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 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.
Lacrosse is ONLY offered during Session 3 and Session 4 at our Suffield Academy campus
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
Shay Field at Suffield Academy
Academy Camps Lacrosse takes place on the newly installed Shay Field and is suplemented by over 5 natural grass fields. Athletes will also have access to the 30,000 square-foot Tisch Field House during inclement weather.
2025 SESSIONS
| Session | Length | Dates | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session 3 | Two Weeks | Sunday, July 13 - Friday, July 25 | $5,100 |
| Session 4 | One Week | Sunday, July 27 – Saturday, August 2 | $3,100 |
*Lacrosse is ONLY offered in Session 3 and Session 4
PAYMENT OPTIONS
Early-Bird Discount:
Enroll by September 15th and SAVE $500 (2wk) / $250 (1wk)
Pay-In-Full:
Receive 3% Discount if you enroll and pay-in-full by January 1.
Standard:
$1500 Deposit due upon enrollment.
Remaining balance paid in 3 installments on January 15, March 15, and May 15.
Monthly Auto-Pay:
Balance after deposit is broken up into even monthly payments until final balance due on May 15.
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**Additional charges include a $175 “AC Gear Pack” fee