OSHAWA, ON – Lacrosse Canada’s National Development Team Program (NDTP) Futures Main Camp officially gets underway this week as the country’s top U15, U17 and U19 athletes gather in Oshawa to begin the next stage of Canada’s national high-performance pathway.
The first step of Main Camp begins off the field at Elite Training Systems (ETS), where athletes will complete comprehensive performance testing before moving into four days of technical evaluations, position-specific instruction and competitive game play.
As Lacrosse Canada’s Official Strength & Conditioning Partner for the National Development Team Program, ETS will lead the collection of athlete performance data while supporting the program’s commitment to evidence-based athlete development.
Throughout the testing sessions, athletes will complete standardized assessments designed to evaluate speed, movement quality, agility, power and overall athletic capacity. The results establish objective performance benchmarks that complement on-field evaluations conducted throughout Main Camp.
“ETS is extremely excited to partner with Lacrosse Canada to support the National Development Team Program off the field,” said Jeff Watson, Co-Owner of Elite Training Systems. “Working with youth athletes during their prime development years is an incredible opportunity for us and for the athletes. We believe in building the complete athlete through training, nutrition and recovery to optimize performance, and by working alongside Lacrosse Canada’s coaches, training staff and management, we can help athletes continue developing toward the next level.”
Main Camp also marks the introduction of Future Track, Lacrosse Canada’s new athlete evaluation framework designed to create a consistent approach to identifying and developing athletes across the national pathway.
Using Future Track, coaches will evaluate athletes throughout the week across technical ability, tactical awareness, athleticism, competitive mindset, character and position-specific performance. Combined with objective fitness testing conducted by ETS, the framework provides a comprehensive evaluation of each athlete’s current performance and long-term potential.
Following Main Camp, the top athletes in each division will be selected to Canada Futures teams and issued a Future Track Athlete Passport—their official development record within Canada’s National Development Team Program. The passport will capture performance testing, coach evaluations and athlete progression while supporting collaboration between NDTP and National Team coaching staffs.
“Main Camp is about identifying Canada’s future national team athletes, but it’s equally about providing them with the tools to continue developing long after camp concludes,” said Dustin Dunn, National Development Team Program Coordinator. “Our partnership with Elite Training Systems allows us to establish objective performance benchmarks while introducing athletes to the professional standards expected throughout Canada’s high-performance pathway. Combined with the Future Track evaluation framework, we’re creating a more consistent and complete picture of athlete development than ever before.”
More than a selection event, Main Camp provides athletes with exposure to national team coaches, high-performance training environments and standardized evaluation processes that will help shape Canada’s future national teams.
Following performance testing, athletes will participate in four days of on-field evaluations at the Oshawa Civic Recreation Complex, where coaches from across the country will assess athletes through practices, position-specific instruction and competitive gameplay before Canada Futures teams are announced.
About Elite Training Systems
Elite Training Systems (ETS) is a performance training facility based in Whitby, Ontario, owned and operated by Jeff Watson and Sean Harrison. ETS specializes in athlete performance, injury prevention and long-term athletic development through evidence-based training, nutrition and recovery programs. As Lacrosse Canada’s Official Strength & Conditioning Partner for the National Development Team Program, ETS supports athlete testing, performance monitoring and strength and conditioning initiatives throughout the high-performance pathway.