This article appears in the December edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine. Join our momentum.
“How is it? Are you drinking from the firehose?”
That’s the question I’ve been asked a lot in my first 100 days as president and CEO of USA Lacrosse. “The job is great. No major surprises, and ‘no’ on the firehose,” I’ve replied. “I have a lot of questions and listening to do, but I’ve got this.”
It’s not overconfidence. It’s optimism.
I’m from Canandaigua, a small town in the Finger Lakes region of western New York. I played lacrosse in high school and at Hofstra University, a Division I school on Long Island. I’ve worked in college sports, the NFL, global sports marketing, venture capital, startups, law, technology and esports. All that has prepared me for this.
In these first 100 days, I’ve met lacrosse legends. From my humbling breakfast with Oren Lyons, faith keeper of the Turtle Clan and member of the Onondaga Nation Council of Chiefs, to numerous encounters with college coaches, Hall of Famers, private lacrosse club operators and community program leaders providing opportunities at the grassroots level, the experience has been awesome!
With that said, I’ve also fielded a lot of questions that started with, “What are you going to do about…” with some customized version of a problem ending the sentence.
Lacrosse has its challenges. To be blunt, I’m completely undeterred by them. I’m optimistic because I see far more opportunity, far more progress and success than challenges. I’ve seen and heard stories of how the Upstate Lacrosse Association in Central New York has kept its summer recreation programs running strong for 27 years, how coaches will drive four hours in Utah to attend a USA Lacrosse Coach Development Program clinic and how hundreds of kids in underserved communities have been introduced to the game through USA Lacrosse’s Sankofa Clinic Series.
Yes, challenges do exist. Show me a sport that doesn’t have challenges and I’ll show you fiction. I’ve worked in sport across the world, and I’ve learned one simple truth: We are far more alike than we are different. That was reinforced during my first 100 days at USA Lacrosse and continues to fuel my optimism and excitement for the coming days, months and years.
Great things lie ahead for USA Lacrosse and the people we serve. Stay tuned as we continue to innovate, fuel the growth, enrich the experience and field the best national teams in the world!
— Marc Riccio, President and CEO
@MarcRiccio21