BBL
GIRLS
CENTRAL
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
BBL's Girls Central Program is run by Head of Girls Travel and Recruiting Director, Samantha Warner. Sam has led the girls program at Building Blocks Lacrosse for almost ten years from 2011-present. In her years playing lacrosse she attended Hopewell Valley Central High School and was named the Player of the Year, CVC HS All-American, and NJ School Girls 2 year captain. Sam went on to play Division I lacrosse at James Madison University where she helped JMU to reach the Final Four in 2000 and won CAA Championships in '00, '03 along with 4 NCAA Tournament Appearances. She has coached many teams to success including the U-19 National Team in Manchester England 03-05, Centenary College Assistant Coach 06-07, St. Thomas Aquinas Associate Head Coach 07-09, UA Head Coach New Jersey 2016, 2017, Westfield High School Varsity Head Coach 2012-2016, Shore Regional High School Varsity Head Coach 2016- 2019, and multiple BBL High School level tournament champion teams. Along with various coaching accolades, Sam has led the successful college recruitment of over 200 female athletes.
PHILOSOPHY
We Build Lacrosse Players. We understand that every player grows and learns differently. Each of our Elite Travel Teams consists of players who are not only bring out the best in each other but also creates an environment where they can be successful individually on the field. It is our belief, to be the best you must compete against the best. We ensure that every year our players are seeing a wide range of the best programs in the country so they are continuously preparing to compete at the highest level.
We believe there are two distinct characteristics of our program that sets us a part from other programs. The first is the foundational training we provide to our players within the competitive team environment. We focus on developing each of our players as a whole player, including position specific training on both ends of the field. We encourage our players to train “outside the box” and have many opportunities for them to grow through non traditional training.
One example of our out of the box training, is our girls box program which we have slowly been integrating over the past two years. With the focus of fast pace execution and quick thinking, we have seen a dramatic increase in our players individual stick skills and lacrosse IQ. We are continuing to development our box training and are integrity a Box-field hybrid into our summer programs.
The second characteristic we believe sets us apart from other programs is our coaching staff and the individual feedback they give each player on the team. While we do boast a competitive team environment, it is important for the development of each of our players for them to have individual feedback and training. It is our philosophy that all of our players are given specific feedback about what and how they can improve their individual game. Along with, feedback each time they are subbed out of a game, they are also given two written evaluations throughout the year, so they have a personalized training agenda to help them reach their highest potential.
In 2018 after partnering with Stick2Stick Lacrosse, we established BBL North. We are now able to offer the same top level training in a location that is more convenient for our families in Bergen County. Please visit the BBL North page for more information.
TEAM STRUCTURE
We strive to provide two playing experiences for each graduation year. For our players in Third through Seventh grade the teams are created to provide the most positive and successful environment for each of our players. Developing confidence, and leadership skills alongside the game is important aspect of our youth program. We strive to place each player in the right environment so they thrive on the field.
In our High School Program we split the players into two levels, Black and Red. Again, we are focusing on creating the most competitive, yet positive and empowering environment for each of our players so they are able to achieve their personal goals on the field. We are very proud of the fact that every year we have players from BOTH our Black and Red teams commit to play collegiate lacrosse.
COMMUNICATION
We pride ourselves on communicating with our players as much as we can. We treat every member of BBL like they are our family. Because there is a lot of information that needs to be passed along throughout the year, each team will have a Team Parent Leader (TPL) who will help facilitate getting that information to your team. They will also be the ones who help organize team dinners, tournament supplies and site seeing trips during out tournaments weekends. Aside from competing in some of the top tournaments in the country, our teams have A LOT OF FUN throughout the summer.
SEASONAL PRACTICES AND TOURNAMENTS
Our programming varies by grade.
Fall: 5-6 practices and 2-3 tournaments (1 tourney for 4th grade)
Winter: 8-12 team practices
Spring: 6-8 team youth practices (no high school) .
Summer: Practices twice a week for six weeks and 3-4 tournaments (2-3 for 4th grade)
RECRUITING
Our philosophies on recruiting are inline with the philosophy of the IWLCA and NCAA. We understand this process is different for every prospective student athlete (PSA) and it is our goal to find the right fit for each individual player. As a club we strive to encourage our families to do their research. We provide many resources to help our families navigate this process. Each one of our PSA’s is given an individual recruiting plan, as well as access to our online college profile system that allows them to educate themselves on many different athletic programs, as well as help them gain exposure by providing on online profile that includes the athletes personal information, highlight reel as well as the ability to communicate directly with prospective programs. Our promise to our families is that if you want to play at the collegiate level, we will never stop helping you achieve that goal. We do not believe in the window of opportunity passing at a certain time and we are proud to say every year we have players commit to the school of their dreams as late as their senior year.
