Natnael Menbere is proof that you don’t have to fit a certain mold to play lacrosse. All you need is opportunity.

Born in Ethiopia, Menbere immigrated to the United States at age five and discovered the unfamiliar sport of lacrosse while in the third grade.

“At first, I thought it was cricket, and I didn’t want to play,” Menbere said. “But once I understood the game, I fell in love with it.”

Now a sophomore at Seattle Preparatory, Menbere has emerged as one of the best high school players in the Pacific Northwest.

In many ways, AJ Rover is a typical nine-year-old. He likes riding his bike, hanging out with friends, and watching MythBusters or Wipeout on TV.

He has also been playing lacrosse for four years and competes as a member of Peachtree City Lacrosse in Georgia.

“I love being part of a team and making friends,” said AJ, who rotates between attack and midfield. “We have fun.”

AJ’s love for the game motivated him to do something unique for a kid his age – make a contribution to the USA Lacrosse Foundation in each of the past two years.

Last year, the Oakland Lacrosse Club and the Oakland Unified School District announced a bold plan to bring varsity girls’ lacrosse programs to all eight high schools in the district. The recently completed 2022 season included programs at four of the schools and plans are in the works to have the remaining four schools on board by 2024.

A sizeable grant from USA Lacrosse is helping to supplement strong fundraising efforts by the Oakland Lacrosse Club to make this vision a reality.

Gorgeous views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline greeted attendees to the Mandarin Oriental hotel in New York City for the inaugural USA Lacrosse Legacy Gala on June 9. It set an appropriate stage for a memorable night that raised over $625,000 to help fuel USA Lacrosse initiatives.

The lacrosse community has a long history of paying it forward and it is in that spirit the USA Lacrosse Foundation Legacy Gala has been created. The Legacy Gala will be held June 9, 2022 at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City to celebrate and elevate the impact players, coaches, fans and investors have in shaping the future of the sport while generating important revenue to support key initiatives to fuel the sport’s growth.

The U.S. women’s team tryouts were highlighted by a one-hour livestream on Thursday night that served as critical fundraising effort for the national team program. A $50,000 matching gift from a USA Lacrosse Foundation board member was met and foundation board members combined to donate an additional $200,000 to support the program.