There’s no question lacrosse has experienced meteoric growth throughout Wisconsin. The participation numbers on the boys’ and girls’ sides of the sport grow exponentially season to season, and new programs sprout every year at every age level. Geographically, lacrosse’s allure has touched just about every part of the Dairy State.
However, as prominent as the sport has become, lacrosse has yet to truly take hold in within Milwaukee’s borders.
On Sunday, the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation (WLF) led the charge to rectify that situation by hosting the Sankofa Clinic, a diversity and inclusion initiative backed by U.S. Lacrosse aimed at exposing lacrosse to underpriviledged and economically challenged communities.
Created in 2013, the Sankofa Lacrosse Alliance (SLA) focuses on supporting efforts to expand the reach of the sport. The SLF draws from its network of players and coaches, including many of the nation’s top current and former African-American players.
Spearheaded by Randy Kohn, a past president of WLF, the clinic was an overwhelming success. A picture-perfect day, weather-wise, saw over 60 athletes interacting with over 50 volunteers at Journey House Packers Field in Mitchell Park on Milwaukee south side.
“To start here and see the number of kids here is kind of overwhelming,” said Erin Ennis, president of the WLF. “The event itself, I think, is fantastic to increase the participation rate down here. The volunteers that have come down from the universities and the various high schools shows the outreach and the willingness to give back to the game and give back to the community that we have here in southeast Wisconsin.”
WLF may be the governing body of lacrosse in Wisconsin, but many organizations came together to make the Sankofa Clinic a reality. Journey House – a not-for-profit focused on empowering families on Milwaukee’s near southside neighborhoods – provided Packers Field for the occasion and had roughly 20 athletes participate in the clinic. PeppNation – another nonprofit that offers after-school programs, summer camps and other events throughout southeastern Wisconsin – also brought the event to the attention of its athletes while donating t-shirts for the occasion.
A handful of Marquette University men’s and women’s lacrosse players dedicated their Sunday morning to the cause, as well.
Marquette University High School boys coach Rich Pruszynski brought a handful of coaches and players to help run the clinic for the boys’ side. University School of Milwaukee girls coach Sam Adey brought coaches and athletes to volunteer, as well.
As the nationwide governing body, US Lacrosse works with the local organizations to plan and implement thee clinics. Sankofa-affiliated players serve as the instructors.
Bryce Woodson, Midwest regional manager for US Lacrosse, was one of a handful of former players leading drills for the athletes at Packers Field. He said he has run Sankofa Clinics and similar events throughout the region, but seeing so many people from different parts of the Wisconsin lacrosse community join forces for this initiative is what stood out Sunday morning.
“I think the fact there’s multiple organizations coming together is incredible,” said Woodson, who played collegiate lax at Ohio State. “Having all this collaboration and group effort for one goal is amazing.”
Spreading the Word
Exposing athletes to the sport is just one of the many barriers to entry underprivileged communities encounter with lacrosse. Once the excitement is in place, a myriad of costs – registration fees, equipment, uniforms, etc. – often stand in the way, as well.
Pruszynski believes once kids are ready to join an organized team in Milwaukee city proper, there is plenty of money to be found to make sure the infrastructure is in place to give them a place to play lacrosse.
“The big key here is, we have to eliminate the barrier to entry, which is money,” said Pruszynski, who also is a senior manager for the Positive Coaching Alliance. “We can continue to get the word out to kids here today to make sure we capture that excitement from today. Once we get these kids saying ‘yes’ to lacrosse, we can continue to work with US Lacrosse and write some more grant requests for more equipment and opportunities.
“If we can get over that hurdle by US Lacrosse assisting with donations, then we’ll be fine,” Pruszynski adds.
Starting from Scratch
Charles Brown knows a thing or two about launching athletic programs. As deputy director of Journey House, he plays a major role in the organization’s youth athletics programs, which include baseball, football and basketball. He knows what it takes to build the infrastructure of a youth sports program.
He also knows what it’s like to get in on a new sport at the ground level. Brown’s love of lacrosse started in the 1970s when his high school in Baltimore launched a program. He played in the first two seasons of a new program his junior and senior years.
He brought his passion for the sport with him to Milwaukee, and ever since joining Journey House 15 years ago, he has wanted to bring lacrosse to his athletes.
Brown knows it will take a lot of work to launch a new program, but it starts with exposing more kids in Milwaukee to the excitement of lacrosse. On Sunday, about 20 of his 100 football players attended the clinic.
“But you got to start it if you’re going to expose them to it, and the clinic provides that,” Brown said. “We’re going to get a program, we’ll have a team, and more kids will see
Catching Lax Fever
The excitement was palpable throughout the morning as kids learned the very basics of the sport from Sankofa’s instructors, elite players themselves. Athletes were taught how to cradle the ball in the nets of their sticks, how to fire a shot at the goal with force and accuracy, and how to position their entire body to ensure they catch the ball in the air.
Most of all, they learned that a sport they hadn’t given a second thought before participating in the Sankofa Clinic was more fun than they could have imagined. Take it from Roseana Mendez, an 11-year-old pioneer in her own right who tried lacrosse for the first time Sunday morning. She already plays football and baseball on all-boys teams, often as the only girl on the squad.
“I really didn’t know anything [about lacrosse] other than from movies and shows that I’ve seen,” Mendez said after the clinic. “Then I came here and started understanding the sport. It’s an interesting sport, it’s new to me, and I would like to try it.”