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
BBL Elite 2021's College Commitments
Annie Burton Brown Midfield Oak Knoll
Greta Criqui Brown Midfield Oak Knoll
Mia Fleming USC Goalie Westfield
Katie McCarthy Virginia Tech Midfield Ridgewood
Callie Riabov Dartmouth Midfield Chatham
Haley Riabov Dartmouth Attack Chatham
Riley Traynor Duke Defense Red Bank Catholic
Morgan Connor William Smith Defense Chatham
Cooper Palm Univ. of Colorado Defense Glen Ridge
LJ Kehler Colgate Midfield Westfield
Izzy Spagnuolo Franklin & Marshall Defense Chatham
Megan Bizub Franklin & Marshall Midfield IHA
Lindsay Sparago Univ. of Cincinnati Midfield Northern Highlands
Ashley Geyer George Wash. Univ. Midfield Ridgewood
Ashley Smith American University Attack Chatham
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
BBL Elite 2020's College Commitments
Mia Van Wie
Ali Hatfield
Meg Hatton
Grace Dabulas
Mikaela Buoscio
Clare Culligan
MK Doherty
Sara Ellinghaus
Ana Fowler
Ally Franz
Yael Gelman
Regan Hakes
Avery Jaffe
Sophia LaBanca
Tamer Luzi
Chloe McGlynn
Sophia McMahon
Erin O'Neil
Abby Romano
Livia Shine
Nannette Walls-Tarver
Jill McDonald
Jada Auletta
Sofia Pelayo
Kenyon
Kenyon
Tufts
Scranton
Elon
Lafayette
Notre Dame
Middlebury
Bates
Colby
Vassar
American
Maryland
Denver
Dartmouth
William Smith
Stanford
Ohio State
Lafayette
Vassar
Yale
Stevens Inst. Tech.
Howard
Swarthmore
Midfield
Attack
Defender
Defender
Midfield
Midfield
Midfield
Attack
Attack
Attack
Attack
Attack
Attack
Midfield
Goalie
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Midfield
Defense
Midfield
Defense
Goalie
Defense
Deleware Valley HS
Westminster School
Mountain Lakes
Westfield
Westfield
Madison
Oak Knoll
Ridgewood
Westfield
Chatham
Montclair
Mendham
Moorestown
Kinnelon
Chatham
Chatham
Saddle River Day
Mountain Lakes
Montclair
Montclair
Montclair
Mountain Lakes
Montclair
Oak Knoll
BBL Elite 2019's College Commitments
Madi Bednarik
Brianna Falco
Nicole Ferrara
Alonna Gliksman
Colleen Graham
Sophia Holt
Annie McCarthy
Caitlin McHale
Maddie Murphy
Lauren Nuefeld
Alessandra Priolo
Leah Rutland
Olivia Shields
Camryn Stoner
Jackie Wolak
Fran Workman
Queens University of Charlotte
Monmouth University
Ohio State
Rutgers
Marquette
Virginia Tech
Lehigh University
Bucknell
Monmouth University
East Stroudsburg University
Villanova
Bucknell
Bucknell
Marist
Notre Dame
Michigan University
Goalie
Midfield-Defender
Midfield
Goalie
Defense
Defense
Midfield
Defense
Attack
Attack
Defense
Midfield
Midfield
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Mount Olive
Sparta High School
Morristown
Somerville
Chatham
Mountain Lakes
Ridgewood High School
Oak Knoll
Watchung Hills
Sparta High School
IHA
Madison
Westfield
Pope John
Saddle River Day
Chatham
BBL Elite 2018's College Commitments
Natalie Bond
Carolyn Carerra
Hope Gallardo
Emma Genovese
Keeghan Heher
Tessa Luzi
Michaela McMahon
Eliza McNamara
Hailey Mead
Katelyn Mead
Catherine Moriarty Sydney Paoletti
Elisabeth Ralph
Faith Reilly
Shea Smith
Haley Tietjen
Kate Wells
Paige Wonsowicz
Ann Wray
Stanford
University of Vermont
Furman
High Point
Richmond
Lafayette
University of Pennsylvania
Millersville
Michigan
Michigan
Florida
Columbia
Wofford
Bucknell University
Princeton
Holy Cross
Muhlenburg
Stockton
University of Mount Olive
Midfield
Defense
Defense
Midfield
Defense
Defense
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Defense
Attack
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Defense
Westfield
Saddle River Day
Mountain Lakes
Warren
Morristown Beard
Chatham
Saddle River Day
Mahwah
Sparta
Sparta
Westfield
Westfield
Pascack Valley
Mountain Lakes
Pingry
Mountain Lakes
Morris Knolls
Waldwick
Indian Hills
BBL Elite 2017's College Commitments
Samantha Alfano
Ava Anderson
Schuyler Bixby
