Building Leaders on the Field and in Life # About Us# | Small-group training in the greater Boston area focused on shooting, finishing, and footwork drills—designed for the serious player looking to reach the next level.
A shirtless athlete in motion sprinting on grass field with training cones.
Girls playing lacrosse on a field with a goalie and an attacking player.
Female lacrosse player in uniform running on the field with a lacrosse stick, during a game.
A group of young men and a coach pose for a photo on a lacrosse field. They are holding lacrosse sticks and wearing athletic gear, including helmets and gloves. An orange lacrosse goal is visible in the background. The field is grassy with bare trees surrounding it.
Women's lacrosse game in action, with player in black uniform about to shoot at goal, and other players in white uniforms on a field.
Helping Athletes Level Up—On and Off the Field
Big Rock Lacrosse is designed for driven athletes who want to elevate their game and become difference-makers on their club and school teams. Our small-group sessions follow a focused, high-intensity curriculum that sharpens advanced footwork, shooting, and dodging—key skills for serious players looking to stand out.
But our mission goes beyond skill development. We prepare student-athletes for the full journey to college athletics and beyond—equipping them with the habits, knowledge, and mindset needed to become the most college-ready version of themselves.
Small Group Training
Dodging, finishing, and footwork drills for the serious player looking to reach the next level.
College Advisement
Coaching on managing the process, creating realistic options, and a communication and research plan for the best fit-schools for you.
Our Approach
All-in-One Training
We integrate footwork, speed, strength training, and lacrosse-specific skills into each session for a holistic approach to player development.
Game-Focused Lacrosse Skills
Athletes learn targeted techniques and strategies to improve their gameplay, boost their performance, and make smarter decisions on the field.
Personalized Small-Group Setting
Small groups ensure the reps and coaching needed to foster skill development and a supportive team environment where players develop together.
Small Group Training
Summer 2025 Schedule
For varsity level and college bound athletes
Most sessions run Mondays & Wednesdays, 6–7:30pm
(One week follows a Sunday/Thursday schedule)
📍 Location: Thayer Academy (745 Washington St., Braintree)
💵 Cost: $70 per session
📅 Dates: June 16 & 18, June 22 (Sun) & 26 (Thurs), June 30 & July 2, July 7 & 9, July 14 & 16
Summer Guest Coaches:
Emily English (Boston College)
Fall 2025 Schedule
Coming Soon
Interested in Private Small Group Training?
Book a private small group training session with Big Rock Lacrosse. You provide the field, we’ll bring the coaching. Sessions are capped at 20 players for focused, high-impact training.
Have a group in mind? Contact us for more information.
College Advisement
Matt has spent over 20 years advising athletes and families on the right steps to take in the college process. It is not about chasing scholarships, it’s about the best fit socially, culturally, academically and financially. It all matters and your college experience should be a springboard to your life after sports. Who coaches you, who you spend your time with in college and the culture of the team will make or break your experience at the next level.
Working with families and athletes, Matt sets expectations, offers steps to engaging with schools and coaches and will advise on the process. He does not call coaches, he coaches athletes on how to manage their own process. No one will get your child a scholarship-attitude, effort, academics and abilty will do that. The process has gotten overwhelming for families and athletes, let’s simplify it.
Team Big Rock
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Matt Hanna
Matt Hanna has spent over 20 years as a transformative non-profit leader, educator, and coach dedicated to empowering underserved youth. Matt is the Founder and CEO of Next One Up
Next One Up athletes have competed at the highest levels, including Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Indiana, Trinity, Hobart, Harvard, Alabama and Rutgers to name a few. His efforts in education and mentorship have earned him numerous accolades, including the Johns Hopkins University Distinguished Alumni Award (2025) and the Baltimore Magazine "Gamechangers" Award (2022).
A former Johns Hopkins University lacrosse team captain and Major League Lacrosse All-Star, Hanna comes from a coaching background. His grandfather, Lou, was a legendary high school football coach in Pennsylvania and is in the state’s coaching Hall of Fame. Matt’s father Mike, was an All-American lacrosse player at Hobart College as well as a QB for the football team; He is a member of the Hobart Hall of Fame. Mike Hanna served as Athletic Director at Hobart College for 37 years, following a lacrosse coaching career as head coach at Princeton University and stints at Navy and Johns Hopkins.
Matt currently serves as an assistant girls lacrosse coach for the Thayer Academy girls' program in Braintree, MA.
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Tori Hanna
Tori is a Brookline, MA native and attended Lawrence Academy, where she is in the school’s Hall of Fame. Tori went on to start at the University of Maryland, where she was a 4x National Champion captaining the team her senior season while earning All-American honors. One of the best defenders to play the game, she was a member of the US National Team before embarking on an 18-year career at Under Armour. Tori is CMO of a sports company in Austin, TX and currently serves as a board member for USA Lacrosse and Cohasset Youth Lacrosse. Tori coaches for Laxachusetts and Cohasset Youth Lacrosse.
Tori’s network in the game of women’s lacrosse is vast and her access to high-quality teams and coaches makes an impact on any student athlete she works with.
About Next One Up
Matt Hanna is the founder & CEO of Next One Up, a long-term mentoring nonprofit transforming the lives of young men in Baltimore City by supporting and advancing their academic, athletic, and social development.
FAQs
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Training sessions for shooting and footwork max at 10 players
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I can travel for an additional fee if field space can be provided
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Use our online registration form for any upcoming sessions, first-come, first-served for all training and camps
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Absolutely not
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No
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Yes
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Yes
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Attitude, Effort, Accountability — those three things make the complete player
FAQs
-
Training sessions for shooting and footwork max at 10 players
-
I can travel for an additional fee if field space can be provided
-
Use our online registration form for any upcoming sessions, first-come, first-served for all training and camps
-
Absolutely not
-
No
-
Yes
-
Yes
-
Attitude, Effort, Accountability — those three things make the complete player
Contact Us
"A ship should not ride on a single anchor, nor life on a single hope."
— Epictetus