THE MID-WEEK MEMO SEPTEMBER 11TH, 2024

Written By Ricky Reyes

Good Afternoon CLA Family!

As we begin this week's Mid-Week Memo, I want to pause and reflect on the significance of today. Today marks a heavy-hearted anniversary in our nation’s history, and it’s a time for us to honor the lives lost, the bravery of first responders, and the resilience that brought our country together in the face of tragedy. As we teach our athletes about teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of character, it’s moments like this that remind us how vital these lessons are both on and off the field.

I encourage us all to carry forward the values of unity, compassion, and strength in everything we do, whether it’s supporting our players on the field or coming together as a lacrosse family.

Now, let’s shift gears to the exciting updates we have for you this week!

Due to all of the exciting things we have in store each week at the Carolina Lacrosse Association on both the boys and girls side, we will take the time today to highlight our Boys Program while tomorrow will feature a MWM specific to our Girls Program.

Today's recap is full of new coaching additions, season kickoffs, and a standout 2026 commitment.

New Coaching Additions

We’re excited to introduce some incredible new coaches to our boys' program. Their experience and dedication will be a driving force in developing our players and helping them reach new heights.

For our Boys Program, please welcome:

  • Connor Doyle (Director of Recruiting at Team Carolina and Assistant Coach at Queens University)

  • Tim Boyle (Head Coach at Wingate University)

  • Mike Moore (Assistant Coach at Wingate University)

  • Jack Jones (Queens University Alum)

  • Caden Cinotti (Current Attackman at Queens University)

  • Brooks Stankavage (Current Midfielder at Queens University)

Highlighting Our First 2026 Commitment

A huge congratulations to Alex Gregoloff (Team Carolina 2026 Red FOGO) on making his commitment to further his academic and athletic career at NCAA Division I Jacksonville University! The highly sought after 4-star Recruit's dedication and perseverance have paid off, and we’re so proud of him for accomplishing his dream of playing at the next level. 

Our directors have been hard at work communicating with college coaches and players over the last two weeks in what has been a crazy but exciting time for our student-athletes.

Season Kickoff Recap

While we've been holding weekly Mental Performance Zooms every Monday for all of our athletes since our tryouts this past June, we officially kicked off training last night.

Last night was an incredible start to our season, with both boys and girls hitting the field. Our Team Carolina Boys and Charlotte Style Girls brought energy, focus, and intensity to their first practices. It was great to see the hard work start paying off already between the 30+ teams under our umbrella!

After practice last night, it was great to already receive such positive feedback from our families on their experience. One that stood out was from a new family who recently joined Team Carolina from another club sharing:

"I just wanted to share with you that after just two practices (my son) has never been more excited to play lacrosse. He has learned more about playing defense in two practices than he did in two years playing for (his previous club).  The way you, Coach Billy and all the other coaches interact with the kids makes it so fun and enjoyable for them. After both practices (my son) spent the entire car ride talking about all the cool things they did in practice... You all are building a very impressive organization and we feel very fortunate to be part of it. 

We are grateful that our families and athletes can see and feel how we do things here at Team Carolina and the Carolina Lacrosse Association. 

Team Carolina Director & VP of CLA, Matt Day, had this to share about our staff and our training this Fall:

"Over the last several months, we've continued to retain and attract some of the best coaches in the Carolinas who reflect the core Team Carolina values. These are guys who make us...us. Coaches like Billy Ward (Syracuse Alum and All-American), Bo Turner (HC Charlotte Catholic), Mike Murphy (HC Catawba College), Tate Boyce (Former Division I and PLL Goalie), Parker Thomas (HC at Legion Collegiate Academy), DJ Quill (AC at Legion Academy), Mike Chernega and David Oliver (Coaches at Providence Day) Jake Phaup (Former PLL FOGO & All-American at Syracuse) and Tim Gates (Wittenberg University) along with many others.

We’ve also made fantastic additions to the Team Carolina staff, including Tim Boyle, Connor Doyle, Mikey Moore, Nick Nies and Noah Lalli (Lenoir-Rhyne University Alum), Jack Ryan (Belmont Abbey), and Mac Beats (Nation Ford High School).

Our training this fall is designed to be up-tempo, efficient, calculated, and surgical. With our new training model, we’re ensuring that the development of our athletes is accounted for, down to the minute. Players and families will see our commitment through the preparation and execution at both director led trainings and team practices."

To learn more about who is in charge of developing your sons and daughters here at the Carolina Lacrosse Association, click here.

Upcoming Programs Reminder

We have several exciting programs coming up, including the Dodge & Shoot Academy, led by Coaches Caden Cinotti and Brooks Stankavage. This program is perfect for boys in the 2025-2032 classes looking to sharpen their dodging and shooting skills.

CLA Girls:

CLA North:

CLA South:

Coming Up This Week

We’ve got a packed schedule ahead! Director-led training sessions for our guys continue tomorrow night led by current college coaches & program directors with team practices lined up for the weekend. 

Thank you for being part of the CLA family. We’re off to an amazing start, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season holds! 

Ricky Reyes
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THE MID-WEEK MEMO SEPTEMBER 4TH, 2024