IMG Academies to become Official Camp, Academy for Boston Blazers

BRADENTON, Fla. (January 14, 2011) – IMG Academies and the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) Boston Blazers have entered into a unique relationship for the 2011 season. Under the terms of the agreement, IMG Academies – more specifically, IMG Lacrosse Academy – will serve as the Official Camp and Academy for the Blazers. Additionally, the IMG Lacrosse Academy will receive naming rights to the Blazers field in the TD Garden, also home to the Boston Celtics and the Boston Bruins.

“We are looking forward to teaming up with the Boston Blazers in 2011 to bring out the best of our programs,” said Kevin Finneran, Director of the IMG Lacrosse Academy. “New England is one of the nation’s most active lacrosse regions, and we are excited to bring the Academy experience to Blazers fans and the entire New England community.”

The Blazers played in front of a record home crowd at the Garden for their last regular season home game of 2010. They are one of lacrosse’s hottest teams heading into the 2011 season, having recently signed NLL All-Stars Dan Dawson and Casey Powell to two-year contracts.

Said Doug Reffue, the President and GM of the Boston Blazers, “Our exciting acquisitions following last season, coupled with our new collaboration with IMG Academies, position us to make 2011 our best year to-date.” Continued Reffue, “Both of our organizations are currently making positive impacts on both youth and professional lacrosse players, but together we will be a far more effective agent of change.”

Apart from its official sponsor status, IMG Academies will work with the Blazers organization to host youth clinics, an area that the Academies has specialized in for more than three decades. The first of these clinics will be  announced shortly.

The news comes on the heels of the announcement that parent company IMG Worldwide will now represent the NLL’s broadcast and sponsor rights.

About IMG Academies

IMG Academies, located in Bradenton, Fla., is the world’s largest and most advanced multi-sport training complex dedicated to developing the TOTAL ATHLETE™.  For more than 30 years, IMG Academies has helped countless youth, adult, collegiate and professional athletes reach their full potential in sport and life, by providing expert coaching, tailored programs and world-class facilities within an energetic environment across a 400-acre campus.

Today the campus attracts more than 20,000 athletes from 100 countries annually. The Academies consists of the IMG Bollettieri Tennis Academy, IMG Leadbetter Golf Academy, IMG Madden Football Academy, IMG Baseball, Basketball, Lacrosse and Soccer academies – all supported by the IMG Pendleton School and IMG Performance Institute’s multi-faceted training disciplines. IMG Academies also conducts camps, clinics and events year-round, while providing support to teams and federations around the world. Find more info at www.imgacademies.com. 

About the Boston Blazers

The Boston Blazers professional indoor lacrosse franchise was established in May 2007 when owner Tim Armstrong was awarded an expansion team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team made its debut in January 2009 and plays eight home games at Boston's TD Garden as part of a 16-game regular season schedule. Now in its 25th year, the NLL is the world's premier professional indoor lacrosse league and features 10 teams playing in state-of-the-art arenas throughout the United States and Canada. For additional information on the Boston Blazers and tickets to Blazers games, fans can visit blazerslacrosse.com or call 888-BLAZERS.

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Contact:

Kim Berard, IMG Academies, kim.berard@imgworld.com, 941-752-2621