You only get one chance to make a first impression. USA Lacrosse is doing its best to make sure that impression is a lasting and positive one for new players all over the country.
A recent Try Lax: Sankofa Series clinic with the Harlem Jets is a prime example of that work. It’s a perfect marriage of two USA Lacrosse initiatives coming together to drive the growth of the game. See the video clip below or visit our YouTube page for the full video.
Our TryLax: Sankofa Series clinics aim to bring lacrosse to underrepresented communities across the country.
This fall, we witnessed the power of this sport in the Big Apple in partnership with @MaverikLacrosse
First Impressions from @HarlemJetsLax. 👇— USA Lacrosse (@USA_Lacrosse) December 14, 2022
The Harlem Jets are part of the Urban Lacrosse Alliance, a group of independent lacrosse organizations from urban lacrosse areas that USA Lacrosse supports through financial and programmatic resources.
Founded in 2005, the Harlem Jets has evolved into a multi-sport organization that uses academic enrichment programs and sports as a way to keep youth, ages 5-18, academically motivated and physically fit. Originally started as a football organization, the Jets have expanded into other sports, including lacrosse in 2021.
“We try to expose all of our kids to every sport and understand beyond just the character building there are some academic opportunities that come with natural gifts,” said Alex Coombs, president of the Harlem Jets. “Lacrosse is one of those sports that presents a ton of opportunities, but the reality is that we don’t have a ton of exposure.”
USA Lacrosse is working to help change that, beginning with support for the Jets for a Juneteenth event in 2021 that attracted 200 young boys’ and girls’ players. Since then, USA Lacrosse has also provided support for the Harlem Jets with a Pick Up & Play clinic held in conjunction with National Celebrate Lacrosse Week and two additional Sankofa clinics, the most recent which was held in October and sponsored by Maverik Lacrosse.
“A lot of communities that don’t have lacrosse also don’t have adults that have played lacrosse,” said Tim Heckman, co-director of the Harlem Jets. “So, what we need to do and what this partnership has been able to help us to do is pull in all of our coaches and pull in all of the national clinicians … and use all of our expertise, all of our wisdom and all of our passion for the sport and empower the youth and have the families enjoy it as well.”
The Try Lax: Sankofa Series is aimed at providing players from underrepresented communities free lacrosse opportunities with clinicians that come from diverse backgrounds. USA Lacrosse has funded the Try Lax: Sankofa Series for the last several years. What’s happening in Harlem is exactly what Sankofa clinicians are aiming to accomplish around the country.
“We want to see representation at higher levels all across the board,” said Omar Dupree, a Sankofa clinician. “This is really important, what we do, for the kids to see ‘I can play this game. I can be successful.’”
“To see all these kids out here, being able to see coaches that look like them, that have similar experiences so that they can know that lacrosse is for them and should be for them,” said Sophia Lugo, a Sankofa clinician. We want to give these kids a positive example so that we can build it for the next generation of the sport.”
Creating Opportunities
The USA Lacrosse Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves as the philanthropic arm of USA Lacrosse. The Foundation helps drive the three main pillars of the USA Lacrosse mission: 1) Fuel the growth; 2) Enrich the experience; 3) Field the best national teams. Supporting the foundation provides thousands of children across the country the opportunity to experience the gift of lacrosse. To learn more about the USA Lacrosse Foundation, please visit www.usalacrosse.com/foundation.
