The LtN Volunteer Experience

by Javier Silva (LtN Executive Director)

With our programs on hold, we have taken time to reflect on what makes them so impactful, who they benefit, and how. We focus a tremendous amount on the students who come to practice and the local coaches who work with them, and rightfully so – it’s a big part of our work.

However, our mission is fueled by the passion and dedication of young lacrosse players and coaches across the US. The impact they have on our programs is huge. What our young volunteers get out of their time in our programs is massive and we don’t talk about it enough. The list of benefits of volunteering with LtN is long, but I’ve narrowed it down to the biggest three.

1. Cultural Immersion

The time our volunteers spend working at our international sites introduces them to new people, food, experiences, challenges and opportunities. Living for an extended period in a place that is so different from home teaches our volunteers to be open to opposing points of views, to embrace a new way of thinking and to be grateful for what they have. They bring these new perspectives home with them and create a ripple effect much larger than themselves.

2. The Extreme Resume Booster

LtN does not have a large staff so our volunteers are given big time responsibilities. They get to dive head first into various aspects of our organization. Everything from executing and evaluating programs to social media and fundraising strategy. This opportunity offers volunteers valuable insight into the nonprofit world. Volunteering with LtN provides tangible projects volunteers can highlight on their resume that will make them stand out later on in their careers.

3. Personal Discovery

The cornerstone of the volunteer experience is growth. Our volunteers come home knowing much more about themselves as individuals and professionals. They discover strengths and weaknesses. They realize what they like, and what they don’t. Our volunteers come home with a better understanding of how sports can be used to improve the lives of others. The role we play in it and how powerful they are in making that change possible. Ultimately, our volunteers come home a better version of themselves.

A major goal in growing our impact is to offer more opportunities for members of the US lacrosse community to travel, serve and self-discover. As the world slowly begins to reopen, we look forward to welcoming a new group of volunteers to our international sites so they can build off the work of the volunteers who came before them to make our programs stronger. All the while, growing as individuals and finding their place in the world.

Pingry's Luke and Olivia pass on the LtN Tradition

Liv and I were the co-leaders of the Lacrosse the Nations Club at Pingry. We both recently graduated and were the captains of our respective lacrosse teams and have been involved with LtN since our freshman/ sophomore years at Pingry. We have greatly enjoyed leading the club over this past year. Our LtN activities occur locally during the fall and with fundraising in the spring.

This past fall, Liv and I designed and ran 2 half-day events with the Elizabethport Presbyterian Center. The first event involved 25 middle school children coming to Pingry for a lacrosse clinic designed and run by us with assistance from a bunch of our lacrosse teammates. The subsequent event was held at Eport’s Preschool where the Pingry LtN Club ran arts and crafts activities in four classrooms with 40-45 young kids.

To support the international arm of the LtN organization, we ran two fundraisers: one in late Jan/Feb selling LtN t-shirts and the second in late Apr/May selling Pingry bleacher seat cushions. We raised just over $3000 to support Lacrosse the Nations.

We will miss the Pingry LtN club but have left it in good hands.

— Luke

Pingry High School’s 2019 LtN Club Members.

Lessons Learned in Colombia

by Javier Silva

This past March I had the opportunity to take a trip to Bogotá, Colombia. Our goal was to explore the potential of opening a new site in the country. Along with LtN Board Chairman Greg Bice, and two of his Resolute Lacrosse staff members, we set off to explore Bogotá for 5 days. We visited 1 school, and 3 non-profit organizations. We also ran a clinic for the Colombia Lacrosse Association (players between the ages of 15 and 40). A HUUGE thank you to Jill Byers and Mike “Peeps “ Peeples for joining us on this trip and making it a massive success.

Our objective for the week was to see if our programs would be a good fit for Bogotá, if the communities we visited would accept us and what it would cost to get us off the ground. Below are the key takeaways from that week.

1. Every place we visited had a clear need for LtN programs. Each school/organization we visited did not have the resources to provide enough extracurricular activities or structured sports programs for all their participants. The challenges these kids face are things discussed in our Life Skills Curriculum and discussing those topics will definitely help them. If LtN can provide role models and mentors for these young people it will help them face these challenges head on.

2. The country is hungry for lacrosse. There are over 100 lacrosse players in Bogotá and club teams across 3 other cities (Medellin, Pereira, and Tunja). Both men and women have competed in the FIL World Championships. With the right support, lacrosse will explode in Colombia. This is a huge benefit for us as it adds an element we don’t have in Nicaragua or Panama. Giving our volunteers and team trip participants the opportunity to play/coach/ref at a higher level.

3. The only risk in Colombia is wanting to stay. Let’s face it, Colombia has a reputation for being unsafe. It was a big point of emphasis during our week. Would we feel comfortable bringing high school, college and club teams to volunteer? Can we recruit long-term program directors to dedicate 6 months or more to live in Bogotá? The answer to all of that was an emphatic, YES. Just like any other country where we operate, we have to be cognizant of our surroundings and take precautions but no more than we would travelling to NYC or London.

4. We need to develop more partnerships and relationships. If there’s one thing we’ve learned in ten years it’s that in order to succeed we need to work together. That means partnering with like-minded organizations, building relationships in the communities and establishing our selves as a long-term ally. The only way to do that is to dedicate time and energy in those communities. If LtN is to successfully expand into Colombia this is where we will have to invest our time.

5. Bogotá is a massive city. With 8 million residents, Bogotá, would be, by far, the biggest city we’ve brought our programs to. The opportunity to expand within Bogota and other cities is huge.

After spending time in Bogotá, we know it is the right place for LtN to expand to next. We also know that it will take a lot of time and resources to get us off the ground. We’ll need to rally the support of our community and put the time in to ensure its success. Launching programs in Colombia may take some time, but we hope that when we do, you will be ready to support us and be a part of it all.