Suffolk Lacrosse Club clinic on Sunday
Published 6:53 pm Monday, October 19, 2009
The Suffolk Lacrosse Club will hold its first clinic on Sunday at Monogram Park in North Suffolk and even though it’s the club’s first clinic ever, two exciting special guests will be on hand to help.
University of North Carolina graduate Kelly Taylor and U.S. Naval Academy graduate Andy Tormey accomplished many individual and team accolades on the lacrosse field.
Taylor scored 14 goals and was an All-South Region player for the Tar Heels in the 2008 season. Tormey was a Preseason Second Team All-American defender for the Midshipmen prior to his senior year, 2009. Both will be helping young players, some who will be virtually brand new to the sport, in the athletic and technical aspects of lacrosse on Sunday during the clinic from 2-4 p.m.
Just as importantly though, said Suffolk Lacrosse Club founder Gary Fisher, both young adults are ideal role models to the kids coming out to the clinic, whether or not high-level collegiate sports are in their futures.
That’s because for both Taylor and Tormey, their resumes of academic and leadership honors are even more impressive than their lacrosse stats.
Taylor earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team and won the Three Dimensional Leadership Award by the Carolina Leadership Academy.
Ironically, Taylor won the Sally David Scholar-Athlete Award given by the Suffolk (N.Y.) Lax Club during her high school career. Taylor is also a world-class downhill skier. She skied, ran track and played soccer in addition to lacrosse in high school.
“Both these young adults are just very, very impressive,” said Fisher.
Tormey was voted team captain by his Midshipmen teammates for his senior season. He made the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and the Commandant’s List at the Naval Academy. His service selected at the USNA is surface warfare.
Fisher heard Tormey speak during a lacrosse camp in Virginia Beach.
“These kids are two prime examples of, whether it’s high school, college or professionally, how to handle being great athletically, as well as academically and personally,” said Fisher.
“That both of them are more than happy to give of their time back to the community, and as young people, is just exceptional,” said Fisher.
Taylor and Tormey will speak to the group at the start of the clinic. Then they will coach during the instructional part of the clinic.
The Suffolk Lacrosse Club is still in its infancy and is looking for high-school aged boys and girls at Lakeland, Nansemond River and King’s Fork who are interested in playing lacrosse this spring. Suffolk Lacrosse Club will compete against club teams around the region in the Hampton Roads Lacrosse League.
A lacrosse stick is the only piece of equipment needed to attend the clinic. Fisher encourages anyone, even anyone thinking of giving the sport a try, to call him for more information on the club, the clinic and reduced prices on new lacrosse sticks. Fisher said he’s had success working with two lacrosse equipment companies to get sticks at half-price.