Black lacrosse player. Black Lacrosse Alliance: Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in Lacrosse

What is the mission of the Black Lacrosse Alliance. How does the organization aim to make lacrosse more inclusive. What are the key pillars of the Black Lacrosse Alliance’s approach. Who are the founding members of the Black Lacrosse Alliance.

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The Black Lacrosse Alliance: Championing Diversity in Professional Lacrosse

The Black Lacrosse Alliance (BLA) emerged in the summer of 2020, responding to the nationwide civil rights movement across the United States. As a collective of minority professional lacrosse players, the BLA recognizes its crucial role in shaping a more inclusive future for the sport. Working in partnership with Players Coalition, the BLA operates as a tax-exempt affiliate of PC Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization.

The Alliance’s primary mission is to propel lacrosse culture forward, fostering inclusivity and inspiring a more diverse generation of players. Professional players within the BLA acknowledge their responsibility to represent both their predecessors and future players, creating a legacy of diversity and inclusion within the sport.

The Three Pillars of the Black Lacrosse Alliance’s Strategy

The BLA’s approach to transforming lacrosse is built upon three fundamental pillars:

1. Education and Culture

The BLA recognizes that the current culture in lacrosse directly impacts and reflects player demographics from youth to professional levels. By educating leaders, players, and fans, the Alliance aims to influence conversations, raise awareness, and create new opportunities for a more diverse game.

2. Grassroots Development

Equal opportunity in lacrosse is critical for the sport’s growth. The BLA acknowledges barriers in equipment access, recruiting processes, and cultural norms that can prevent young athletes from engaging with lacrosse. By addressing these challenges, the Alliance seeks to make the sport more accessible to all, regardless of background or financial status.

3. Professional Game Development

Representation at the highest level of the sport is crucial for inspiring the next generation. The BLA emphasizes the importance of professional players acting as role models and actively connecting with youth. This approach aims to provide young athletes with relatable idols, potentially influencing their engagement with lacrosse.

Initiatives and Events: The BLA’s Active Approach to Change

One of the BLA’s flagship initiatives is the Annual Boost Camp. This invite-only event was created to address the lack of support and mentorship for minority players in lacrosse. The camp provides:

Intentional guidance and mentorship
Specific skill development opportunities
Access to tools that help players reach their highest potential

Featuring top minority collegiate athletes through committed players for the upcoming year, Boost Camp offers small group intensive training. This approach continues the BLA’s 360-degree strategy towards empowerment, inclusion, and athlete development.

Founding Members: Voices of Change in Professional Lacrosse

The Black Lacrosse Alliance boasts a roster of accomplished professional players as its founding members. Each brings a unique perspective and commitment to the organization’s mission:

Isaiah Davis Allen

Allen emphasizes the importance of unity among African-American players to discuss shared experiences and address the lack of diversity in lacrosse. He sees the BLA as an organization that goes beyond discussion to actively address the sport’s demographic stagnation.

Myles Jones

Jones stresses the need for change and the importance of role models stepping up amidst ongoing challenges. He views the BLA’s work as part of a broader fight for equality and recognition.

Pat Harbeson

Harbeson hopes to inspire young black lacrosse players through on-field performance and off-field activism. He envisions a future where black professional players actively push for change while taking pride in their identity within the sport.

Dominique Alexander

Alexander sees the BLA’s united effort as a beacon for promoting true diversity and inclusion in lacrosse.

Mark McNeill

McNeill emphasizes the concept of “Each one, help one,” highlighting the opportunity for collective action to drive meaningful change in the sport.

Kyle Harrison

Harrison views his involvement with the BLA as one of the greatest honors of his career. He sees it as a duty to ensure the next generation has access to all the opportunities lacrosse can offer.

Romar Dennis

Dennis underscores the importance of unity in driving the movement forward, acknowledging the contributions of previous generations of athletes and educators in paving the way for current activism.

Jules Heningburg

Heningburg recognizes the potential impact of united efforts at the highest level of the sport on future generations of players. He views this work as a responsibility to those who sacrificed to create current opportunities.

The Impact of Representation in Professional Lacrosse

Why is representation so crucial in professional lacrosse? Representation at the highest levels of any sport can have a profound impact on youth participation and aspiration. In lacrosse, a sport traditionally associated with certain demographics, seeing diverse professional players can:

Inspire young athletes from underrepresented communities to pursue the sport
Challenge stereotypes about who can excel in lacrosse
Provide role models for aspiring players from diverse backgrounds
Encourage broader participation at grassroots levels

The Black Lacrosse Alliance’s focus on professional game development directly addresses this need for representation, potentially reshaping the future landscape of the sport.

