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Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 1/11/12

Cradle Lacrosse celebrated its first birthday Sunday at Episcopal Academy with a great turnout as over 50 boys and girls ages 4-8 had a blast learning basic lacrosse skills.

Cradle Lacrosse is NXTsports’ educational program for the youngest players, and is designed to teach basic lacrosse skills in a fun, energizing and supportive environment. In Cradle Lacrosse’s first full year in the Philadelphia area, over three-hundred kids participated in the program.

The program’s growth in its first year has been overseen by Dylan Brown, Philadelphia Regional Director of Cradle Lacrosse. Brown was a standout three-sport athlete at Episcopal Academy and later served as captain of the men’s lacrosse team at Ohio Wesleyan University where he graduated in 2009.

Brown has taken the lead for NXTsports not only in coaching Cradle sessions, but also in developing the Cradle curriculum and launching the program in new venues around the Philadelphia area.

Said Andy Hayes, President of NXTsports, “Of all the different lacrosse programming that NXTsports runs, Cradle is probably the most fun. Dylan, along with Marty Kupprion who also directs a lot of Cradle programs, has done an outstanding job of developing the program and teaching the basics of lacrosse to youngsters in an age-appropriate and incredibly fun way, and that is reflected in the feedback we get from our parents.”

Added Peter Lawrence, Men’s Lacrosse Coach at the University of Hartford, and a consultant on the Cradle curriculum, “As a parent of Cradle-age kids myself, I am a huge fan of the program. I am really impressed with how the program has developed, and in large part that is a testament to the job Dylan has done developing the curriculum and interacting with the kids.”

Cradle Lacrosse is designed for boys and girls ages 4-8 years old who are new to the game of lacrosse. NXTsports believes in fun, inexpensive, age-appropriate programs for our littlest players. All the lacrosse equipment is provided and the Cradle curriculum focusing on building confidence, as kids learn how to cradle, scoop, catch and throw in a positive, supportive environment.

New six-week Cradle winter sessions launch this weekend at Friends Select School in downtown Philadelphia and Germantown Friends in Northwest Philly. Additional information and registration details are available at CradleLacrosse.com.