How Youth Lacrosse Teams Use AI Cameras to Stay Ahead

"Having this technology has not just helped individual players but has given these girls an extra edge and this ability to reflect, take feedback, and grow. This is where they can take it to the next level," says Sam Tilts, Girls Director at Igloo Lacrosse.

Tilts discovered this transformation after implementing AI camera technology with her travel lacrosse teams. The visual feedback revolutionized how young players understood complex game concepts and positioning errors.

This challenges the assumption that advanced video analysis belongs only at high school and college levels.

Igloo Lacrosse's innovative youth development approach

Sam Tilts has been coaching girls' lacrosse at Igloo Lacrosse, an elite travel program based on Long Island's north shore. Her experience spans both education and athletics as a school teacher and coach of the 2028 Igloo Frostbite and 2030 Igloo Arctic Blast teams.

Igloo Lacrosse traditionally focused on boys' programs but recently expanded to girls' teams. All their new teams achieved top 10 rankings by US Club LAX within their first competitive seasons.

This success reflects Tilts' philosophy of preparing young athletes for their next competitive level through early exposure to professional-grade tools.

The struggle with traditional youth lacrosse development

Before implementing video technology, Igloo faced significant challenges in player development and recruitment preparation. "In the past, I've only coached high school teams, where you need highlight films to get recruited. The costs of getting these films per team or individual films at tournaments can really add up," Tilts explains. "If you're paying like $100 a tournament and you play six tournaments a year for film, it's unachievable for a lot of families."

Traditional coaching methods relied on verbal feedback and basic demonstrations. "You might tell them, 'Hey, you opened your hip, that's why the girl beat you.' Until they see that, they can't conceptualize what those words mean a lot of the time," Tilts notes.

Without visual learning tools, players struggled to understand tactical concepts. The cost barrier also prevented many families from accessing recruitment-quality footage, limiting opportunities for talented players from diverse economic backgrounds.

How AI soccer cameras transformed youth lacrosse training

Tilts chose Veo cameras after recognizing the need for accessible, professional-quality video analysis. "Veo has been a tool that really has changed a lot of our players' games. I think that even though we have middle school and younger players, this tool has given them the edge to get ahead of many people," she explains.

The AI tracking technology eliminated manual filming challenges while providing comprehensive field coverage. "I love the fact that you know it follows the play, nothing is out of focus. If we're making a long pass, you'll see it, it follows the ball in real-time," says Garrett Albert, assistant coach.

Veo's weather-resistant design proved crucial for outdoor tournaments. "We've had windy games, we've had rain, it's lasted through all of it," Albert notes. The technology also engaged parents as volunteer technicians, creating community involvement around player development.

Most importantly, the visual feedback matched how young athletes naturally learn. "In my classroom, we talked about different modalities of being able to learn, and all these kids learn so differently. And with the push of technology in their hands, many of them are starting to learn through technology," Tilts explains. Players could finally see their positioning errors and understand tactical corrections immediately.

Ready to give your youth team the competitive edge?

Tilts' experience shows how AI camera technology can transform youth sports development at any level. Want to explore what video analysis can do for your lacrosse program? Veo experts are standing by to help you get started.

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