Team Elevate is more than just being on a lacrosse team.  It's about the whole experience TE provides for our players and our families including empowering young women to be the best they can be in a fun and encouraging environment.  Here's what some of our players and parents had to say about Team Elevate and their experience: 

Thank you Dave and the entire TE coaching staff for making Olivia's first year at Elevate amazing. It was a big change for her and one that has been so positive.

Olivia not only learned advanced lacrosse skills, but also made best friends. The girls on the team genuinely respect and encourage one another, making great team chemistry and stellar lacrosse play. 

She appreciates the time you spend individually on her, correcting her when she needs it. You are a great motivator - coach’s words are powerful, and we thank you for the inspiration and encouragement.

This is a family team, including parents and siblings. We enjoy cheering on the sidelines with some wonderful people. The well-wishes for other player’s children is tangible.

Thanks for making this a fabulous year.

The Escoffery Family

We just wanted to say thank you for an incredible experience at Elevate.  Katie came over her sophomore year from another club and played an entire seasons worth of lacrosse in the fall.  She was able to participate in crucial recruiting tournaments that she would not have been able to get into with other clubs. Vic and the Bobs helped her blossom as a lacrosse player and develop her own style of play.  This was extremely instrumental in helping her get recruited.

After playing for a another highly regarded program since 5^th grade, my daughter came to Elevate in the Fall before her junior year because she was disappointed with the recruiting efforts of her former team.  The decision to leave was not an easy one because she left many good friends behind but the results of her decision were immediate and substantial.  She had significant interest from 3 or 4 Division 1 schools after the first game of her first Fall tournament! 

The recruiting process only got better from there.  Her Elevate coach had weekly meetings to go over strategy and reviewed every e-mail to every college coach before it was sent.  Before Christmas, my daughter had offers from several Division I schools before finally selecting her choice in early January.  Beyond the recruiting, the Elevate team welcomed her as part of the family immediately and she has made some great friendships with some great girls.   Matt Kiernan & Family

Our experience in moving to Team Elevate has been the difference between night and day!  Dave Kotowski is one of the most passionate, seasoned lacrosse coaches in the country who empowers each and every girl to be their best both on and off the field.  Dave and his incredible Team Elevate family have provided an explosive platform of exposure to all of the Top D1 programs that her former team would never be able to accomplish.  Not only does he have relationships with all of the college coaches but magnetic friendships that open up so many doors.  The process has been and continues to be a once-in-a-lifetime unforgettable experience. He cares for his girls as if they were all his daughters and with any question or concern, he is always there for you.  My husband and I will be forever grateful to Dave and his family their endless support, encouragement and words of wisdom.  Erin & Bill Gaffney

My decision to tryout for Team Elevate was quite simple.  I had been playing on another Long Island travel program for two years.  I knew I was looking to play college lacrosse and had to tryout for recruiting events where I could hope to showcase myself as a player.  I was fortunate enough to earn a spot on the Brine showcase team.   My fellow teammates were made up of girls from all over Long Island, many of which played for Elevate.  After that successful experience, the girls encouraged me to tryout for their team.  At tryouts, I knew then that what was happening was like nothing I had experienced.  The tryouts were run smoothly and with effective drills. The level of talent that the girls had, in addition to the coaching that was being given, was unlike anything I had seen at other tryouts. 

Thankfully, I was selected for the team.  As the new player, never once was I made to feel as an "extra" player.  I was immediately part of the Elevate family.  One of the best parts of being on Elevate has been the fact that every player wants to be there as much as the next. We help each other on and off the field.  The term family is used often, but the truth is, we are a family.

As a player, I couldn't have asked for more! In practices, we run at tempo to prepare us for games and yet still get individual instruction. The tournaments that we go to are the premiere recruiting events. The exposure to these recruiting events and showcases is unlike any other program. The individualized college recruiting meetings and seminars is something that is unique to Elevate. I felt as if my meetings were centered around me as a student and a player.  Any questions or feedback I needed was just a phone call away.

As I start my final year in Elevate, I am grateful for everything that has happened to me since I joined Elevate. My experience has prepared me to play Division 1 lacrosse in college. I know I am fortunate to be part of this team and I am forever grateful to be part of this family. Jillian Winwood

This past season was my first with Team Elevate after leaving another team I played with for several seasons. I have nothing but great things to say about my switch and could not happier with my decision. After going to the first practice I knew it was the right choice, within five minutes of being there I already learned something new. The coaches have given me tips that have improved my game and all around made me a better, smarter player. Everything about Team Elevate is player focused and I absolutely love that. The staff is supportive and extremely helpful, especially during these recruiting years, which was hard for me to find in past seasons.  Shannon Boyle

