2024 New England Youth Lacrosse Convention presented by the Boston Cannons and powered by Mass Youth Lacrosse schedule, speakers and presentations:

CLICK HERE FOR THE CONVENTION SCHEDULE GRID (Subject to Change)

Sunday, Feb 4

Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, MA

8:15am -- Doors Open

8:15am-9:15am -- Vendor Village sponsored by Demosphere in the GP Atrium (Vendor Village open all day!)

9:30am - 12:15pm - Sessions 1-3

12:15pm - 1:00pm -- Lunch Break served in the Vendor Village/GP Atrium

1:00pm - 4:45pm -- Sessions 4-7

Cash Bar open in the Vendor Village/GP Atrium from 12:15-4:30pm

1pm-4pm: Attendees can go up to the top of the Gillette Stadium Lighthouse (use elevators in GP Atrium)

CONVENTION SCHEDULE GRID (Click on grid to download pdf)

PRESENTERS:

• Tosh Adams, Connected Coaching with Tosh Adams -- Formulating a FUN First Foundation at EVERY Age and WHY IT MATTERS
• Haley Bartlett, Stonehill Women's Lacrosse -- Stick work drills for youth players. Focus on drills to help develop hand-eye coordination, build wrist strength, and make the players more comfortable with their sticks in their hand.
• Martin Bowes, MYL -- Mastering Skill Development: The 8 universal Skills EVERY lacrosse player needs and how to Practice each of them either on your own or within a practice environment.
• Grady Breen, South Carrol HS and Veo --  Transition, 3 Man Game, and the Hunt for Layers in all of Lacrosse 
• Katie Conover, Stonehill College Women's Lacrosse -- Team Offense: Attacking rules for free play and a sets to help coaches find structure that benefits their specific athletes. Play to your strengths:)
• Tyrone Croom, Cushing Academy -- Crossover Coaching: What does it take to coach boys and girls youth lacrosse in confidence.
• Demosphere, Camille Cheatwood -- Technology and Youth Sports: How Demosphere is taking care of the back end, freeing you to focus on the game.
• Kyle Devitte, New England Lacrosse Journal -- The Next Phase After Youth: The power of playing JV high school lacrosse.
• EMLOA -- Boys Game Rules: Learn about new rules, grade level specific rules, and Q&A with boys game officials.
• EMWLUA -- Girls Game Rules: Learn about new rules, grade level specific rules, and Q&A with girls game officials.
• Linda Flanagan, Author -- How to Partner with Parents: Strategies for coaches and leagues on working more effectively with parents.
• Kevin Gould, Roger Williams University -- Open Whiteboard Q&A: Offense, Defense, Skills & Drills and everything in between
• Harvard Men's Lacrosse, Coach Neil Hutchinson and Coach Christian Thomas -- Building from the Ground Up: Stickwork Drills to Mimic your Offense
• Harvard Men's Lacrosse, Head Coach Gerry Byrne and Coach Nick Grill -- From Defending to Sliding: Building the Foundations of a Great Defender
• Harvard Men's Lacrosse, Coach Mike Terranova, Coach Neil Hutchinson, Coach Nick Grill, and Coach Christian Thomas -- From Stops to Possessions: Riding and Clearing Fundamentals for Youth Lacrosse
• HEADstrong Foundation, Ken Clausen -- Defensive Strategies, Attack Cancer, Servent Leadership
• Brian Holman, Boston Cannons Head Coach -- Pillars of the Boston Cannons: Building a Championship Culture in pro lacrosse
• Tari Kandemiri, "Official Lax Girl" -- A Game for Everyone: Making Lacrosse Accessible. Ways coaches and program directors can create an equitable and welcoming environment to grow participation from athletes of diverse backgrounds in their programs.
• Lars Keil, Sidewall Jedi -- The Importance of Your Head's Stringing: How the head's stringing affects the player, how and when to make adjustments
• Peter Lasagna, 22 year head coach at Bates College (retired in 2022) -- Clear First, Play Fast When You Can: A 40 year adventure in lacrosse continues
• Asia Mape, ILoveToWatchYouPlay.com 
• Mass Youth Lacrosse Board of Directors -- Town Board Structure: Roundtable discussion on who does what & when
• Mass Youth Lacrosse Board of Directors -- Fundraising: Roundtable discussion on town program fundraising
• Mass Youth Lacrosse Board of Directors -- Succession Planning: Roundtable discussion on preparing for the future of your town board and recruiting the next leaders.
• Mass Youth Lacrosse Board of Directors -- Managing Your Town Progam Finances: The role of the treasurer and best practices for keeping your program's finances
• Meredith McGinnis, Achieve Lacrosse/Mass Elite -- Settled Defense: Focusing on the fundamentals of settled defense: positioning, roles and responsibilities
• Tony Mure, Tony Mure Strength & Conditioning -- Using Modality Changes to Train Your Athletes: What's best for your athlete? How do you balance the young athletes schedule?
• Joey Picard, MTCO Scheduling -- A Peek Behind the Scheduling Curtain: Putting Together the MYL Game Puzzle
• Joey Picard, Duxbury YL -- Station Drills and Practice Planning for 1st/2nd & 3rd/4th Grades
• Positive Coaching Alliance - Coaching with Empathy: Creating a positive, developmental youth sports environment for your young athletes starts with the coach. 
• Positive Coaching Alliance - The Positive Sports Parent: Developing Winners in Life Through Sports
• Sean Quirk, Peak Goalie -- Building Brick Walls: The Foundation for all goalies, and including goalies in your practice plans.
• Kristy Robinson, HGR Lacrosse -- Advanced Stickwork for Girls: Advanced partner stickwork and advanced stickwork drills
• Scoops Lacrosse, Coach Belson -- Building your program from the ground up! How to get more pre-k-to 2nd graders playing and loving the sport.
• Shake School, Kacy Small -- Shake School Lacrosse: How to WIN more matchups and create more offense for your team!
• Matt Streibel, Trilogy Lacrosse, USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame -- The Benefits of Losing: How losing a game can be more beneficial for team growth than winning
• Stryker AED -- AEDs and Youth Sports: Why every field should have one and the basics of when and how to use one.
• Abby Tepper, Merrimack University Women's Lacrosse -- The Draw: Skills and techniques to improve your team at the draw.
• Thompson Borthers Lacrosse/4 The Future Foundation, Jeremy & Jerome Thompson -- Roots & Culture of Lacrosse: The history of the medicine game and why its so special.
• Thompson Borthers Lacrosse/4 The Future Foundation, Jeremy & Jerome Thompson -- Creativity in Lacrosse: Why its important and how to cultivate it on your team.
• Tracey Sullivan, Laxachusetts -- Coaching Girls Lacrosse with kids of ALL Levels: How to bridge the ability gap between club players, intermediate players and newbies!
• Kristin Tracy, Laxachusetts -- Developing Young Leaders & Building Self Confidence: When is the best time to start training your players to be effective and strong leaders? The answer is, NOW!
• Veo -- Want to learn about Veo and video technology for lacrosse? Join them in a Suite for an informational session and learn about the special MYL discount!
• Devon Wills, Harvard Women's Lacrosse/USA Hall of Famer -- Goalie basics and drills to reinforce good habits
• Katie Woods, UConn Women's Lacrosse -- Team Offense: Attacking a Man & Zone Defense