While staying proactive during the COVID 19 preventative measures, the Montverde Academy lacrosse team received the opportunity to listen to one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, Mark Millon, in a virtual meeting along with MVA coaches/staff. 
During the virtual conference call, Millon shared his past experiences when competing in the sport of lacrosse and the key skill sets that made him a valuable athlete. Millon was a college player at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he gained honors as a three-time All-American (twice on the first team), leading UMass to three births in the NCAA tournament. After college, he moved to Baltimore where he played alongside his brother Tony Millon while leading the Mount Washington Wolfpack to several US Club Lacrosse Championships. During his time as a Wolfpack, he often relied upon his superior speed and isolation skills before dodging around his opponent to score. This talent was noticed by the US Lacrosse World team coaches which included Millon on two rosters, earning a spot as one of the World's Best Attackman in 1998, the overall World Games MVP in the 1994 World Games, and named to the All-World Team in 1994 and 1998. Although Millon was known for the many accolades he earned, he stressed to the MVA athletes that the most important thing to do in the sport is to take full advantage of being a great teammate because it "lasts a lifetime".
Next Tuesday, MVA Director of Player Development, Brooks Sweet will host his nephew, Terence Higgins, who played at The United States Naval Academy and is currently a Navy Seal deployed in the Middle East. Higgins plans to tell the athletes about the many adventures he's journeyed on and the obstacles he had to overcome. After that, former Yale lacrosse athlete Matt Gibson will speak to the team about his stick work and in-game strategies.
The lacrosse coaches and staff have been engaging in consistent communication with the team via emails and video chats as well as sending them workout plans every week. The plans and videos links are below and can also be found on the Sports Performance page https://www.facebook.com/MVASportsPerformance
Warm-up Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ6qUJFsMqA&list=PLunn002Gc85IIYgwgp-cJM-WTc5Hx7Gbv
Plyo Exercise Demos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9yDxX9Oau4&list=PLunn002Gc85Ku738h4fJ2yCpu5EZ4sA8x
To improve on their stick work, the students practice "wall ball" by throwing a lacrosse ball against a wall with their off-hand and scooping the ball off the ground. The lacrosse athletes will also have each player video themselves with a 3-5 minute non-stop workout with their stick work to increase their endurance.
"The kids are doing really well and they are making the best of the situation," said Sweet. "They continue to work hard and improve every single day."
