YORK — As rising high school seniors prepare for college applications, tours and final decisions, 17-year-old AJ Birkle faces an additional challenge: get selected as one of about two dozen players for the U18 Boys’ USA Lacrosse National Team. The lifetime lacrosse player from York County was recently selected as one of 50 U18 players nationwide to attend the National Team Development Program Combine training camp at Garrison Forrest School in Owings Mills, Maryland. He’ll join one other U18 boy from Virginia, Caleb Dymmel from Middlesex County.
The camp, which will last three days from July 29-31, acts as a pipeline to the U.S. National Team Program and consists of two boys and two girls teams divided into age groups (under 18 and under 16).
According to USA Lacrosse Magazine, around 1,600 high school athletes across 28 states and the District of Columbia competed to attend this year’s training camp, with about 150 boys and 180 girls selected to attend. Birkle, a defender, will compete under the NTDP combine U18 boys. The camp will test players on various lacrosse skills and drills.
Birkle has been training for this moment his entire life. A lacrosse player since preschool, he plays for Tabb High School and has spent five years with the Tidewater Patriots travel lacrosse team in Hampton Roads. Coached by Chris Swanenburg, the travel team has produced multiple players selected for the national training camp, including defensive player Andrew Knight and current Bridgew.