included former Flames midfielders Remy Newton and Cameron Carter and attack Matteo Zumpano, rising senior defender Matt Walker, middie Evan Shock, and attackmen Ezra Anderson and Calvin Hurt, rising junior long-stick midfielder Benjamin Chun and defender Dylan Barrett, and rising sophomore attack Luke Branham.
co-Camp Director Kyle McQuillan, right. (Photo by Andrew Musser)
"We are always really encouraged by how eager a lot of our guys are to come back and help out and be a part of things," McQuillan said. "That's a testament to both their love of the game and their love for the program and representing Liberty Lacrosse."
"It was great," added Chun, who helped coach the championship runner-up Soakers. "All of the kids were super willing to learn and super energetic the whole week, so it was definitely a good time to help them get better and learn new things and work on that for the next upcoming high school and club seasons … getting them more developed in the higher IQ stuff."
For the first time, campers were able to practice in the new Liberty Multipurpose Center, which offers a nearly full-sized field.
"That (indoor space) is so huge for us. We use it in the event of lightning and heat and has helped a ton," said Sam Nigra, athletic trainer for Liberty's men's lacrosse team who served in the same capacity at the camp, making sure players stayed hydrated in the intense heat on the Liberty Lacrosse Fields' turf.
He said players avoided heat-related illnesses for the most part and he only had to treat a few minor injuries on the field during tournament action.
Campers were not only immersed in lacrosse — both in drills and games, indoors and outside — but also swam and played basketball and volleyball in the LaHaye Recreation & Fitness Center, soccer in the Thomas Indoor Soccer Center, and enjoyed tubing at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre. They also had an opportunity to try their hand at box lacrosse in the LaHaye Ice Center since the ice is currently being replaced.
in the new Liberty Multipurpose Center. (Photo by Andrew Musser)
Counselors formed relationships and discipled campers personally throughout the weekend and McQuillan and Zumpano led daily chapel services with Club Sports Assistant Athletic Director for Spiritual Development and men's lacrosse team chaplain Reese Braband assisting the last two days.
"Mike (Zumpano) planned the Sunday morning church service and Kyle (McQuillan) shared his testimony and some of our team culture and Mark (Rolewicz) shared his testimony and his heart, the way God is working on his life," Braband said. "I just followed up with a Gospel presentation and encouraged them and prayed for and shared some Scripture with them."
McQuillan said the camps are a much-needed reminder and refresher for himself and his staff to focus on what matters most — emphasizing the spiritual, which is eternal, over the physical, which is temporal — in training future Champions for Christ.
"Going into these camps, I have to continually remind myself that this is an opportunity to plant seeds here and to change somebody's perspective on what it means to be a believer and to be a Christian lacrosse player," he said, noting that the Flames' team verse is 1 Timothy 4:8, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
"Yes, we're out here working, and we want to win championships," McQuillan said. "That's the physical part of things. But being men of God and men of character and playing with dignity and class and respect … that's got to be more important to us."
By Ted Allen/Staff Writer
