Lacrosse Superstars Thompson Brothers to Coach in RI
Sunday, June 01, 2014
NCAA Players of the Year Lyle and Miles Thompson will return to coach at the Beach Dogs Lacrosse camp in Portsmouth this summer, officials at the camp confirm to GoLocalProv.
"The Thompsons will be in town for the Beach Dogs Lacrosse Camp," said Marshall Huggins, one of the camp's organizers. "They both won the Tewaaraton, which is a really cool story. These guys deserve it."
On the heels of sharing the coveted Tewaaraton Award after their record-setting statistical seasons for the University of Albany, the Thompson brothers will return to the Beach Dogs Camp in July to pass along their expertise and help young players improve their understanding and skill level on the lacrosse field.
Historic Season for the Thompson Brothers
The Thompson brothers produced 2 of the greatest individual seasons in NCAA history in 2014.
Lyle Thompson (a junior) set the new Division 1 single-season scoring record with 128 points, tallying 51 goals and a national-best 77 assists. He was a model of consistency, producing at least 4 points in all 18 Albany games this season.
Lyle Thompson was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Player of the Year and Top Attackman, and he was also honored as the America East Conference Player of the Year.
Miles Thompson (a senior) set a D1 single-season record with a staggering 82 goals in 2014, adding 37 assists for 119 points, the second best single-season total in Division 1 history behind Lyle’s total from the same campaign.
Miles Thompson was a USILA first team All-American and the MVP of the America East Tournament.
Together, the Thompson brothers led Albany to 15.94 goals per game, the highest-scoring offense in Division 1. They led Albany all the way to the national quarterfinals in the NCAA Tournament, ultimately losing a 14-13 squeaker to Notre Dame. Both brothers scored 3 goals in the loss to Notre Dame, and cousin Ty Thompson (another excellent player) added a pair of goals as well.
Significance of the Tewaaraton
The Thompson brothers are members of the Onondaga Nation in New York. They are the first Native Americans to win the Tewaaraton Award as national player(s) of the year, sharing the honor in 2014.
“It is the best feeling to share the award with my brother and be the first Native Americans to win it,” Miles Thompson said in an article posted on Albany's website. “No words can express this feeling.”
“Words cannot describe how happy I am, it brought tears to my eyes,” said Lyle Thompson, in the same article. “To share the award with my brother is an honor.”
The sport of lacrosse was invented by Native Americans, and the mission statement for the Tewaaraton Award includes honoring the Native American history of the sport, as well as recognizing the top player(s) in the game. “Tewaaraton” is what the Mohawk Nation of the Iroquois Confederacy called the sport we now call lacrosse.
Beach Dogs Camp
The Beach Dogs Camp is open to players from 1st grade to high school. The program is designed for players of all ages and skill levels, and features coaches and instructors that have played and/or coached at the college and professional levels.
The Iroquois National Lacrosse Association is present at the camp, which runs for a 5-day week Monday through Friday. Members of the Six Nations teach the history, traditions, and honor of the sport in a fun and recreational atmosphere.
The camp is held at Glen Fields/Seveney Sports Complex in Portsmouth and features countless activities. More information can be found at the camp website, beachdogslax.com.
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