BBL GIRLS CENTRAL
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Samantha Warner
BBL's Girls Central (Morris County) Program is run by Head of Girls Travel and Recruiting Director, Samantha Warner. Sam has led the girls program at Building Blocks Lacrosse for almost ten years from 2011-present. In her years playing lacrosse she attended Hopewell Valley Central High School and was named the Player of the Year, CVC HS All-American, and NJ School Girls 2 year captain. Sam went on to play Division I lacrosse at James Madison University where she was a member of the first team to reach the Final Four in 2000 and won CAA Championships in '00, '03 along with 4 NCAA Tournament Appearances. She has coached many teams to success including the U-19 National Team in Manchester England 03-05, Centenary College Assistant Coach 06-07, St. Thomas Aquinas Associate Head Coach 07-09, UA Head Coach New Jersey 2016, 2017, and 2018, Westfield High School Varsity Head Coach 2012-2016, Shore Regional High School Varsity Head Coach 2016- 2019, as well as multiple BBL High School level tournament champion teams. Along with various coaching accolades, Sam has led the successful college recruitment of over 200 female athletes.
PHILOSOPHY
We Build Lacrosse Players. We understand that every player grows and learns differently. Each of our Elite Travel Teams consists of players who not only bring out the best in each other but also creates an environment where they can be successful individually on the field. It is our belief, to be the best you must compete against the best. We ensure that every year our players are seeing a wide range of the best programs in the country so they are continuously preparing to compete at the highest level. We believe there are two distinct characteristics of our program that sets us apart from other programs. First, is the foundational training we provide to our players within the competitive team environment. We focus on developing each of our players as a whole player, including position specific training on both ends of the field. We encourage our players to train “outside the box” and have many opportunities for them to grow through non-traditional training. One example is the integration of box lacrosse concepts within our team practices. With the focus of fast pace execution and quick thinking, we have seen a dramatic increase in our players' individual stick skills and lacrosse IQ. The second characteristic we believe sets us apart from other programs is our coaching staff and the individual feedback they give each player on the team. While we do boast a competitive team environment, it is important for the development of each of our players for them to have specific feedback tailored to their individual (and unique) needs. We do not believe that “one size fits all”. It is our philosophy that we take the time to get to know each of our players' learning styles as well as how they are motivated so we can help them achieve their specific long term goals. A big part of that feedback is ensuring each time a player is subbed out of a game, they are spoken to by one of their coaches. This gives them the ability to learn inreal game time situations as well as develops their confidence to learn through the up and down of the game. It is important to us, as a staff, for our players to feel comfortable enough to take risks, potentially fail, and learn, without the fear of repercussions. It is only through mistakes and the guidance of our coaches, that our players will learn to self correct on the field, therefore heightening their lacrosse IQ, and adding depth to their game. Our players are also given two written evaluations throughout the year, so they have a personalized training agenda to help them reach their highest potential. In 2018 after partnering with Stick2Stick Lacrosse, we established BBL North. We are now able to offer the same top level training in a location that is more convenient for our families in Bergen County. Please visit the BBL North page for more information.
TEAM STRUCTURE
We strive to provide two playing experiences for each graduation year. For our players in Third through Seventh grade the teams are created to provide the most positive and successful environment for each of our players. Developing confidence, and leadership skills alongside the game is an important aspect of our youth program. We strive to place each player in the right environment so they thrive on the field. In our High School Program we split the players into two levels, Black and Select. Again, we are focusing on creating the most competitive, yet positive and empowering environment for each of our players so they are able to achieve their personal goals on the field. We are very proud of the fact that every year we have players from BOTH our Black and Select teams commit to play collegiate lacrosse.
COMMUNICATION
We pride ourselves on communicating with our players as much as we can. We treat every member of BBL like they are our family. Because there is a lot of information that needs to be passed along throughout the year, each team will have a Team Parent Leader (TPL) who will help facilitate getting that information to your team. They will also be the ones who help organize team dinners, tournament supplies, and sightseeing trips during our tournaments weekends. Aside from competing in some of the top tournaments in the country, our teams have A LOT OF FUN throughout the summer.
RECRUITING
Our philosophies on recruiting are in line with the philosophy of the IWLCA and NCAA. We understand this process is different for every prospective student-athlete (PSA) and it is our goal to find the right fit for each individual player. As a club, we strive to encourage our families to do their research. We provide many resources to help our families navigate this process. Each one of our PSAs is given an individual recruiting plan, as well as access to our online college profile system that allows them to educate themselves on many different athletic programs, as well as helps them gain exposure by providing an online profile that includes the athlete’s personal information, highlight reel as well as the ability to communicate directly with prospective programs. Our promise to our families is that if you want to play at the collegiate level, we will never stop helping you achieve that goal. We do not believe in the window of opportunity passing at a certain time and we are proud to say every year we have players commit to the school of their dreams as late as their senior year
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