4.
PRESERVING THE HISTORY, CULTURE AND INTEGRITY
As part of its Grand Opening
weekend, US Lacrosse on Sept. 10 will induct the 60th class into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Now they will have a home befi tting of such magnitude, the new state-of-the-art US Lacrosse Museum. US Lacrosse’s Keeper of Lacrosse Project is another movement to preserve the sport’s culture and promote its values, while US Lacrosse also strives to create safe and consistent lacrosse experiences nationwide through programs like New Start and Gold Stick.
movement to preserve the sport’s culture and
6. ACTING LOCALLY
A key component of US Lacrosse’s ability to infl uence the sport is a regional network of 68 chapters across the country. The volunteers that run the local chapters are dedicated to nurturing the sport in their respective areas. Each chapter is unique and focuses on the need most critical in their region. US Lacrosse chapters deliver coaching and offi cials education, collaborate with local leagues, help offset participation costs for players, introduce new people to the sport and honor their community leaders through chapter halls of fame. In 2015 alone, US Lacrosse delivered $620,000 of fi nancial support through chapters to fund grassroots initiatives.
8. PUTTING STICKS IN HANDS
Two of US Lacrosse’s most successful grassroots initiatives are the Soft Stick and First Stick programs, designed to assist new youth and high school programs overcome barriers to participation. Soft Stick introduces new participants to the game by utilizing gender-neutral plastic lacrosse sticks and soft balls to teach the sport. First Stick provides more comprehensive resources, including equipment and coaches’ education, to support start-up efforts. Last year, US Lacrosse provided 265 Soft Stick grants and 110 First Stick grants, with a retail value for equipment totaling more than $900,000. “We used the First Stick grant to start a U13 boys’ team of 21 players,” said John Keitz, coach of the Oasis Academy in Fallon, Nev. “The next year we added a U15 team and grew to 40 players. We then added U15 and U13 girls and grew to 70 players. Now we have a high school boys’ team, a U11 boys’ team, and a U11 girls’ team and over 140 players. Lacrosse has taken off in Fallon due to the First Stick Program.”
9. PRIORITIZING SAFETY
No priority is more important for US Lacrosse than striving to create the safest possible playing experience for all participants. This core commitment — shaped by playing rules, standardized coaching, certifi ed game offi cials and proper equipment — has been central to the organization’s mission since its inception in 1998.
7. IMPROVING ACCESS 5. THINKING GLOBALLY
US Lacrosse is the biggest funder of international lacrosse development efforts that have led to signifi cant milestones in the Olympic vision. Another hurdle could fall shortly. The FIL will apply for provisional recognition to the International Olympic Committee. While it doesn’t mean inclusion in the Olympics, it would allow member nations to receive recognition and fi nancial support from sports ministries like the USOC. “It would be game-changing for our sport,” said Stenersen, also the FIL’s vice president. “Because once associated with the fi ve rings, really that’s the legitimacy the sport needs.”
Regarded historically as a sport played only by those from certain geographic and socioeconomic backgrounds, US Lacrosse’s commitment to inclusiveness not only brings renewed energy and vitality to the sport, but also exposes it to new communities. Last year, US Lacrosse provided 29 grants totaling $78,000 to encourage and empower lacrosse participation in underrepresented communities. These awards are being utilized by local organizations for programming that promotes lacrosse diversity. US Lacrosse’s Urban Lacrosse Alliance and Adaptive Lacrosse Guidelines are also designed to expand the sport’s footprint beyond its traditional boundaries. US Lacrosse’s upcoming Adaptive Lacrosse Seminar, in October, aims to help coaches and administrators in expanding lacrosse opportunities for athletes with disabilities.
“Diversity is all-encompassing,” said Eboni Preston-Laurent, senior manager of diversity and inclusion at US Lacrosse.
US Lacrosse has invested approximately $1 million in health- related research projects, studying everything from head injuries to hydration. These sport-specifi c research efforts have yielded greater understanding about the mechanisms and frequencies of injury in both boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, and helped to shape important decisions that balance player safety and game integrity. Two recent safety initiatives include the LaxPrep Program to assist athletes in the prevention of ACL injuries, and the creation of the Center for Sport Science to serve as a national hub for the study and improvement of health in lacrosse.
10. ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE
When the sport needs leadership and representation, people look to US Lacrosse. During one four-day stretch in May, for example, Stenersen appeared before a congressional panel on concussions in youth sports and Erin Smith, managing director of education, espoused to a group of sports industry leaders the values of small-sided lacrosse and the LADM at the Project Play Summit in Washington, D.C.
US Lacrosse also has intervened frequently in the rush by state high school associations and politicians to slap helmets on women’s lacrosse players, while introducing a sport-specifi c headgear standard that mitigates stick-to-head contact. Although the Florida High School Athletic Association mandated headgear starting in 2015, national and local US Lacrosse leaders lobbied successfully in getting the FHSAA to adopt the new standard while also requiring that all offi cials be US Lacrosse-certifi ed.
laxmagazine.com
September/october 2016 » LACROSSE MAGAZINE
41
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68