I'm Coach Geoff Barnes. I played lacrosse at Grand Canyon University, graduated from GCU, and have spent ten years coaching boys, girls, goalies, and field and box players from age 5 through adult.
Every session is built around the player in front of me: their age, position and goals. A five-year-old learning to cradle and a high school junior getting ready for college coaches need very different things.
One-on-one sessions focused on exactly what your player needs, from stick skills and shooting to dodging, defense and goalie play. The fastest way to break a bad habit or get ready for tryouts.
Best for players who want focused, fast improvementTrain with a few players of similar age and ability. More reps, game-like drills, and the fun of competing with friends, at a lower cost per player than private lessons.
Best for friends, teammates and siblingsMulti-day camps that cover fundamentals, team concepts and game play. A great way for new players to fall in love with the sport, and for experienced players to stay sharp between seasons.
Best for beginners and off-season developmentHelp building a realistic list of target schools, putting together highlight film, writing to college coaches and planning a timeline that fits NCAA recruiting rules.
Best for high school players and their parentsLacrosse rewards players who build good habits early. Here is what we work on at each stage, and what comes next.
Catching, throwing and cradling with both hands, plus the running and balance that every sport needs. Above all, it should be fun.
Passing on the run, shooting form, footwork, ground balls and game sense. Box lacrosse is a great way to sharpen hands at this age.
Position skills, speed, strength and film study. In Arizona, high school lacrosse is club-based, so outside training matters even more.
Division I coaches can start recruiting contact on September 1 of junior year. We prepare film, school lists and outreach before that date arrives.
Post-college club and box leagues, pro tryouts, national team sixes and coaching. Lacrosse is a sport you can play for life.
Starting with the 2025–26 school year, the NCAA's House settlement replaced lacrosse's old scholarship caps with roster limits. Division I schools that opt in can now offer a scholarship to every player on the roster.
Each school still decides how many scholarships to fund, so many awards will be partial. But the ceiling is far higher than it used to be, and players who can show college coaches strong skills, good film and good grades have more chances than ever.
Division I is only one option. College lacrosse is played at hundreds of schools across every level:
Lacrosse is a close-knit world. The teammates, coaches and alumni a player meets through the game often become lifelong friends, mentors and professional contacts.
Players learn to compete, take coaching, lead a locker room and show up for each other. Those habits carry into school, careers and family life long after the last game, and many former players stay in the sport as coaches, officials and club leaders.
The sport's growth has reached the biggest stage there is. Lacrosse returns to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028, a short trip from Arizona.
Exposition Park Stadium, Los Angeles
Number of NCAA lacrosse teams, all divisions
Arizona is catching up. High school lacrosse here is still club-based rather than sanctioned by the AIA, while California and Utah have grown fast with school-sanctioned teams. That makes good coaching a real advantage for Valley players right now.
Geoff Barnes played lacrosse at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix and earned his degree there. For the past ten years he has coached players of every age, from kids picking up a stick for the first time to college and adult players sharpening their game.
He believes lacrosse is a lifelong sport, one that builds confidence, friendships and opportunities long after the final whistle. His goal for every player is the same: get better every session, love the game, and be ready for whatever level comes next.
Age five is a great time to start. Young players learn to catch, throw and cradle with a youth-sized stick, and the habits they build early make every later stage easier. Coach Geoff works with players from age 5 through adults around 30.
It can. Since July 2025, NCAA Division I schools that opt into the House settlement may offer athletic scholarships to every rostered player, up to 48 on a men's lacrosse team and 38 on a women's team, instead of the old limits of 12.6 and 12. Schools still decide how much to fund, so many awards are partial. Division II, NAIA and junior college programs also offer athletic aid, and Division III schools offer academic and need-based aid.
NCAA Division I lacrosse coaches cannot have recruiting contact with a player or their family before September 1 of the player's junior year of high school. Families can still visit campuses and attend camps before then. Other divisions have different rules.
Lacrosse is not sanctioned by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA), so Arizona high school lacrosse is played at the club level through organizations such as the Arizona Lacrosse League. That makes outside skill training and club play especially important for Arizona players who want to compete in college.
Lacrosse will be played at the LA28 Olympic Games from July 24 to 29, 2028, at Exposition Park Stadium in Los Angeles, using the fast-paced sixes format. Six men's and six women's teams will compete. It is the first time women's lacrosse has been in the Olympics and the first time men's lacrosse has been a medal sport since 1908.
Field lacrosse is played outdoors on a large field with ten players per side for men. Box lacrosse is played in a hockey-rink-sized arena with five runners and a goalie per side and a shot clock. Box rewards quick hands and tight-space stick skills, which is why many field players train in box too.
Yes. Coach Geoff coaches boys and girls, men and women, goalies, and both field and box lacrosse players.
Sessions are held at fields in the Scottsdale area. The exact location is confirmed when you book.
Tell me a little about your player and what you're looking for. I'll get back to you to set up a time.
The quickest way to set up a session is a call or text. Share your player's age, experience and goals, and Coach Geoff will find a time that works.
Text (509) 294-6678 Call (509) 294-6678