The PP Girls Lacrosse Academy is a comprehensive training program that develops elementary, middle school, high school, and college lacrosse players to perform at the highest level possible. The program will focus on fundamental, intermediate and advanced lacrosse skills and techniques, as well as speed, footwork, and strength specific to female lacrosse players. Our mission is to produce competitive female athletes that love the game and are prepared to seize the many opportunities that lacrosse offers.
Our comprehensive curriculum is administered through training programs, clinics, and camps.
Our comprehensive curriculum is administered through training programs, clinics, and camps.
- Stick Fundamentals
- Shooting
- Dodging
- Defensive Footwork & Positioning
- Small Sided Drills
- Injury Prevention
- Mobility & Flexibility
- Core Strength & Stability
- Acceleration
- Agility & Quickness
- Strength & Power
- Conditioning
OUR LEADERSHIP
Courtney Hamm Director of girls lacrosse |
Courtney Hamm was raised in Raleigh, North Carolina where she was a 4 year varsity lacrosse starter at Wakefield High School. As team captain her senior year, Courtney led Wakefield to its first conference championship, and a #10 ranking in the state. With 74 goals in her senior season, she secured 1st team all conference honors and was ranked the #12 player in North Carolina. At the club level Courtney played with Carolina Fever Lacrosse Club.
Courtney continued her education and lacrosse career at Ferrum College where she became one of the most decorated athletes in Ferrum history. In her Freshmen Campaign Courtney was named to the USA College Rookie All-American Team. Courtney went on to be a 4x USA South All-Conference Team Selection, an All Tournament team selection, a VaSID All-State selection, and received multiple Player of The Week honor. She remains on top of the Ferrum record books as she holds the records for Goals Scored in a Season (67), Goals Scored in a Career (256), and Game-Winning Goals in a Career (14) In 2015 Courtney graduated with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Human Health and Performance and has been working in every aspect of lacrosse ever since. Courtney worked as a Head Coach for battle Lax before accepting her first college coaching position. Courtney has served as an Assistant Coach for West Virginia Wesleyan (NCAA D2), Kenyon College (NCAA D3), and UVA-Wise (NCAA D2). During her time at UVA-Wise the Cavaliers went on to win back-to-back conference regular season, and conference tournament championships (2018 & 2019), while also posting a program record of 13 wins. Most recently, Courtney worked with the National Scouting Report as a Lacrosse Scout. |
El Gollob Coach |
Coach El Tydings Gollob has been coaching and developing players for over 25 years. Her top priority for all the girls she coaches is to instill a deep love of lacrosse and total belief in oneself to carry with them in lacrosse and in life.
Coach El grew up outside of Baltimore, Maryland where she was a high school standout at midfield and defense. She took her talents to Princeton University to play both D1 Lacrosse and Ice Hockey. During her time with Princeton Lacrosse, she made it to the NCAA Final Four in 1989. The following year, Coach El was named the Daily Princetonian "Athlete of the Year". Following her graduation from Princeton, Coach El found a love for coaching and developing young lacrosse players. She began coaching at the high school level, where she coached Varsity Lacrosse for several years at the Phillips Academy, The Thacher School, and The Menlo School. In 1999, Coach El and her husband moved to McLean, Virginia where she soon began to volunteer for McLean Youth Lacrosse. She took over as the McLean Youth Girls Lacrosse Commissioner for several years before eventually founding PRIDE Lacrosse Club in 2012. Coach El ran and coached PRIDE until 2018. She resides in McLean, VA with her husband and 3 children, who are all college athletes. |
Cat Leighty COACH |
Cat Leighty grew up in Fairfax, Virginia where she was a dual-sport athlete at Fairfax High School and Oakton High School. As a high school lacrosse standout, Cat, was named a two-time Brine All-American, received All-Conference honors, and received the Coaches Award as a senior. Cat also led her high school Field Hockey team to back-to-back conference championships and a regional title. She was a two-time 6A All-Tournament team selection, received All-Conference honors, and was named Team MVP as a senior.
Cat continued her academic and lacrosse career at Christopher Newport University where she continued to excel on the field. While at CNU Cat earned second-team All Conference, All-State, All-Region, All-tournament, multiple CAC Player of the Week, and two Academic All-Conference honors. In her freshman campaign Cat tied the school’s single-season record with four man-up goals. In her first two seasons she led the conference with a shot-on-goal percentage of .937 with 59 of 63 shots on target in 2018, and .910 with 61 of 67 shots on target in 2019. As a sophomore cat led the team with 67 points on the season. Despite only playing 6 games her junior season due to COVID, Cat managed to put up 12 points on 9 goals and 3 assists. As a senior Cat led the conference with 15 free-position goals. Cat Ranked 15th in the NCAA with 36 assists, and ranked 17th with 82 points. In 62 games and 52 starts, Cat put up 200 career points with 121 goals and 79 assists. Cat finished 5th in school history with 32 free-position goals, sixth in assists, and ninth in points. |
Alumni and Current Athletes
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Kaitlyn Arcari-Sacred Heart University
Caroline Bean-University of Michigan Gabby Brisbin-Mercer University Avery Burke- Rhodes College Gabby Byrne- Christopher Newport University Keelin Byrne- Virginia Tech Lilly Byrne-James Madison MC Byrne-Virginia Tech Katie Calvo-Duke University Jennifer Canfield-Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Lauren Cerretani-George Washington University Jane Chen- University of Chicago Jordan Condon - University of Pennsylvania Cameron Counts- Radford University Paige Counts- University of Cincinnati Laura Crawford- University of Pennsylvania Emma Crooks-Virginia Tech Dani Dahl- University of Akron Sareena Dhillon-William & Mary Logan Dougherty-Army Halle Duenkel-James Madison University Kelsey Dunn-Yale University Zoe Dyer-Christopher Newport University Lindsey Ellison-Navy Maddie Garner-Kenyon College Ashley Go-American University Jill Gollob-Yale Kaia Goodiel-Lynn College Claire Harris-VCU Gabriella Henson-Vendrell-Villanova University Isabella Henson-Vendrell-Villanova University Kate Himes-University of Maryland Baltimore County Claire Hiscott-William & Mary Anna Hofgard-UC Davis Eva Howell- Davidson College Corryn Jones- Old Dominion University |
Lilly Kishore-Skidmore
Elli Kluegel- Loyola University of Maryland Courtney Kuligowski- University of Southern California Taylor Lawrence-Stanford University Sarah Lubnow-Virginia Tech Sydney Martin - High Point University Olivia Naughton-William & Mary Zenie Newsome- Longwood University Emma Norris-Rhodes College Emma Nowakowski-High Point University Molly O'Brien-Radford University Megan O'Hara-Hamilton College Kaitlyn Pham-Johns Hopkins University Mia Pisani-Furman University Victoria Rankin-San Diego State University Elena Ricci-Virginia Tech Emmie Ridgeway-Butler University Amy Roche-Bucknell Bella Rosato-William & Mary Morgan Salvato-Wofford College Ella Sangree-Columbia University Caroline Senich-Drexel University Katherine Senich- Drexel University Sarah Senich- VCU Molly Shapiro-University of Tampa Kelsey Shea-Brown University London Simonides-William & Mary Cassidy Slavik-East Carolina Charlotte Smith-James Madison University Marina Smith-California Berkley Sophie Smith- Gettysburg College Abby Soltys-Mercer University Ellen Stark-Randolph-Macon College Evelina Swigart- University of Chicago Emma Vinall-American University Aubrey Williams-University of Virginia |