If lacrosse star Johnny Driscoll were still alive, he'd teach his triplet sons, himself, how to play the sport. Instead, a memorial lacrosse camp in his name will turn other children into better players, and the proceeds will help his own family.
The John Driscoll Memorial Lacrosse Camp will be held July 2, 3 and 4, for boys ages 7 through 17, at George Mason University's athletic fields and field house. Cost is $100 for ages 7-9 and $180 for ages 10-17. Further information and an application are available at www.jd32laxcamp.com, or call Sonny Esposito at 703-926-1732.
"I'm really looking forward to this," said Centreville's Larry Megale, who's running the camp along with fellow Virginia Run resident Esposito. "It's going to be a great opportunity for kids."
IT WILL ALSO help three, little boys named Patrick, Ryan and John Driscoll who'll be 3 years old this Friday, June 25. Dad Johnny died in November 2002 of a brain tumor at age 44. But buddies Esposito and Megale are holding the camp to honor his memory, teach children to play the sport he loved — lacrosse — and raise money for his young sons' health insurance, living expenses and future college education.
"We're doing it three years — one year for each triplet — and this is year two," said Esposito. "Through it and other individual and corporate donations, we raised over $30,000, last year, and we'd like to do as well, or better, this year."
Driscoll, Megale and Esposito were roommates at UVA. They all played lacrosse there and graduated in 1980. Driscoll was a superstar in the sport and, while at UVA, he was a three-time All-American, received the Lt. Donald McLaughlin Jr. Memorial Award for being Most Outstanding Midfielder in Division I NCAA competition and was a North-South All Star.
He also played on the USA national teams that won the World Championship in 1982 and 1986. Driscoll was later inducted into the Long Island Metro Lacrosse Hall of Fame, the Virginia Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
He loved the fast pace and fun of the sport, plus the camaraderie and strong bonds the players develop with each other. He also loved his wife Kara and their three sons. Esposito described him as a great friend, father and husband, as well as "a man of character, integrity and strength."
After college, Driscoll moved to Manhattan. But in 1996, he was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. In spring 2002, he and his family moved to South Bend, Ind., where Kara's relatives live, and he became assistant lacrosse coach at the University of Notre Dame under another former UVA teammate, head coach Kevin Corrigan.
Megale and Esposito visited him that November, and they discussed holding a lacrosse camp to benefit charity.
But later that month, the tumor took Driscoll's life. His medical condition had prevented him from obtaining life insurance, and finances were tight for Kara — a full-time mom — and the triplets. So Megale and Esposito established the lacrosse camp, contributing the proceeds to the John Driscoll Children's Trust Fund.
The staff includes Megale, Centreville High's lacrosse coach and a 10-year, youth-sports coach; Esposito, former girls lacrosse coach at Langley High and a seven-year youth-sports coach; Bruce Arena, U.S. World team head coach; Corrigan of Notre Dame; Dom Starsia, UVA head coach; and Dave Cottle, Dave Urick, Bill Tierney, John Danowski and Mike Caravana, head coaches at Maryland, Georgetown, Princeton, Hofstra and Dennison, respectively.
"THEY'RE THE TOP coaches in the entire country, and very rarely can you find them all at one camp," said Esposito. "Usually, they're running their own camps to make money. But they're donating their time, as is everyone else. And every penny that touches my hands goes to the triplets. Kara will attend the camp, and the little guys will run around."
"In the mornings, we'll work on fundamentals — offenses, defenses, dodging, shooting, checking, passing and catching," said Megale. "In the afternoons, there'll be more game situations, scrimmages and fast breaks. And throughout the day will be competitions and contests for prizes."
Players are grouped according to skill level, with advanced ones challenged extra. But all will leave improved. Some 217 boys attended last year and, said Esposito, "People who run these kinds of camps say you're lucky to get 100 kids, the first year, so everyone was delighted to get as many as we did."
The camp drew attendees from as far away as Texas and Boston. "They look online for lacrosse camps and, when they see the lineup of coaches, it's a real draw," said Esposito. "And the parents' comments about the camp, afterward, made it all worthwhile."
"The caliber and quality of the coaches was first-rate," wrote Jim Moxley. "It bolstered [my son's] confidence, and that's priceless." Tom and Pat McCormick were "astounded at how much time and personal effort the coaches put into this camp. In the nine years our son has played the game, we haven't seen the likes of this."
And Bill Weaver said his son couldn't believe he was "standing on the same field with some of the coaches he dreams of possibly playing for. You gave him a love of the game, lessons in life and lots of training/fun in three days."
ESPOSITO SAID last year's camp exceeded their expectations. "People in the community really reached out," he explained. "Parents stayed and helped fill jugs of water. Another parent, Joe Aversa of Virginia Run, said, 'I know nothing about lacrosse, but I want to contribute — I can cook.' So he made sausage and peppers for the coaches, and he showed up, every day."
Kara Driscoll called the whole thing "pretty amazing." Praising Megale and Esposito, she said, "They were true friends to Johnny, and they're good friends to me. It's really generous of them and the coaches to donate their time. And it's a big reflection of who Johnny was that they want to do it. He loved the lacrosse community, and they're giving back."
She says raising triplet toddlers alone is a demanding job. Her mother, babysitters, two brothers and 17-year-old nephew help but, said Driscoll, "It's a rough ride. The boys are at such a cute age — they're talking — and their dad's missing it. And to see them out there with their lacrosse sticks kinda breaks my heart."
But that makes Esposito and Megale all the more determined to help. "We felt so good after last year's camp," said Megale. "The kids had such a good time, and we were happy to get together again to help Johnny's family and, at the same time, teach some kids lacrosse. Johnny was certainly the best lacrosse player I ever played with — and he was an even better friend."
Donations may also be made to the John Driscoll Children's Trust Fund and sent c/o Sonny Esposito, 15313 Surrey House Way, Centreville, VA 20120.