USA Lacrosse has launched a new platform called National Celebrate Lacrosse Week focused on new player growth. Here’s how it benefits you.

What if all the leaders in lacrosse — including community/town programs, club operators, schools, equipment manufacturers, pro leagues, colleges, USA Lacrosse and the U.S. national teams —  focused their collective efforts on a moment in time each year to celebrate the sport?

What if we all committed to introducing and sharing this great game with new players during that celebration?

This moment is not limited to one entity. Instead, we all work in concert to give kids the chance to pick up a stick and play — for free. The momentum and scale created from a collective action would create unprecedented awareness and opportunity for lacrosse.

USA Lacrosse launched National Celebrate Lacrosse Week last year during the second week of November. It’s a week-long opportunity to host free Pick Up & Play clinics throughout the U.S. We tested the concept with 40 sites hosting 2,000 kids. The response was fantastic and the support from volunteers, sponsors and partnering lacrosse programs made it a reality.

This year, we are taking another step forward, hosting 70 clinics across 31 states Nov. 5-13.

And we are just getting started. With your help, we have high aspirations to continue scaling this platform. Exponential growth for lacrosse will come from focus, investment, some risk, a little luck and working together. Rising tides do raise all boats.

Here are five reasons why National Celebrate Lacrosse Week is going to be impactful, important and something you will want to be part of.

1. A week-long celebration focusing on new player acquisition gives every lacrosse stakeholder a single, impactful call to action.

2. It is an opportunity we all share. Everyone benefits from lacrosse player growth.

3. The Pick Up & Play clinics are free, providing players and parents a risk-free, cost-effective way to experience the game

4. For everyone that says, “I want to give back,” this is how you can do it.

5. Pick up & Play clinics along with future youth festivals and jamborees will elevate awareness of the game and your local lacrosse program.

2022 PICK UP & PLAY CLINICS

Join us for the second-annual National Celebrate Lacrosse Week, featuring free Pick Up & Play clinics at nearly 70 sites nationwide Nov. 5-13, 2022. National Celebrate Lacrosse Week is sponsored by Cradlebaby.

MID-ATLANTIC

Nov. 5: Fairfax Police Club, Fairfax, Va.
Nov. 5: USA Lacrosse HQ, Sparks, Md.
Nov. 8: Coastal Crush Lacrosse Club, Virginia Beach, Va.
Nov. 8: Chesapeake Chapter USA Lacrosse, Capitol Heights, Md.
Nov. 13: Western Maryland Chapter USA Lacrosse, Hagerstown, Md.
Nov. 13: Pittsburgh 79ers Lacrosse, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Nov. 13: SoCo Colts Lax, Lorton, Va.

MIDWEST

Nov. 5: Pulaski Lacrosse, Pulaski, Wisc.
Nov. 5: New Concord Lacrosse Club, New Concord, Ohio
Nov. 8: Franklin Lacrosse Club, Oak Creek, Wisc.
Nov. 10: Wayzata Lacrosse Assocation, Plymouth, Minn.
Nov. 12: Mudsock Girls Lacrosse, Noblesville, Ind.
Nov. 13: South Bend Bears Lacrosse Club, South Bend, Ind.

MOUNTAIN

Nov. 5: Maple Mountain Youth Lacrosse, Spanish Fork, Utah
Nov. 5: Duchesne Academy, Omaha, Neb.
Nov. 6: Rangeview Boys Lacrosse, Aurora, Colo.
Nov. 12: STG Lacrosse, Saint George, Utah
Nov. 12: Southern Colorado Lacrossse, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Nov. 12: Intermountain Lacrosse Utah, Park City, Utah
Nov. 12: Pueblo Heroes Lacrosse Club, Pueblo, Colo.

NEW ENGLAND

Nov. 5: Exeter Youth Lacrosse Assocation, Epping, N.H.
Nov. 5: Back Bay Lacrosse, Portland, Maine
Nov. 6: Bristol Youth Sports, Bristol, Vt.
Nov. 12: Hull Youth Lacrosse, Hull, Mass.
Nov. 12: Rhode Island Youth Lacrosse League, Warwick, R.I.
Nov. 13: Barre Youth Lacrosse, Northfield, Vt.
Nov. 13: Newington Youth Lacrosse, Newington, Conn.

NORTH ATLANTIC

Nov. 5: Lawrence Lacrosse Club, Lawrenceville, N.J.
Nov. 9: Ultimate Lax, Greenville, Pa.
Nov. 13: Urban Exposure & Essex County Parks League, Newark, N.J.
Nov. 13: Robbinsville Lacrosse Association, Robbinsville, N.J.
Nov. 13: Brick Youth Lacrosse Club, Brick, N.J.
Nov. 26: Floral Park Youth Lacrosse, Bellerose Village, N.Y.

NORTHEAST

Nov. 5: Greater Buffalo Adaptive Sports, Williamsville, N.Y.
Nov. 5: North Salem Youth Lacrosse Club, North Salem, N.Y.
Nov. 6: Central Susquehanna Lacrosse Club, Milton, Pa.
Nov. 11: Suffern Youth Lacrosse, Suffern, N.Y.
Nov. 12: Onondaga Valley Lacrosse Assocation, Syracuse, N.Y.
Nov. 13: Highland Girls Lacrosse, Highland, N.Y.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Nov. 5: Walla Walla Youth Lacrosse, Walla Walla, Wash.
Nov. 5: Pleasant Grove Lacrosse Club, Elk Grove, Calif.
Nov. 6: WA Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association, Seattle, Wash.
Nov. 12: Valley Lacrosse Alliance, Puyallup, Wash.
Nov. 12: Oregon Girls Lacrosse Association, Forest Grove, Ore.
Nov. 12: Oakland Lacrosse Club, Oakland, Calif.
Nov. 13: Sacramento Lacrosse Association, Sacramento, Calif.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST

Nov. 5: Oro Valley Lacrosse Club, Oro Valley, Ariz.
Nov. 5: One Team Lacrosse, Chandler, Ariz.
Nov. 5: OneHill Lacrosse Association, Henderson, Nev.
Nov. 5: Orange County Lacrosse Association, Irvine, Calif.
Nov. 8: Vortex Elite Lacrosse, Mesa, Ariz.
Nov. 11: NOC Lacrosse, Irvine, Calif.
Nov. 12: ABQ Youth Lacrosse, Albuquerque, New Mexico

SOUTHEAST

Nov. 5: The Lax Box, Jacksonville, Fla.
Nov. 6: The Faceoff Club of Naples, Naples, Fla.
Nov. 12: Friends of Brevard Lacrosse, Merritt Island, Fla.
Nov. 13: Greeneville Lacrosse Club, Greeneville, Tenn.
Nov. 13: Piedmont Community Lacrosse Association, Greensboro, N.C.

SOUTHWEST

Nov. 5: Lake Travis Lacrosse, Spicewood, Texas
Nov. 5: Round Rock Rattlers Youth Lacrosse, Round Rock, Texas
Nov. 6: New Braunfels Youth Lacrosse, New Braunfels, Texas
Nov. 10: Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma & Durant Lacrosse Association, Durant, Okla.
Nov. 10: 5th & Shady Lacrosse, Mansfield, Texas
Nov. 12: Forged Lacrosse, Bulverde, Texas
Nov. 13: MadLax, Madison, Miss.