Build a Program You Can Be Proud Of — Bridge Lacrosse

At Swax Lax, it’s our mission to make the sport of lacrosse accessible to all new players. To show our thanks for non-profit organizations who support our mission, we’ve donated Swax Lax soft lacrosse training balls to give new players in underserved communities the chance to feel successful and grow to love the sport. We want new players to learn lacrosse with a ball that creates less fear [if hit], less bounce [less chasing, more practicing], but is the same weight and size as a regulation ball.

This November, to show our appreciation, we’re highlighting some of these organizations. First up, David Higbee, Executive Director at Bridge Lacrosse, describes their program.

There’s a great moment in lacrosse, and really all sports, when you see the light bulb click for a player. It’s a moment when the player pieces together that if I do this, then that will happen. For our student-athletes, it’s oftentimes just learning how to catch the ball properly, and sometimes it’s shooting and hitting the corner you actually meant to hit. These moments are what make any coaches’ job fulfilling — seeing the dots connect and the hard work and effort pay off. And while no student-athlete can replicate that first success every single time, it’s the beginning of a foundation for them to grow and mature. For our organization, Bridge Lacrosse, we’ve finally completed the building of a similar foundation. We are no longer just learning and experimenting, but we are maturing and refining.

Bridging Communities Through Lacrosse

Bridge Lacrosse is a sports-based youth development nonprofit serving the urban communities of North Texas since 2004. Our mission is to use the sport of lacrosse to broaden the horizons of our community’s youth. We work primarily in neighborhoods where resources and opportunities are more scarce for youth and families. And, we hope to help close the opportunity gap that exists for our youth, whether it’s education, sports, or relationships. While our focus is always on our youth and programs and building character and providing social support, we also understand that the foundation of this organization is equally important. Over the last couple years, we’ve put immense time and energy into building the culture and infrastructure of Bridge Lacrosse. From a strong and engaged Board of Directors to better and more intentional practice plans, we wanted to ensure that the same foundation we emphasize with our youth, applies to us, too. And, we are incredibly proud to have a foundation that we can now build greater things upon.

We’ve always known that lacrosse was merely the tool for us, and over the last several years we’ve been able to expand on the opportunities that lacrosse can and has provided our youth. From college campus visits to relationships with new communities across the country, we are beginning to see the amazing impact and long-term positive effects that our programming has had on youth. From our recently established foundation, we hope to continue to expand on educational opportunities, travel opportunities and individual social and emotional development for all of our youth and high school student-athletes. Like the first time you catch a pass in lacrosse, we know that we’re not going to be 100% moving on, but we know what we’re doing, how to get better and we’ve taken a huge first step to more.

Story and photos shared by David Higbee, Executive Director of Bridge Lacrosse. 

#bridgefamily