Addressing Barriers to Entry in Lacrosse

How does the BLA plan to tackle the barriers that prevent diverse participation in lacrosse? The Alliance recognizes several key challenges:

Equipment costs: Lacrosse gear can be expensive, limiting access for many potential players
Limited exposure: In many communities, lacrosse programs are scarce or non-existent
Cultural perceptions: Stereotypes about lacrosse being a sport for certain demographics can discourage participation
Lack of diverse coaching and mentorship: Limited representation in coaching roles can impact player development and retention

To address these issues, the BLA is likely to pursue strategies such as:

Equipment donation programs or partnerships with manufacturers
Grassroots clinics and camps in underserved areas
Mentorship programs pairing professional players with youth athletes
Advocacy for increased diversity in coaching and administrative roles

By targeting these barriers, the BLA aims to create a more level playing field for all potential lacrosse players, regardless of their background.

The Role of Education in Transforming Lacrosse Culture

How can education contribute to a more inclusive lacrosse culture? The Black Lacrosse Alliance recognizes education as a key pillar in its strategy for several reasons:

Raising awareness: Education can help current players, coaches, and fans understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in the sport
Challenging biases: Educational initiatives can address unconscious biases that may exist within the lacrosse community
Promoting cultural competence: Training programs can help coaches and administrators better support diverse athletes
Highlighting diverse histories: Education can showcase the contributions of Black players and other underrepresented groups to the sport’s development

Potential educational initiatives the BLA might pursue include:

Workshops and seminars for coaches and administrators
Curriculum development for youth programs emphasizing inclusivity
Partnering with schools to introduce lacrosse in diverse communities
Creating resources highlighting the achievements of Black lacrosse players throughout history

By focusing on education, the BLA aims to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all lacrosse players, from youth leagues to the professional level.

Partnerships and Collaborations: Amplifying the BLA’s Impact

The Black Lacrosse Alliance’s partnership with Players Coalition is a key aspect of its operations. This collaboration allows the BLA to pursue overlapping humanitarian and educational social justice missions. Players Coalition, structured as both a 501(c)(3) charity and 501(c)(4) advocacy organization, works with professional athletes, coaches, and owners across leagues to improve social justice and racial equality in the United States.

This partnership potentially offers several benefits to the BLA:

Increased resources and networking opportunities
Shared expertise in advocacy and program development
Greater visibility for lacrosse-specific initiatives within broader social justice movements
Opportunities for cross-sport collaboration and learning

In addition to its partnership with Players Coalition, the BLA might consider collaborations with:

Youth lacrosse organizations to implement grassroots programs
Educational institutions to develop inclusive lacrosse curricula
Equipment manufacturers to address accessibility issues
Media outlets to increase visibility of diverse lacrosse players and stories

By leveraging these partnerships and potential collaborations, the Black Lacrosse Alliance can amplify its impact and accelerate progress towards its goals of increased diversity and inclusion in lacrosse.

Black Lacrosse Alliance

Home

Mission

MISSION

Our mission is to push the culture of lacrosse forward to become more inclusive and inspire a more diverse generation of lacrosse players. As professional players, it is our responsibility to represent the individuals who came before us and the players who will come next.

PILLARS

Pillars

Education & Culture

The culture that exists in lacrosse today directly impacts and reflects the demographics of players, from youth to the professional level. We believe that educating leaders, players, and fans within the game can impact conversation, raise awareness, and open new doors to a more diverse game.

Grassroots

The equal opportunity to play lacrosse, regardless of where you grow up, what you look like, and financial status is critical to the growth of the game. The barriers that exist in equipment, recruiting and culture are all barriers for young athletes to fall in love with lacrosse.

Professional Game Development

Representation matters for the next generation. Having professional players the youth can look up to as inspiration, and idols can be all the difference in them falling in love with lacrosse. Connecting with the youth, as well as being active as role models, is imperative to impacting a more diverse generation of lacrosse.

ABOUT US

The Black Lacrosse Alliance was formed in the summer of 2020 in response to the national movement in civil rights across the United States. As a minority group in Professional Lacrosse, the black players recognize the responsibility they have to build a better future for the sport. Today, the Black Lacrosse Alliance works directly with Players Coalition and operates as a tax-exempt affiliate of PC Charitable Foundation, a charitable 501(c)(3) organization.

About

PARTNERS

The Black Lacrosse Alliance is partnered with Players Coalition to pursue overlapping humanitarian and educational social justice missions. Players Coalition is structured as an independent 501(c)(3) (charity) and 501(c)(4) (advocacy) organization, working with professional athletes, coaches and owners across leagues to improve social justice and racial equality in our country.

Initiatives & Events

INITIATIVES & EVENTS

2ND ANNUAL BOOST CAMP

Boost Camp was created after identifying the lack of support and mentorship that currently exists for minority players. Its goal is to provide them that mentorship and intentional guidance, as well as specific skill development. In order to continue to elevate the game of lacrosse, it’s crucial that players have access to the tools that help them reach their highest potential.

Boost Camp is invite-only and will feature top minority collegiate athletes, through 2023 committed players. This will be small group intense training continuing their 360-degree approach towards empowerment, inclusion, and developing athletes.