Dierdra Daly
Elizabeth Doherty
Lila Hutchins
Kimmy Jenkins
Diana Kelly
Eliza Kielty
Hannah Liddy
Juliana McGuire
Abby Morgan
Parker Yarusi
Sarah Zeto
Gettysburg
Cornell
Dartmouth
Vanderbilt
Notre Dame
Bates
High Point
Notre Dame
Boston University
Denver
Babson
Vanderbilt
Denver
High Point
Defense
Midfield
Attack
Attack
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Defense
Attack
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Goalie
Westfield
Verona
Chatham
Oak Knoll
Oak Knoll
Westfield
Mountain Lakes
Oak Knoll
Pingry
Westfield
Sparta
Chatham
Westfield
New Providence
BBL Elite 2016's College Commitments
Bridget Ballard
Sarah Bedard
Lindsey Caroll
Claire Cassie
Rebecca De Rosa
Gwyn Devin
Stephanie Dowling Emily Fernandez
Julia Gretsky
Chloe Harris
Holly Lloyd
Daniella McMahon Julia Nelson
Marie Nemeth
Hallie Rosenburgh Hannah Ross
Sarah Ross
Emily Shields
Shelby Taylor
Kiera Vrindten
Loyola University
Delaware
Radford
Penn State University
Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute
Vanderbilt
Susquehanna University
Elon
Wesleyan University
University of Louisville
Loyola
Stanford
Franklin & Marshall
Gettysburg
Virginia Tech
Denver
Dartmouth
University of Southern California
Dartmouth
Dartmouth
Midfield
Attack
Attack
Defense
Midfield
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Goalie
Midfield
Attack
Defense
Attack
Defense
Defense
Goalie
Chatham
Mountain Lakes
Warren
Westfield
Fairlawn
Westfield
Gov. Livingston
Boonton
Westfield
Williston Northampton
Glen Ridge
Saddle River Day
New Providence
Westfield
Westfield
Cranford
Cranford
Westfield
Westfield
Watchung Hills
BBL Elite 2015's College Commitments
Alyssa Cox
Lindsey Ewertsen
Allison Ferrara
Kathryn Giroux
Antonia Kaz
Natalie LeBeau
Casey O'Brien
Samantha Paoletti
Dakota Pastore
Talia Price
Mckenzie Rambush
Allie Rogers
Amanda Romano
Morgan Ryan
Meghan Siverson
Virginia Tech
Columbia
Louisville
Dartmouth
Wesleyan University
Skidmore
Florida Southern
Boston College
Rutgers
Manhattan
Dickinson College
Princeton
Elon
Georgetown
Louisville
Defender
Attack/Midfield
Midfield
Midfield
Attack/Midfield
Midfeld
Midfield
Midfield
Attack
Attack
Attack
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Westfield
Montclair
Morristown
Kent Place
Montclair
Mountain Lakes
Morristown
Westfield
Somerville
Kinnelon
Madison
Kent Place
Montclair
Oak Knoll
Morristown
BBL Elite 2014's College Commitments
Anna Baumeister
Maddy Bowles
Lara Brachman-Goldstein
Gianna Falcone
Molly Fishter
Nicole Kalamaras
Victoria Kalamaras
Alexis Kardias
Becca Kraus
Kennedy Krauss
Emilia Lopez-Ona
Casey Madura
Kathleen O'Connor
Olivia O'Loughlin
Mary Randazzo
Lexi Smith
Anna Tanji
Cornell
Lafayette
Haverford
Salisbury
University of Michigan
Columbia
Columbia
University of Southern California
Union
Princeton
University of Pennsylvania
Louisville
Villanova
Vassar
University of Massachusetts
Vanderbilt
Holy Cross
Midfield
Attack
Attack
Goalie
Midfield
Attack
Midfield
Midfield
Defense
Midfield
Midfield
Defender
Attack/Midfield
Defender
Midfield
Midfield
Attack/Midfield
Summit
Chatham
Kent Place
St. Elizabeth's
Madison
Mountain Lakes
Mountain Lakes
Westfield
Westfield
Chatham
Princeton High
Chatham
Oak Knoll
Oak Knoll
Westfield
Oak Knoll
Westfield
Information-
We understand their is a lot of information that is sent to our families and therefore they may have a lot of questions. Grace Foca our travel coordinator, is always on hand to help all of our families navigate the sea of tournament hotels and waivers. We have an open door policy on feedback. We always strive to be better, so if any of our families have questions, or concerns, we encourage them to contact Grace or Coach Sam, so that they can provide you with additional information or address your concerns.