England Lacrosse’s County Academies, new for the 2020/21 season and replacing the existing Regional Assessment Days, will commence this weekend (17 October).
The new Academies will act as the first rung on the England Lacrosse Talent Pathway ladder for lacrosse players aged 12 & 13 years old.
The change will benefit young athletes as they will be assessed over four days to give them the best opportunity to demonstrate their abilities, specifically decision making under pressure, athleticism and resilience.
Open to young lacrosse players in year eight, there are seven County Academy regions this year (Yorkshire/Greater Manchester/Cheshire, Surrey/West Sussex, Central London, Kent, Wiltshire/Dorset/Hampshire, Worcestershire/Gloucestershire, Bedfordshire/Hertfordshire), allowing ambitious lacrosse players from all over the country the opportunity to join the England Lacrosse Talent Pathway set-up.
As was the case with the previous Regional Assessment Days, schools and clubs were asked to nominate talented players who were then invited to one of the seven four-day County Academy sessions.
The sessions were originally due to take place during April this year but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
They will now take place periodically starting from this weekend until the 27 October when successful girls will be invited to join the Regional Academy.
England Lacrosse National Performance & Talent Development Officer, Jane Powell, believes the sessions are hugely important to the England Lacrosse Talent Pathway and national team set-up and are much needed after their postponement earlier in the year.
“After such a tough year where we were forced to postpone all our scheduled Talent Pathway sessions, this month’s County Academy sessions will provide a boost to the girls taking part as well as the England Lacrosse Talent Pathway as a whole.
“It’s so important we continue to nurture the young lacrosse talent around the country and this weekend marks the start of a relative return to normality which we very much appreciate”.
All the latest news and information regarding the County Academies can be found HERE and any queries can be directed towards talent@englandlacrosse.co.uk.
Please note: Each County Academy session will be following the latest Government coronavirus restrictions. Please visit our coronavirus section HERE for all up to date Government and England Lacrosse guidance.
If you have any coronavirus-related queries, please direct them towards covid@englandlacrosse.co.uk.