Your First Day of Lacrosse

Lacrosse the Nations is starting up a new campaign this week. It's called "Your First Day of Lacrosse."

It's in honor of our approaching trip to Panama, and the children we will have the privilege of working with down there. This will be the FIRST time these kids will ever see the game of lacrosse. Some may absolutely hate it, some will love it. "Your First Day of Lacrosse" is a campaign that's aimed to honor the moments of discovery that await these kids. And to reconnect all of YOU - LtN's supporters, donors, and believers - to this first moment of discovery for you: the first time you experienced something that you knew you'd love for the remainder of your life.

When was the first time you ever saw a lacrosse stick?

Did you pick it up? Try and play?

Did you look on with admiration?

Did you sit there wondering what the heck those kids were using sticks to throw a ball around for?

No matter how familiar or how foreign the sport of lacrosse was to you, at one point in your life, on one day, it was something brand new and exciting - something that made you feel a certain way.

As we prepare to launch our pilot programs in Panama, I've started thinking a lot about what makes programs successful, what creates the best experience and provides the most benefit to those involved. I remembered back to when I was first introduced to the game of lacrosse, and how it made me feel to play on my very first day. It was tricky, it was cool, it was fun, and it was different. Within the first practice, I was able to pick up catching and throwing pretty easily, and I was pretty pumped as a little 5th grader showing off my skills to novice 6th and 7th graders. Lacrosse made me feel like no other sport had so far. As a young girl it gave me confidence and put a smile on my face. 

As I grew, so did my love for it - it became a way to socialize, to compete, to learn from and with others. It inevitably made me a better person, got me to an incredible college (Go 'Ders), and introduced me to people who have changed my life in every sense of the word. Lacrosse allowed me to travel to Nicaragua, where I learned more about myself in 13 months than I had thus far in my 22 years. During my time there I shared my every-day life with absolute strangers - incredible kids, families, and role models (@Normdaddy) that I would NEVER have met otherwise. I can trace so many of my attributes, so many of my favorite memories, so many of the most challenging but rewarding moments of my life back to my first day of lacrosse. 

"Your First Day of Lacrosse" is a campaign we are running over our social media from now until the end of our summer trips to Panama. We will be sharing stories of our players, staff members, volunteers, and friends on what they remember about their first day of lacrosse. We hope that you all will be able to use these stories to jog your own memory of your first days. Share these memories us. Post it and tag us, recount it with your friends, respond to this blog post, whatever you'd like! Remember your first day of lacrosse with admiration, and be sure to reflect on where you have come since that day. We will be asking our new kiddos in Panama these same questions after their first day of lacrosse, in hopes that this will be a time that they look back on one day with the same nostalgia and gratitude that we do.

Young LtN Advocates Stay Active in Sports Philanthropy

It's always inspiring to see players take initiative to support something they care about. This year, we were honored to hear that LtN advocates and Amped lacrosse players Bray, Ben, Jasper, Jack and Drew wanted to organize an event to benefit LtN's mission from their own home town.

Amped lacrosse has been an incredible supporter of and contributor to the impact LtN's programs have from dedicating their club seasons, to donating their time to volunteer at our international sites. But this year, Bray, Ben, Jasper, Jack and Drew wanted to take their role in sport philanthropy to the next level. Last month, these guys organized a youth lacrosse camp in Norfolk, VA -  not only to share their love and knowledge of the game with youth in their community, but also to benefit young players they have come to know in our Nicaraguan communities. By organizing, promoting, and coaching the camp, these players have done more than help grow the game - they have united the lacrosse communities countries apart.

Amped player, Bray, reflected on his experience the day of the camp: 

This clinic was something that I was lucky and grateful to be a part of, and it was a blast running it. The clinic benefited two things crucial to lacrosse and the lacrosse community. It helped spread the game to those who haven’t been around it and it benefited a large nonprofit organization that has a international impact on less fortunate people in the lacrosse community.

This clinic was a great learning experience for me. It helped me learn some of the great things that Lacrosse the Nations does, along with the logistics of putting together an large event. From insurance, to public relations, the clinic was a long, thought-out process that I couldn’t have put together without the help, teaching, and advising of those around me. In the end, it worked out well. We raised over $500 for Lacrosse the Nations and raised awareness for what Lacrosse the Nations does all over Hampton Roads. It was truly an honor to be able to run this clinic. 

- Bray Hollowell

Bray not only took the lead on the behind-the scenes tasks of the clinic, but he pulled together other local guys not playing for Amped yet committed to the cause of Lacrosse the Nations that want to help them with the clinic. He even recruited Amped alumni players to join in.  It's amazing how quickly the lacrosse community in Norfolk acme to together in support of the boys' efforts.  It resulted in an evening full of fun, laughter and the joining of some incredible causes.

Becoming an Ambassador for Lacrosse the Nations' Mission

Here at LtN, we live and breath by our supporters. The passion behind the work we do is amplified by those who believe in our mission. We've witnessed the power you all have to make a change in others' lives through your belief in sport as a vehicle to do good. As witnesses to this power, we created Team LtN - a community made up of people across the country; not connected by lacrosse, but by the feeling they get when they see a kid discover their favorite sport for the first time, by their excitement in building meaningful relationships, by their understanding that there is more out there to give then to get. 

Team LtN members are ambassadors for our cause, raising awareness and funds for Lacrosse the Nations' programs. Often, raising funds for a cause can seem daunting or a chore-like. At Lacrosse the Nations, we equip our ambassadors to fundraise with activities they know and love. Check out these ideas below and see how fun it can be to spread LtN's mission as a part of Team LtN:

1. Youth Lacrosse Camp
If your team is in high school or college, put your skills to use and coordinate a youth lacrosse camp! Local elementary or middle school children often look up to older athletes and would be thrilled to spend the day learning new tricks. Hosting a youth camp can both raise money and educate children about sports, exercise, and healthy expression.

2. Food Truck Festival
We’re sure many of your team’s supporters show up to your games hungry. Is there a big tournament coming up? Reach out to food trucks in your area to attend. You can charge entrance into the festival, and the trucks can still charge their normal prices inside. Pro tip: find food trucks of all cuisines so everyone can find something to snack on!

3. Shoot-a-thon
For this fundraiser, you’ll need to rent a radar gun (or ask someone to donate one for the day). Measure how fast each of your participants can throw a lacrosse ball, and give a prize to the winner! You can charge a small fee per attempt (try $5). You’ll be amazed at how competitive participants will get!

4. Parents vs. Kids Match
Set up a night where your team’s parents play against your team. A bit of family friendly competition is totally fine when it’s for a great cause! Charge for entry to the game as well as snacks throughout the game. Provide a trophy for the winning team and host the event annually. You’ll easily get some lax dads willing to compete against their kids!

Ready to host your own fundraiser? Lacrosse the Nations uses an online platform that allows you to sell tickets while managing and tracking donations. You can simply shoot us an email, and we will help you set everything up! However, if you're a do-it-yourselfer, you could use a number of nonprofit registration platforms.

Spread the Word: As an advocate for our mission, use your power to tell others about Lacrosse the Nations. Make sure to be following our social media platforms (@laxthenations) and use the hashtag #TeamLtN!

To go the extra mile, garner support for Lacrosse the Nations through a one-to-one text messaging tool! Texting your supporters is a great way to build awareness, get feedback, and notify others about your upcoming events. Direct and genuine communication is the best way to create impact for LtN.

No matter what you do as a member of Team LtN, you are spreading the power of sport in ways we never could without you. When you are passionate about a mission, as we are with ours, that passion permeates in incredible ways.