On Saturday, October 5, Scouts Varsity Football and Lacrosse player Danny Van Camp announced his commitment on Instagram to play Division 1 lacrosse at Yale University.
This was a shock to many as Van Camp previously announced his commitment earlier in the summer to play D1 lacrosse at Rutgers University. However, because he hadn’t signed his letter of intent, he was able to make a switch in his commitment.
In his decision to switch his commitment, Van Camp saw Yale as the better opportunity.
“Yale gave me the opportunity to get a phenomenal education while also playing the sport I love, and that’s really the combination that any student-athlete would want out of college,” Van Camp said.
Van Camp has been a stellar athlete at LFHS since his freshman year. As a freshman, he played quarterback on the JV football team. He was also a starting defenseman on the 2022 lacrosse team that lost in the State Championship.
Since his freshman year, Van Camp has established himself as a starter on the football and lacrosse teams. He has shown an immense level of talent and is a large contributor to both teams, especially lacrosse, helping lead them to win a State Championship this past spring as a junior.
Outside of LFHS, Van Camp plays for True Illinois, a nationally known club lacrosse team that is ranked 14th in the nation according to Inside Lacrosse. Van Camp has played on this team for all of high school and is club teammates with other Scouts Varsity Lacrosse players, Lucas Kroner and Marty Hippel.
Even though Van Camp is on very successful teams, he faced some challenges in the recruiting process.
“It took a lot longer for me, especially being from the Midwest. Lacrosse is growing at an incredible rate, but it’s not at the level that the Northeast is at in terms of level of play. It is very rare for someone from the Midwest to get recruited like that,” Van Camp said.
Along with being a star athlete, Van Camp has been extremely successful in the classroom. Since his freshman year, he has been in 9 AP classes, and has a reputation among his classmates of being a very good student. He is excited to be a part of Yale’s challenging academic environment.
“The school side of it is that it’s an Ivy, and Ivy’s are renowned for their rigor and high quality men and women that study and learn there. It’s something that I want to be a part of and think could be very impactful for me,” Van Camp said.
In preparation for lacrosse at Yale, Van Camp will be working hard to continue improving, and put himself in a position to be a competitive player in the Ivy League.
“To prepare for college lacrosse I will be working out every day, conditioning, endurance training, reviewing film, IQ training, and everything else that would be important to being successful on the field,” Van Camp said.
Van Camp has made a name for himself at LFHS, and many will watch as he makes a name for himself at Yale.
