Harlem Lacrosse: Always Aim High
We’re excited to work with a very influential lacrosse visionary — Harlem Lacrosse. Spanning five cities across the United States, Harlem Lacrosse empowers children who are most at risk for academic decline and dropout to rise above their challenges and reach their full potential. Harlem Lacrosse inspires children to dream about tomorrow while working hard on the field and in the classroom today.
The impact of Harlem Lacrosse goes well beyond the lacrosse field. Students of the Harlem Lacrosse program show higher regular attendance than their in-school peers, have higher passing rates, have lower college dropout rates than their peers, and earn more academic scholarships.
Coach’s Perspective
One Harlem Lacrosse coach said, “At Harlem Lacrosse, the majority of our practices are either on a blacktop, in a gym, or sometimes even in a classroom! Swax Lax balls make it easy to get in those extra reps in any space possible. We love that the balls do not bounce or roll far. This makes drills so much easier because a ground ball isn't racing away on the slick surface, and if a catch is missed, it drops to the ground without bouncing away. We have tried no-bounce balls before, but they hurt if you get hit by a ball. Swax Lax balls are ideal because they have all the perks of a no-bounce ball without risking being hurt if you get hit.
I personally love to use the balls during shooting drills because the balls all stay inside the net instead of rolling into the area where our players are running and shooting. We can rep an entire ball bag of Swax Lax balls without ever having to clear the shooting area. Because Swax Lax balls don't roll or bounce away, that means more time at practice spent on practice!”
Players’ Perspective
Harlem Lacrosse players say they like the balls because they make catching less frustrating. If they miss a ball, it is right there to pick back up. Another player shared that he likes doing ground ball drills with Swax Lax balls because they don’t roll all over the place. The players also shared that they love the fun colors!
Looking To the Future
Harlem Lacrosse sees lacrosse as a tool to impact their students' academic and social success because lacrosse has a college-going culture. The end goal isn't to be a professional lacrosse player. Instead, they believe the end goal is to be a college student-athlete. That is a powerful place to start. Their students' role models are players from Hopkins, UVA, Princeton, and more. These role models teach their students the value of education and how lacrosse can open the doors of opportunity. When the heart of conversations about lacrosse are formed around education, it is transformative for their student-athletes.
