Boys Lacrosse Coaches
Colin Bannon
Westport, Connecticut native Colin Bannon is one of the most sought after personal lacrosse coaches in Fairfield County and consistently sends high school lacrosse athletes to compete at the Division 1 level. Colin is the Head Coach at Fairfield Country Day School and a former coach at Eclipse Lacrosse Club. He also coached at his alma mater Staples High School where he was a 2x State Champion. Colin had an impressive playing career as a 3x All-American and the second all-time leading scorer at Endicott College.
Jason Tarnow
Jason has spent the past seven seasons as Head Coach at Trinity College. Over many years of coaching, Jason has developed a coaching philosophy focused on skill development and building teams that hold eachother accountable and work collaboratively. With a passion for coaching and teaching the entire person, Jason develops people first and players second.As a player, Jason was a 2x All-American and MVP of the 1999 Salisbury National Championship team.
Jason Pescia
New Hampshire native Jason Pescia is the Assistant Coach at Rivier University where has coached 21 All-Conference and 27 All-Academic athletes. Coach Pescia also serves as the Head Boys Lacrosse Coach at Londonderry Middle School. He loves coaching the sport and has mentored young athletes across the country from the West Coast to New England.
Girls Lacrosse Coaches
Cristina Vélez
Coach Vélez has been involved with lacrosse for over two decades, reaching the highest level of sport both on and off the field, working for the International Federation, World Lacrosse, competing as a national team athlete for Spain and coaching team Brazil. As an athlete, she still plays in the Spanish Liga and has competed for the Spanish Women’s National Team. She served as Spain’s very first Director of Development. With a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Exercise Science from Skidmore College and a Masters in Education from the Universidad de Alcalá, Coach Vélez brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience to Academy Camps as our Director of Girls Lacrosse.
Maria Fortino
As a former D1 lacrosse player at Stanford and current Peru Women’s National Lacrosse player, Maria values the lifelong skills gained while being an athlete, which she has continued to carry with her throughout her professional career. Originally from the Baltimore County, Maryland area, Maria lettered four years in lacrosse, three in track, and two in cross country at McDonogh School. She also played on the Skywalkers Blue team. Currently a coach and certified yoga instructor with a background in various industries, Maria enjoys applying a creative approach to cultivating a safe, fun, and supportive environment for young athletes to thrive.
Academy Camps offers an alternative to the typical summer youth lacrosse experience of tournaments that focus primarily on games.
At Academy Camps, skill progression is at the forefront of what we do. Our campers improve and refine all facets of their lacrosse game in a positive, progressive and challenging environment. Every day.
Our high-performance coaching staff lead individual and group sessions, position-specific skill work, competitive scenarios and various forms of game-play that cover every position on the field.
Among the skills your child will develop and hone within Academy Camps Lacrosse are:
- Stick handling
- Shooting
- Passing
- Catching
- Ground Balls
- Individual & Team Defense
- Field Spacing
- Play Execution
- Decision Making
- Game IQ
- Speed & Agility
- Team Building
David Holmes Field
Academy Camps Lacrosse takes place on the state-of-the-art David Holmes Field and is suplemented by our upper-turf field and over 7 natural grass fields. Athletes will also have access to the 30,000 square-foot Tisch Field House during inclement weather.
2024 Sessions
| Session | Length | Dates | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Two Weeks | Sunday, June 23 - Friday, July 5 | $4,750 |
| One Week | Sunday, June 23 - Saturday, June 29 | $2,900 | |
| Session 2 | Two Weeks | Sunday, July 7 - Friday, July 19 | $4,750 |
| One Week | Sunday, July 7 - Saturday, July 13 | $2,900 | |
| Session 3 | Two Weeks | Sunday, July 21 - Friday, August 2 | $4,750 |
| One Week | Sunday, July 21 - Saturday, July 27 | $2,900 |
Prior to March 1, a $750 deposit is due upon enrollment. After March 1, 50% of tuition is due upon enrollment. The balance is due on May 1.
Additional charges include a $175 “AC Gear Pack” fee and camp transportation based on origin/destination.