Upper St. Clair junior picked for LAX combine
Dalton Yates
Dalton Yates was an all-section performer this spring for the Upper St. Clair High School lacrosse team.
Dalton Yates of Upper St. Clair is one of 75 athletes selected to attend the USA Lacrosse combine Aug. 1-3 in Maryland. The rising Upper St. Clair junior will be competing for a spot on the USA Select U16 Lacrosse Team.
A midfielder, Yates is a two-year member of the USC varsity lacrosse squad. He earned all-section honors this spring.
In addition, Yates plays lacrosse for CW Elite in the fall, winter and summer.
Eleven National Team Development Program regional tryouts were held in May and June throughout the country. These served as the first of three steps toward earning a spot on the select teams.
The regional tryouts were a one-day, 180-minute evaluation on athleticism, stick work, positional skill, game IQ, decision making, and overall field presence. The top 75 players were then invited to the three-day combine to be held at the National Team Training Center in Sparks, Md.
During the NTDP National Combine, athletes will be taken through elite level training of both individual and team skill development as well as sessions on strength and conditioning, recruitment, student athlete advisory, social emotional learning and leadership training.
“Combine players will live, breathe, eat and sleep nothing but USA Lacrosse for three days,” according to the USA Lacrosse website. “The experience will be challenging physically and mentally. Those that participate in the process will better understand the rigors associated with playing at the highest level.”
Following the combine, 22 players will be named to the USA Select U16 Team to compete against international competition in October.
As the governing body of lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse provides national leadership, structure and resources to fuel the sport’s growth and enrich the experience of participants.