MLL's Adam Ghitelman and Scott Ratliff Return to Nica

Atlanta Blaze players Adam Ghitelman and Scott Ratliff took their first trip to Nicaragua in January of 2017. From sharing things they knew like that back of their hand - coaching new concepts and playing lacrosse with our LtN student athletes - to diving head in to things they didn't - Nicaraguan language, food, culture, and our style of lax - it was incredible to see the impressions they left on our kids. These impressions were mutual it seems, as they returned this December for another dose of Nica lacrosse, getting to see many familiar faces and meet new ones along the way. LtN players and programming in Nicaragua have developed significantly since these two's last visit, in part because of the amazing guests who come to share their experience like Adam and Scott. After their trip, goalie, Adam reflected on his time in LtN programs:

"It was wonderful to return for our second visit to Nicaragua to work with Lacrosse the Nations. Our first visit developed such a sense of attachment and love for the positives that the program created, we couldn't wait to return for our second time. We were so excited to see a number of familiar faces, all of whom looked like that they had improved both as lacrosse players and personally. The players had all improved their individual games, and the chemistry and teamwork of the program continues to blossom. The passes are sharper, the stick skills are impressive, and overall IQ is through the roof. The kids all play together for a common goal and the commitment to the team is tremendous.

It was really great to see the numbers increase. Another great characteristic of the program is to see players moving up into leadership roles as coaches and coach assistants. Those players who continue to behave and work to become better people have shown tremendous development and leadership on and off the field."

It is incredible to be able to work with others who witness and share in our mission. Utilizing the power of sport, perhaps seemingly simple, continues to be an avenue to bridge connections and share in all the benefits of play. Thank you, Adam and Scott, for your time and we hope to see you down in Nicaragua for many years to come!

LtN Welcomes New U.S. Staff Member, Brooke Wilson!

LtN HQ Welcomes New Staff Member!

We are beyond excited to announce the growth our LtN staff with the addition of our very own Communications and Development Director, Brooke Wilson! Brooke joined our U.S. based staff at the start of January. She brings all the right kind of knowledge, fresh out of her year volunteering as a program director for LtN in Nicaragua. While in Central America, Brooke handled on-site communications for LtN and started the first girls-only program in Nica. It is here that Brooke fell in love with LtN’s mission and community.

Brooke hails from Frederick, Maryland, where she first started playing and later coaching lacrosse. Brooke earned her B.A. in Healthcare Studies from the University of Richmond while playing for the women’s varsity team. Brooke’s passion for the spread of lacrosse and the development of LtN programming and communities is unparalleled. She will be taking over all things communications-related along with helping develop stronger and more expansive partnerships for the organization. When asked about her new position, Brooke commented, “I am so excited to be able to continue working with LtN in such a new and dynamic role. From my time volunteering for the organization abroad I have come to know the passion and dedication that each member of the LtN staff brings to their work each and every day. It’s an honor to be able to continue working for the cause and contribute to the growth of LtN.”

We are so excited to have Brooke on board and cannot wait to see all that she accomplishes. Welcome to the LtN family, Brooke!

LtN Programs in Charlottesville Flourish Thanks to LtN Club at UVA

Lacrosse the Nations at the University of Virginia started off strong this past August with the executive board recruiting over 15 new members to join the club. Our efforts for the semester focused on balancing between fundraising for the annual LtN Cup and youth volunteering efforts, namely the recurring six-week long lacrosse program held at the Boys and Girls Club of Charlottesville on Cherry Avenue. Because of the success of the Cherry Avenue program in past years, and with the new influx of volunteer members, a new program was extended to the Boys and Girls Club at Jouett Middle School through outreach with their program director. From the first week of October to the week before Thanksgiving, around four to five volunteers traveled to each Boys and Girls Club every week - Cherry Avenue on Tuesdays, Jouett on Fridays. For a time frame about an hour and a half, our volunteer coaches focused on getting to know the kids that frequently attended the program, while teaching them basic lacrosse skills, ultimately providing a new sport-related platform that allowed them to build their individual characters. Our Club at UVA plans to repeat this same six-week program in the spring of 2018, at both Boys and Girls Clubs, with hopes of adding multiple pop-up clinics during the spring that would be open to all Charlottesville youth community members. 

In volunteering at the Clubs, we also realized that the equipment the Clubs had on hand were in pretty rough shape - some sticks had broken heads, others had ancient mesh. Lacrosse the Nations has generously offered to help with providing new sticks to replace these old and worn-down sticks that the Boys and Girls Club currently has in supply.

Fundraising for the LtN Cup within our Club at UVA was done primarily through individual efforts - and proved to be an amazingly successful endeavor. Of the over $1300 raised, the majority of what was raised came from individual members’ outreach to family, friends, and members of the lacrosse community. In addition to these individual efforts, a lump amount of $500 was also contributed through older funds raised from a 5k race and several student restaurant nights hosted by LtN at UVA. We hope to expand our fundraising to involve the club men and women’s lacrosse teams at UVA, and even local high school teams, in order to further solidify the Charlottesville lacrosse community.

Future plans for our Club, other than continuing our current volunteering and fundraising efforts, also include promotional and educational events to not only promote our organization, but to also educate UVA students on how to involve themselves in international service in an effective and worthwhile manner. Whether this is accomplished through an open seminar, guest speakers, or a university-wide presentation, we hope that our club can prove to not only be a fundamental piece of the international Lacrosse the Nations presence, but also a model for other college organizations with a focus on local and international service.