Making the move to play for Elevate may have been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Coach Dave and Vic have given me so much love and support throughout my Elevate career, I couldn't possibly ask for more. Elevate gives you so many opportunities for recruiting to really put you on the map which helps tremendously. Joining Elevate was like becoming apart of a second family. We stick together and have each others back no matter what. I can’t thank Dave and Vic enough for making my time playing lacrosse fun and memorable. Emma Greenhill 

We have told people that in comparison to other programs Elevate is like Nirvana to us.  Why?  Elevate’s entire philosophy revolves around creating a positive learning experience for the girls that goes beyond lacrosse to support the girls as athletes, as students, and as people.  They address the whole picture.  The study and recruiting resources and meetings,  the college trips, and the ongoing advice are amazing.   There is constant messaging to players and parents on everything from plays to social media behavior.  They emphasize constantly that grades come first, lacrosse is second.  Opportunities are communicated to the entire organization so all players can aspire to participate in extra camps and showcases.   Elevate cares, they have a process to provide player feedback, and our experience has been overwhelmingly positive.  Other organizations made us feel like we were lucky to be playing for them, at Elevate we are made to feel like we belong.   Expectations are set for everyone  - for both player and spectator conduct, and the organization is very conscious of player and family integrity.  There is no drama.

Our daughters have played for other programs and it was extremely frustrating.  Nobody told them what they should work on to get better or took an actual interest in them.   It was literally painful getting through a summer of tournaments.  At Elevate, our girls are actually appreciated.  The coaches have identified their unique strengths and how they can best contribute to the team.   Elevate is helping them reach their potential, they are working hard, and they are happy.  

From our daughter:

“I like Elevate because it’s not about politics, it’s more like family.  The director pays attention to us and is involved.  It’s really good for recruiting – especially the college tours.  No other program does that.”  Pete Schwasnick & Family

People who know us know how passionate we are about Elevate. It is more than just a lacrosse club it is  a family. I still remember receiving that first phone call from Coach Dave four years ago. He went out of his way to welcome us and to learn more about our daughter Ali. This is part of his wholistic approach to coaching. He explained that every child is unique and that every child's pace is different.  He stressed the importance of family first, academics, and then lacrosse. You can always hear him saying "it's the little things". His coaching has strengthened our daughter from the inside out. The training she has received has been second to none. He has given our daughter increased confidence and strength in everything she does. Vic Kotowski, is now guiding  us through the recruitment process. This includes everything from high school course selection, ACT vs SAT, and coaches letters. Vic answers every question with the knowledge , patience, and understanding that only a great deal of experience brings. She also stresses that everyone moves on different timelines and that everyone finds the school meant for them. It's hard to believe that this is the stage we are at now since that first call four years ago. What is not hard to believe is how much our daughter has grown, the close connections we have made and knowing that our daughter is a member of an amazing team and extended family.  Heather Hoffman

Our daughter is a goalie, who takes every appropriate opportunity to leave the crease.   Prior to joining the club, she was discouraged and often reprimanded during games for leaving the goal open.  Team Elevate coaches have encouraged embraced and coached her into developing this style of play.  Their support, wisdom and encouragement have both helped her confidence on the field and off.  The coaches have been honest, supportive but also real in their expectations and feedback.  Dawn Kotsailidis

The other night I had occasion to send Dave and Vic this email:

“Hi Dave and Vic, Tonight I went to a guidance meeting at the high school outlining the myriad, mystical steps we must take over the next year to try to get our children into a somewhat decent college.  It is a daunting task, with no clear end in sight.  I just wanted to tell you again how incredibly blessed I feel that Emma has this remarkable opportunity in front of her.  You both have changed the course of her life and all that you’ve done for her is not lost on me.  Thanks thanks thanks.  Liz”

Dave responded within a few minutes:  “Thanks so much. We love getting emails like this because in the end - stories like Emma are what it's all about.” 

I realize this exchange is particular to my daughter Emma’s (2016) situation as a player who very much wants to go to college and continue with her lacrosse life.  But if I had emailed Dave or Vic about a problem, I would have heard from them just as quickly.  While Team Elevate Lacrosse continues to grow into a formidable east coast lax club, I feel certain that Dave and all of his coaches will continue to treat our family like family.  If your daughter is interested in being recruited to play lacrosse in college, Dave and all of his staff will do all they can to optimize her exposure and experience.  If your daughter, like my younger daughter Katherine (2019), is not sure she wants to play in college but loves the game, Team Elevate will provide her with some of the most memorable moments of her young life. Often, as we shake out our stadium chairs early on a weekend morning, wishing we’d had time for one more cup of coffee, I realize that each field we visit is the best place for my daughters to be at that moment.  Liz DeGennaro and Family