Bringing lacrosse to the South Bronx was always going to be about more than teaching a kid to cradle and shoot.

But no one could have seen what running an upstart lacrosse program in the South Bronx would look like during a pandemic.

While COVID-19 has forced many in the lacrosse world to wonder where their next game will be played, many families in the Bronx Lacrosse program wonder where their next meal will come from.

Dan Leventhal, the former Tufts player who founded Bronx Lacrosse in 2017, found this out when he sent a survey home to families at the start of the crisis. At first, the plan was only to keep players active and out of trouble. They were going to be home more, and they needed structure. They scheduled virtual team-building exercises. Coaches checked in every day to make sure the players and their families were adjusting. They set up a tutoring and mentoring program. Lacrosse lessons were given through Instagram. 

“A lot of the kids have not been outside in close to a month,” Leventhal said. “They haven’t left their apartment. Some are going stir crazy. Some are starting to feel the stress on their parents.”

The Bronx has a lot of people living in a tight space. Testing for the virus was slow to come around. It soon became the epicenter of the outbreak in New York City. As the virus spread and social restrictions grew, many lost their jobs, and Bronx Lacrosse realized the families needed more than an athletic distraction for their kids. Food insecurity, they found out, was a major issue.

“It’s bad enough with the illness,” Leaventhal said. “We could argue whether the economic impact has been worse on these families. A lot of people were struggling before. It’s pretty scary not knowing where your next meal is coming from.”

Before Bronx Lacrosse came around, there were few options for kids who didn’t want to play basketball. They could hang out inside or hang out on the street. If Bronx Lacrosse wasn’t around, there would be fewer options for obtaining food, too. There are food pantries, but the organization wanted families to have choices and give their kids healthy food they can be proud of.

“We knew Bronx Lacrosse had to step up to help our families out, especially to obtain essential items like groceries and hygiene products,” Leaventhal said.

They raised $50,000, $10,000 of which was donated to the Women’s Housing Economic Development Corporation’s Feed Our Family campaign. The rest went to $100 gift cards to a local supermarket that Bronx Lacrosse is distributing to families every two weeks. This wasn’t something they budgeted for. The money has all been raised over the last few weeks. 

“We want to give our families the dignity they chose and have some sort of selection with what they’re putting on the table,” Leventhal said. 

In all, 500 people will benefit from the gift cards. It’s tough to feed a family of five on $50 a week, and Leventhal hopes more money can be raised soon.

Bronx Lacrosse left a space blank on the survey for families to describe other issues they face. They learned that access to the internet and devices presented a major problem. A mother of one player told Bronx Lacrosse that she has four kids and one little laptop for all of them to share. The kids stay up until 3 a.m. in order to get schoolwork done because they’re taking turns. 

Playing lacrosse isn’t easy in the South Bronx right now. Nothing is easy in the South Bronx right now. But Bronx Lacrosse isn’t going anywhere.

“It’s tough enough to keep a kid engaged when you’re in person,” Leventhal said. “We’re just trying to do our part to support the community. This wasn’t something anybody planned.”