The Tiger Lacrosse Camp and staff are back for the 12th year,
the week of July 15-18. This camp is for boys ages 7-16 years old.
The Tiger camp staff is excited for another great camp in 2024. Our staff is determined to make you the best Lacrosse player and person you can be. Our staff is experienced in all the different aspects of the game of lacrosse to ensure quality coaching for all players. We will focus on developing individual fundamentals of the game for the beginner and the advanced player by drilling, repetition, attention to detail, and encouraging sportsmanship and fair play. Providing instruction and feedback for every camper to build their personal game is a goal of ours. Implementing and encouraging those individual concepts into team strategies for all elements of the game will also be emphasized.
Our group of coaches will consist of RIT players and alums as well as some of the best high school coaches, college coaches, and players from around the country. We will also have a few guests from the professional ranks. We believe our staff has the knowledge and experience to make you the best you can be but the commitment to excellence begins with you.
Beginners are encouraged to attend. No experience is needed.
TIGER LACROSSE CAMP (Boys ages 7-16)
Camp Staff:
Jake Coon
Jake Coon completed his 13th season at the helm of the RIT men’s lacrosse team in 2022, guiding the Tigers to their second-consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship. The winningest coach in program history led RIT to a 12-10 come-from-behind win over Union to finish the season with a program record 22 victories. Coon also guided the 2021 squad to an unblemished 14-0 record, punctuated by a 15-14 double-overtime victory against Salisbury for the program's first national championship.
Honors/Accomplishments as Head Coach
- 2022 and 2021 National Champions
- 228 wins as head coach (Most in program history)
- .905 winning percentage ranks first in Division III Men's Lacrosse history
- 12 straight NCAA Tournament appearances (2010-present)
- 8 NCAA Final Four appearances
- Three-time USILA Division III Coach of the Year (2021, 2013, 2011)
- 2013 MCLA Division III Coach of the Year
- 12 Conference Championships
- 10 consecutive Liberty League championships from 2012-present
- 92 All-Americans
- 2 National Players of the Year
- 17 major award winners, including Ryan Barnable (Fran McCall Midfielder of the Year) and Taylor Jensen (Long Pole Midfielder of the Year) in 2022
- 9 Liberty League/E8 Players of the Year
- 8 Liberty League Defensive Players of the Year
- 122 All-Liberty League/All-E8 selections
- 6 Liberty League/E8 Coach of the Year awards
Notable Games as Head Coach
- May 29, 2022 - RIT defeats Union, 12-10, in East Hartford, Conn. to become only the sixth D3 men's lacrosse program to win consecutive national championships.
- May 30, 2021 – RIT beats Salisbury, 15-14 in double overtime in East Hartford, Conn. for the program’s first national championship to cap off an undefeated season.
- May 1, 2021 – Coon collects his 200th with a 12-10 win against Union.
- March 12, 2016 – Coon led RIT to a 12-8 win over Rensselaer to become the all-time winningest coach in program history.
- April 7, 2015 – RIT beats Nazareth, 15-10 to win his 100th career game.
- May 19, 2013 – RIT takes down Cortland, 10-9 in overtime to advance to the NCAA Div. III Championship game for the first time in program history.
Coaching Career Prior to RIT
After graduating from Nazareth in 2002, Coon spent five years at Nazareth from 2001-2005. He worked directly with the goalies and defense at Nazareth, helping guide the Golden Flyers to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2004 national championship game. Following Nazareth, Coon spent four years at UMass as the defensive coordinator and worked closely with the goalies, helping guide the Minutemen to the 2006 national championship game.
Playing Career
A four-time All-American goalie at Nazareth College, the Homer, NY native is Nazareth’s only four-time All-American. He led Nazareth to a 51-10 record, helping the Golden Flyers to the NCAA Division III title in 1997. Coon earned First Team All-American and USILA Goalie of the Year honors in 1998 and 2000. He was inducted into the Nazareth Sports Hall of Fame in 2009. Coon played professionally for the Rochester Knighthawks (National Lacrosse League) from 2000-2003, and the Rochester Rattlers (2001-2005) and Boston Cannons (2005-2009) of the Major Lacrosse League. Coon was inducted into the Upstate New York chapter of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2018, and will be inducted into the Rochester Lacrosse Hall of Fame in November 2021.
Personal Life
Coon resides in Honeoye Falls, NY with his wife Kara and their sons Jackson (14) and Colson (9).
