“I guess people would argue with you who the best player on the team is. That argument doesn’t matter to me, because there’s nobody on the team who wouldn’t want Danny to be on it,” Football Head Coach Chuck Spagnoli said. 

That sums up senior Danny Van Camp’s legacy as an athlete at LFHS. Though he shines bright on the field, it’s not just his performance that earned him the title of 2025 Male Athlete of the Year; it’s his attitude off the field that makes him a one-of-a-kind player.

Van Camp has been a multi-sport athlete since his childhood, when he played “probably every sport you can think of.” That ended when he started focusing primarily on football and lacrosse, with lacrosse being his biggest motivation.

“The first time I played lacrosse was in kindergarten, and that was when I sort of fell in love with it… I didn’t find that passion in any other sport,” Van Camp said. 

Through his undeniable love for lacrosse, Van Camp has grown into a skilled defensive man who’s played Varsity lacrosse since his freshman year. He helped lead the team to becoming 2024 State Champions, an accomplishment he’s extremely proud of as a student athlete.

“That’s the dream, more or less, and we got it done as a team,” he said.

Throughout his time playing team sports, Van Camp learned a lot about himself from both the sport and the people around him. Team sports made a big difference in the trajectory of his life. 

“Before, it felt like much more of a me sport, but after high school and going through my athletic career so far, I’ve really opened my eyes to what others do for me and how the rest of the team is important to our success as a whole… I’ve had such great mentors and teammates to help me establish these habits for not even just the sport, but for my life,” he said. 

Van Camp is committed to play Division 1 lacrosse at Yale University next year, but his path to collegiate lacrosse was anything but linear. He struggled to gain traction with college coaches throughout his junior year where he was in a bit of a slump, and felt like he might have to fall back to a regular academic path rather than continuing his athletic journey.

Despite the challenges he faced, he never stopped pushing himself physically. The summer before his senior year was a turning point for his recruitment journey, and his hard work really started to pay off. 

“Off season, I would lift every day to think about the future and be ready for what I had coming up. Especially this year, I pushed myself just to be ready to give everything I got for the team,” Van Camp said. “Every week was a grind, and you can’t stop working now.” 

Lacrosse Head Coach David Hone didn’t doubt Van Camp’s collegiate journey for a second. He saw Van Camp’s potential in practice unfold into a top-tier athlete.  

“Given Danny’s confidence in what he wanted in the college experience, I knew that the process would play out well for him,” Hone said. 

He also acknowledged Van Camp’s leadership qualities— both “seen and unseen.”

“Danny checks all the boxes as a stand out student athlete. He possesses unique physical attributes, like his size and quickness, and high level lacrosse intelligence. He is humble and has executed in big moments as a Varsity lacrosse Scout over the last four years,” Hone said.

His inner drive as a lacrosse player translates into his exceptional football skills, where he has served as the starting quarterback for the past two years. He might not have been named a captain for his senior year, but to his teammates, “that didn’t really matter.” 

“He was the quarterback and he made all of the decisions on offense, and a lot of people on the team looked up to him. He was a really good role model for the younger kids especially, a good person to show that hard work pays off,” senior teammate and wide receiver Charlie Markee said. “I think Danny works a lot harder than a lot of the guys that maybe have more talent.” 

Van Camp’s LFHS football career took him far, and left an impressionable mark on his high school experience. 

One of his favorite memories was beating Libertyville, a Lake Forest rival, twice his senior year— once in the regular season and again in the playoffs. Van Camp dove the ball over the goal line to secure the first-ever playoff win against Libertyville, and the team came back from a 21-point deficit. 

“Being able to put a lead on them… and scoring the touchdown myself after a 98-yard drive was really powerful. We talk all year about beating them, and it’s the week we prepare for. We got to beat them twice, so it felt like it meant so much more,” he said. 

Senior running back Marty Hippel agreed that this highlight wouldn’t have been possible without Van Camp’s leadership and determination as the quarterback. 

“He led that entire 98-yard, game winning drive and got to punch in the QB sneak at the end. That moment goes to show how fast Danny can flip a game with his athletic ability, always making big time plays,” Hippel said. 

Another memorable moment was the following game against Geneva. 

TV crews were brought out and interviews were conducted with the Scouts. Even though they lost, Van Camp remembers feeling like an important team. 

Success isn’t a coincidence; it’s the result of a hardworking team that shows up each day to uphold the Scout legacy. The Scout’s experienced a successful 2024 season, with a 7-2 record in the regular season. 

This wouldn’t have been possible without the encouragement of a strong leader like Van Camp, who continually showed up for his team week after week. 

“He’s probably the smartest kid. He’s capable athletically as much as anybody who’s around him, and his competitiveness is much higher than most people’s. When you combine those three things, it creates a confident player— and his confidence, not just in himself but in his teammates, puts him in a position that allows him to excel,” Spagnoli said.

These bonds created among teammates strengthen through shared experiences on the field. Doing your best is the name of the game, but what’s even more impressive is bringing a team together to unlock the potential of all of the players on the field. 

“The relentless hard work that Danny puts in on and off the field sets an example for all of those around him. He demands nothing but the best from his teammates and motivates them to give their maximum effort each and every day,” Hippel said. “I’ve had such a blast playing alongside Danny all these years.”

Markee describes Van Camp as a “stereotypical athlete,” because he’s all of the things you would want out of a student athlete. However, this shouldn’t be mistaken with just being an average athlete. 

“I always thought he was too hard on himself. He always wanted to be perfect. He was really frustrated with himself sometimes, but I think that’s a really good trait to have because at the end of the day, to not settle for anything but perfection is something I look up to. He was also really resilient, and he was a good momentum boost— not just in terms of his play but in terms of his attitude,” Markee said. 

That’s the thing about Van Camp: he’s more than just his stats. Teammates, coaches, classmates, or even opponents, recognize how Van Camp’s character speaks just as loud as his athletic abilities. 

“I have a lot of great memories about him, but they’re not all associated with just his play. Most of it is just the time spent with him. There’s so much about him that he’s given to our program, I can’t be more grateful,” Spagnoli said. 

As Van Camp’s high school career comes to an end, he leaves behind a standard of humility, drive, and a type of leadership that future athletes can look up to. His legacy will be remembered by future generations of Scouts. 

“Over the years, we have had so many different kids who’ve played, and if we could get what we got out of him out of every kid who’s ever performed for us, we couldn’t be more thankful as a coaching staff,” Spagnoli said. 

Looking forward to his next four years, Van Camp expresses how grateful he is for the journey that led him here. He knows that lacrosse in college will continue to make him more focused and oriented while forming a strong brotherhood with his teammates.

“In a way, it’s trying to help myself be better for the future as well as a choice of what I love to do right now,” Van Camp said. “Being a student athlete has helped me form relationships better and talk to peers and authority in a much more mannered way.”