Nineteen Ways to Unleash Your Power for Lacrosse in 2019

Invite local rec team players to be ball boys/girls at your game, play catch on the field with the players after the game, be honorary players for the day and march out on the field with them.

Whether you’re a parent, player, coach, alum or fan, you have the power to enrich the lives of others through lacrosse. Here’s how you can make a difference.

1. Bring the fun! Host a team dinner; get social with post-game tailgates for players and families; plan off-the-field activities; encourage pickup games of touch football, basketball or court soccer.

2. Show your pride, win or lose, by praising effort over outcome.

3. Have a game of catch with your child. Your child will appreciate the attention and you’ll see how hard it is to master lacrosse skills.

4. Cheer on your local high school and college teams. They would love the support and there’s a lot to learn by watching the next level. At the highest level, support Team USA players who mostly train on their own on the road to gold.

5. Share the Native American history of the game. It’s so much more than a game with origins as a medicine game used to heal and lift the spirits of the members of the community.

6. Overtly display team spirit with signs, banners, ribbons, flags, buttons, etc.

7. Pass the game on by sharing your lacrosse sticks with a young neighbor or child of a family friend.

8. Take a trip to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum and uncover lacrosse’s rich history, explore its evolution, honor the achievements of those who came before you, and deepen your connection to the game.

9. Host a free lacrosse clinic to connect high school and college players with youth in the community.

10. Volunteer to coach or become an official. US Lacrosse has training for both.

11. Invite the local rec team to be ball boys/girls at your game, play catch on the field with the players after the game, be honorary players for the day and march out on the field with them.

12. High five or shake hands with coaches, players and officials and thank them for being part of the team.

13. Focus on skill mastery, not winning.

14. Ask the coaches how you can help. Share your talents with the local teams: photography, graphic design, cooking, organizing socials, fundraising, training, social media, etc.

15. Learn the rules.

16. Put down good roots in your community by volunteering to serve a need – clean up parks and streams, feed the homeless, visit retirement communities, lay wreaths, clothing or food drives, etc.

17. Invite alumni to be a part of your program – honor them at games, give them a platform to talk about lacrosse from “back in the day”, make them honorary team captain for a game, host an alumni game.

18. Be a good sport!

19. Donate to US Lacrosse to:

• Power up teams with their first sticks

• Source coaches with tools for a better lacrosse experience

• Empower officials to keep players safe

• Energize Team USA to be a powerhouse of inspiration

• Ignite a love of lacrosse in a new generation

US Lacrosse Foundation is the fundraising arm of US Lacrosse. One-hundred percent of your donation supports enriching lives through access, development and excellence.