Shawn Wilkins
Shawn Wilkins, the 2021 IMLCA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year, begins his 13th season as an assistant coach for the RIT men's lacrosse program in 2021-22, serving as RIT’s offensive coordinator. Wilkins helped lead the Tigers to a 14-0 record and the program’s first NCAA Division III national championship in 2021. Under Wilkins' tutelage, the Tigers offense has become one of the most prolific scoring teams in all of Division III. Last season, the Tigers tallied 246 goals, finishing in the top-20 nationally averaging 17.57 goals per game, while the man-up unit was seventh in Division III, converting 56.2 percent of its chances. In his 12 seasons, Wilkins has led a potent attack that scored 3,688 goals, averaging 16.10 goals per game over that span. Wilkins is highly involved with recruiting and the day-to-day operations of one of the most successful programs in the nation, and is an integral part of a program that has made 11 straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, and 11 conference championships. including berths in the 2013 and 2017 championship games. In 2013 he was honored by the USILA as the Assistant Coach of the Year. Wilkins, the 2013 USILA Assistant Coach of the Year, has helped RIT to an impressive 206-23 record. Wilkins has mentored eight conference offensive players of the year, including Dawson Tait in 2021. Shaw Nally (2018) and Allister Warren (2015) each won the Fran McCall Award as the Division III Midfielder of the Year. Killen (2018) and Ryan Lee (2015 and 2017) each won the USILA Lt. J.I. (Jack) Turnbull Award as the Division III’s finest attackman, while Killen was the 2018 Iroquois Nationals Award winner recognizing Division III’s best player. Lee is the RIT all-time leader in goals (237) and points (373). Wilkins was a two-sport (lacrosse and ice hockey) standout himself at RIT, playing midfield for the Tigers from 1998-2001, helping the Tigers to the semifinals in the 1999 NCAA Division III Tournament and a quarterfinals appearance in 2000. Wilkins was an All-Super Six selection in 1998 and 1999 and an All-Empire 8 selection in 2001. Wilkins is one of 21 players in RIT Lacrosse history to score 100 career goals (104), and is 24th all time in scoring with 147 points. On the ice, Wilkins played both forward and defense, and was a key member of three NCAA Tournament teams, including the 2001 squad that advanced to the National Championship game. Wilkins graduated from the university in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in hospitality and service management with a minor in criminal justice. After graduation, Wilkins played professionally for the Rochester Rattlers of Major League Lacrosse and the Rochester Knighthawks of the National Lacrosse League. He also played for the Italian National team in 2006 and was a member of the Canadian Jr. National team in 1996. He is on the coaching staff of the Under-19 Team Canada squad that will compete at the 2020 World Championship. Wilkins, a 2019 inductee into the RIT Sports Hall of Fame, resides in Penfield with his wife Melissa, a former standout goalie with the RIT women’s hockey team and 2009 inductee into the RIT Sports Hall of Fame. They have a son Jace, and daughter Jordyn.
TENTATIVE MONDAY - THURSDAY SCHEDULE: (subject to change)
8:00-9:00 – Check in (Monday Only) – Gordon Field House lower level
8:00 – Daily Arrival (Drop off at Lot N)
9:00 – Camp announcements and attendance
9:30 – Positional Instruction - ex. Stick handling, dodging, shooting, goalie work, defensive play
10:30 – Game Situations – ex. Transition, pick play
11:30 – Lunch and Free Time
1:00 – Guest speaker
1:15 – Team Concepts and practice
2:00 – Tournament Games
3:00 - Extra individual skill work / Optional Swimming
4:00 – Departure (Pick up at Gordon Field House)
CAMP FEATURES:
- FREE RIT Camp Pinny
- All you can eat lunch on campus
- Maverick Give-A-Ways
- 8:1 Camper to Coach Ratio
- Goalie Training
- Swimming Pool
- Game Room
- Daily Guest Speaker
- Fastest shot contest
What to Bring:
- REQUIRED – Stick, helmet, gloves, arm guards, shoulder pads, mouth piece, cleats, sneakers, goalie chest protector
- OPTIONAL – Water bottle, swimming trunks (required for pool use), sun screen, jock
Pricing: $400/camper. Early bird rate - $350 if registered before May 28th (anyone registered on or after May 28th will no longer qualify for this rate). There is a $325 sibling rate for those registering two children or more. To receive the sibling discount, please email coach Coon.
Pickup Policy
To track all drop-offs and pickups of children, parents/guardians are required to sign children in/out on the daily attendance sheet. Staff are not permitted to sign these sheets on behalf of parents/guardians.
Generally, persons picking up children must be at least 18 years of age and bring a valid photo identification. In exceptional circumstances, and only with the parent/guardian’s written consent, a younger individual may be permitted to pick up a child.
Refund Policy: Full refunds will be given ONLY to those who request them before July 1st. Any injuries or illness after July 1st which causes camper to miss camp will require a medical note for a refund. Please allow up to 4 weeks after the conclusion of camp for processing.
Contact Information:
For questions regarding camp, please contact:
Coach Shawn Wilkins sjtwatl@rit.edu
