Worcester State University Girls Lacrosse Academy
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA 01602
Overview
GameBreaker is hosting a lacrosse academy at Worcester State University. This academy is open to girls ages 6-16 with a half-day option from 8-12 daily for ages 6-9. Campers will learn individual stick skills, positional play, team concepts, and will scrimmage daily. We also hold many fun contests during the week for great prizes. Join us for an unforgettable week of lacrosse training and fun!
About Our Coaches
Kelly Downs was promoted to head coach of the Worcester State women’s lacrosse program in 2017 after serving as the Associate Head Coach in 2016. Prior to her promotion, she served as an assistant coach for three seasons and coached a total of fourteen all-conference players during her time at Worcester State. Coach Downs doubles as the head coach of the women’s lacrosse team and as the assistant field hockey coach.
While Coach Downs was on the sidelines, the Lancers have posted a trifecta of 13-win campaigns to tie the school record for wins in a season (2013, 2014, 2015). In 2014, the Blue and Gold earned a berth in the MASCAC Tournament title game and vied for the ECAC Division III New England Tournament trophy in the championship match. In Downs’ inaugural season, the team broke the school record for wins and saw appearances in both the MASCAC and ECAC semifinals.
Outside of Worcester State, Downs coaches the Bay State Bullets Club Lacrosse Program, which she has been a part of for the past three years. Prior to coming to Worcester State, Coach Downs served as the head coach of the varsity girl’s lacrosse team at Oliver Ames High for three seasons and served as an assistant coach for her alma mater, Bridgewater State. In both years, she helped the Bears earn a pair of LEC Tournament bids, two ECAC Division III Tournament berths and the squad won the MASCAC regular season title twice.
As an undergraduate at Bridgewater State, Coach Downs was two-year member of the women's lacrosse team and aided Bears in their run to the 2008 NEWLA Championship and ECAC Division III Championship game with 11 goals and two helpers in 20 games.
Downs was a three-time All-Little East standout defensive back for the field hockey team at Bridgewater State, as she was garnered with second team NFHCA All-New England honors in 2009. In 71 starts she totaled 16 defensive saves to go with seven goals and four assists for 14 career points. In each of her last three seasons she was among the LEC leaders in defensive stops. She also helped the Bears to the ECAC Division III New England Championship in 2007.
She was a recipient of the BSU Student-Athlete Leadership Award at the spring athletics awards banquet during her final semester.
Downs has served in the role of coordinator of student-athlete support services since 2014, where she helps with academic advising, student-athlete retention, and assisting with the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Athlete Mentor Program (AMP). Coach Downs had previously served in a similar role at Worcester State as part of a position that had been funded through the NCAA Division III Ethnic and Minority Internship grant.
Coach Downs, who earned her Bachelor’s degree in business management from Bridgewater State in 2010, also holds her Master’s degree in athletic administration from Endicott College in 2012.
Camp Details
Check-in/out: All campers check in daily at 8:00 am. The full-day campers will check out daily at 3:00 pm with our half-day campers checking out at 12:00 pm.
Age & Ability: Our academy is open to girls ages 6-16, Our half-day clinic option is open to ages 6-10 and our full-day clinic option is open to ages 9-16. All abilities and levels are welcome.
Meals: Campers are to bring their own lunch to camp.
Academy Curriculum:
Fundamental Stick Work- Specialized stick routines and targeted fundamental drills
Position-Specific Training-
Defense- including a rotation of midfielders
Footwork - pivoting, recovery, and angles
Stickwork - clearing, carrying, grounds balls, and stick protection
Field Awareness - man up or man down situations, on and off ball defensive play
Body Positioning - ABCDs of defense (for 1 on 1 defense)
Attack-
Situational Awareness - spacing, vision, and offensive flow
Shooting - 8 meters, on the run, shot placement and selection and faking before shooting
Dodging - from X, face dodge, split dodge, roll dodge
Transitioning- Riding the ball
Midfield-
Situational Awareness - spacing, vision, and offensive flow
Shooting - 8 meters, on the run, shot placement and selection and faking before shooting
Dodging - from X, face dodge, split dodge, roll dodge
Defensive Play - body positioning and field awareness
Transitioning- Riding the ball, fast breaks both offensively and defensively, settling
Goalie-
Communication - ball positioning, dictating the defense’s positions, and player positioning
Mechanics - placement in cage, off stick and stick-side movement, reaction time, hand/eye coordination
Clearing - moving the ball quickly, communicating where to go with the ball, and stick work
Draw Specialist-
Mechanics - footwork and body positioning
Taking the Draw - pushing, pulling, or self-drawing, ball tracking
Circle - speed work, ground balls, ball tracking, and reaction time
Unsettled Situational Game Play, focused on special awareness specific to game-like situations-
2v1, 3v2- Fast play from the elbows and X
Crossfield 3v2 continuous play
3v4 off the ground ball and clears
Full-field transitional continuous play
Grouped Position Specific Training- Attack vs. Defense, Midfield vs. Midfield
1v1’s, 2v2’s 3v3’s, 4v4’s– from all positions on the field focusing in
on specific game philosophy, techniques, and spatial awareness
Specialized Team Building and Leadership Events-
Lacrosse capture the flag, lax baseball, lax water balloons, lax maze runner, ultimate lacrosse, lacrosse tic-tac-toe racing, lacrosse head-shoulders-knees-toes-ball, and other leadership and team building activities
Game Play- 7v7, small-sided games, full field scrimmage, situational gameplay, clearing and riding the ball
Chalk Talk- Reviewing techniques and game theories regarding specific positioning and game-like situations
*Curriculum Varies Per Location and Director*
*For Sample Times of Daily Schedule, Visit Highlights Page*
