Building U17 Youth National Team About More Than Just Raw Talent

SPARKS, Md. — The four-day USA Lacrosse National Team Development Program National Combine started for the U17 girls at USA Lacrosse Headquarters on Monday.

The 105 U17 athletes invited competed in skills testing on Monday before having a traditional practice on Tuesday. In total, over 170 athletes were invited between U17 and U19 age groups.

Returning U17 assistant coach Kyle Ohlmiller said the coaches and evaluators are focusing on players who mesh well together. It’s not just about raw talent — though there has been plenty on display.

“I think in these settings, we know that all of these players are really talented,” said Ohlmiller a gold medalist with the 2022 U.S. Women’s National Team. “What makes them stand out in these settings … is how they can operate with players that they have not ever played with before, how they can quickly adapt to new drills and quickly try to showcase what they’re great at.”

Communication through picks, adapting to unfamiliar drills and making extra passes during fast breaks are being emphasized over 1-v-1 goals. She added that the evaluators are looking for players who will be able to remain in the U.S. program as they age because of their abilities and personalities.

On top of coaching and evaluating, Ohlmiller said the staff has made sure to ease the players’ nerves throughout the week.

“Wearing USA across your chest, there’s nerves, there’s excitement, there’s honor, there’s a lot of those emotions probably going through each and every one of their individual heads,” she said. “[We’re] trying to help them understand you might be focusing inward on what you can do performance wise, but helping them try to channel that outward.”

Two sisters from Coronado, Calif. — Breck and Sydney Dunn — have enjoyed meeting new friends and coaches while trying out for their respective teams. Breck Dunn, part of the U17 combine, said she’s developed friendships with players she’s played against before but now knows on a deeper level.

“I’ve always heard about these people on the TV, watch them, so now getting coached by them is really cool,” she said. “Everyone has so many different points, and their knowledge is insane, so it’s really fun.”

The Dunn sisters said their family helped start the Alliance Lacrosse Club in California, which they currently play for. Including the Dunns, Alliance has eight players trying out for the U17 and U19 teams this week.

Breck and Sydney Dunn, who is trying out for the U19 team, both take draws. They said coming from the West Coast allows them to compete with a chip on their shoulders.

“Coming from California, we basically spend the whole summer here,” Sydney Dunn said. “I think I’ve been out here for a month. My sister has been out here for like a month-and-a-half, so we kind of just live out here.”

Sydney Dunn, a Brown commit, said that she and her sister grew up in a competitive environment. It started with their older sister, Brittany, who played college soccer at the University of Northern Colorado.

“Always wanting to win has honestly helped so much in sports,” Breck Dunn said. “Just being in a competitive environment my whole life.”

Ohlmiller said that this year’s group is one of the deepest she’s seen. Alongside the current U17 coaching staff, Yale assistant coach Molly Palella and Stanford assistant Nicole Beardsley are helping evaluate the tryouts from an outside perspective.

“They know what it means to be able to represent a U.S. National Team,” Ohlmiller said. “I think that that speaks volumes into what everybody’s evaluating.”