MLL Major League Lacrosse

Come to Annapolis & Play Lacrosse In Front of the Pros

August 7, 2009 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL) News Release


Annapolis, MD - Mike Bellotte has been bringing members of his SP Lax club program to Washington Bayhawks games all summer. Bellotte said the youngsters have thoroughly enjoyed watching the talented professionals play the game at such a high level. Bellotte can only imagine the excitement his players will feel later this month when they take the field for a game with numerous Major League Lacrosse stars watching from the sidelines. That will be the scenario Aug. 21-23 during the MLL Youth Tournament, which will feature sideline clinics and autograph sessions with top professional players such as Kyle Dixon (Virginia) of the Bayhawks and Paul Rabil (Johns Hopkins) of the Boston Cannons.

"I can't think of a better way to close out the summer season with the kids. To have the best players in the world come watch us compete is going to be an absolute blast," Bellotte said. "This tournament brings together the top level of the sport with the grassroots level in one environment. I think it's going to be a lot of fun."

The inaugural MLL Youth Tournament is being held in conjunction with the New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship weekend. Every tournament participant receives a weekend pass to the MLL semifinals and finals, being held Saturday and Sunday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Professional standouts from the four teams that qualify for the MLL Championship Weekend will be hanging around the tournament all weekend - giving sideline instruction, signing autographs and checking out the action.

"It's really a great deal. Every team is guaranteed to play three games and you're getting tickets to three MLL playoff games," Bellotte said. That is why Bellotte has registered three of SP Lax Under-13 squads in the MLL Youth Tournament. The Bay Raiders' top team has enjoyed a tremendously successful season, winning the Chocolate Town Shootout (Hershey, PA) and the Dick's Sporting Goods Atlantic Cup (Baltimore, MD.). "I'd like to see the top Under-13 clubs in the area come out and take a crack at my SP Lax ‘A' team," said Bellotte, issuing a not-so-subtle challenge.

Major League Lacrosse officials have tabbed Annapolis based Synapse Sports to build and direct this new tournament, which will feature Varsity Elite, U-15 and U-13 divisions and will be played in a championship format. Synapse Sports has pioneered and perfected the art of organization of lacrosse events and is best known for its award-winning tournaments National Draw and All-Star Express. "We are honored to have been chosen by Major League Lacrosse to get this youth tournament up and running," said Cathy Samaras, CEO and founder of Synapse Sports. "We will use all our vast experience and resources to ensure this event exceeds the bar we continue to set."

The MLL Youth Tournament is among an array of activities designed to develop a festival atmosphere throughout the championship weekend. "Our goal for the New Balance MLL Championship Weekend is to develop it into a destination event by offering lacrosse fans a myriad of things to do and see," MLL Commissioner Dave Gross said. "Having events such as youth clinics and tournaments surrounding the MLL playoff games really adds to the energetic vibe of the weekend and that's the type of atmosphere we're hoping to create for fans. Long-term, we'd love to develop this into a national youth tournament to be held every year in conjunction with the MLL Championship Weekend."

MLL Youth Tournament games will be played at the Annapolis Sports Complex (a.k.a. Germantown School/Phoenix Center) on full-sized fields featuring two 24-minute halves and certified officials. Every participating player will receive a weekend pass to all three MLL Championship games along with a raffle ticket for a chance to win one of 38 MLL authentic MLL team replica jerseys representing the players who were named to this year's All-Star Game.

For further information or to register a team, visit: http://mllchamps.com/about/clinics/

ABOUT SYNAPSE SPORTS

Synapse Sports is the premier provider of lacrosse playing opportunities and recruiting events in the US and beyond. Founder and CEO Cathy Samaras has been a trailblazer in the sport of Lacrosse, working tirelessly for 20 years to promote the growth and development of the game - from grassroots to global. To learn more about the exciting events organized by the company visit www.synapsesports.com or call 410-573-1414.

About Major League Lacrosse

Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premiere professional outdoor lacrosse league, commenced play in June of 2001. The MLL is comprised of six teams located in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Long Island, Toronto, and Washington. The season will culminate with the New Balance MLL Championship Weekend, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.

Major League Lacrosse was founded by Jake Steinfeld and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit the Official League website at www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


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