The St. James Launches Region's Most Comprehensive Lacrosse Program

SPRINGFIELD, Va., Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The St. James announced today the launch of its lacrosse program, which will be led by former US national team development director and University of North Carolina star, Melissa Coyne.  The lacrosse program will be the most comprehensive in the region, featuring fun and engaging learn-to-play classes, dynamic skills development programs for intermediate and high-level players, youth, high school and adult leagues, summer and holiday camps, tournaments and showcases.  The program will also offer opportunities to learn and compete in the increasingly popular game of speed lacrosse. 

"Lacrosse has long been one of the most important sports in the Washington region and it is critical that we build a program that can contribute meaningfully to one of the country's best, most competitive lacrosse communities," said Craig Dixon, co-founder and co-CEO of The St. James. "We needed exceptional leadership to execute on this vision and we've found just that in Melissa Coyne.  She's one of the brightest lacrosse minds in the country." 

Melissa Coyne, who also played goalie for the US U19 team as a 15-year-old, has directed lacrosse programs at the national level for US Lacrosse for seven years.  Coyne first served as the director of the women's game before leading games administration. She most recently led the national teams development program where she worked to provide more pathways for players to get into the national teams pipeline at younger ages, enabling greater continuity with the national team program.  She collaborated to recruit and develop the development program's network of coaches, evaluators and regional clubs, helped shape lacrosse policies nationally, established game regulations and safety guidelines, managed budgets and coordinated groups that support and promote the sport nationwide.

Coyne has also served for four years as a coordinator of officials for women's lacrosse for the NCAA.  She was a three-year starter at goalie for the nationally-ranked women's lacrosse team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Her Carolina teams made the NCAA tournament each year of her career, including two trips to the final four. 

"The St. James is a game changer in the world of athlete development and competition," Coyne said. "Our ability to provide truly comprehensive opportunities for lacrosse players to improve in every dimension of the game is unrivaled.  I'm so excited to help introduce new players to the game, help competitive players reach their full potential and create great opportunities for older players who love the game to keep playing."

The St. James Lacrosse Program will offer a range of programming and age-specific training for players ages 3 and up. Athletes will have access to a FIFA regulation-size indoor turf field lined for lacrosse, high-performance training center, sports medicine care from an onsite MedStar team, highly qualified coaches and trainers and more. The St. James lacrosse program will include offerings at several levels, including:

• Discover (Learn to Play) - coed introduction for ages 3-6 years old
• Learn (Learn to Play) - game basics for ages 6-8 years old
• Build - specific skills for ages 7-10 years old
• Compete - tactical and technical skills for ages 11-14 years old
• Excel - refine skills and tactics while introducing advanced techniques for ages 14+
• High Performance - train like a pro to peak condition for ages 18+
• Lifetime Engagement - participation at multiple levels for ages 15+ for those interested in recreational engagement with the sport

The St. James is hosting an event for families and athletes to meet the coaches leading its sports programs on August 15, 2018. Interested families and athletes can request more information and RSVP by contacting The St. James sales studio at 703.239.6870.

About The St. James

The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and active entertainment destination brand in the country, is set to open a flagship 450,000-square foot complex on a 20-acre campus in Fairfax County, Virginia in September 2018. The complex will offer the most comprehensive combination of sports and wellness venues and programming, lifestyle amenities and family centered active entertainment in the country. For more information, please visit thestjames.co.

SOURCE The St. James

Related Links

https://www.thestjames.co