Brennan Takes Sports Philanthropy into his Own Hands

Roughriders 8th Grader, Brennan, has built himself an impressive resume. As a club lacrosse player with a passion for using sport for good, Brennan has taken sports philanthropy into his own hands from a young age.

LtN first heard from Brennan in the spring of 2018 when he requested to volunteer in our after-school programming with the Boys and Girls Club in Charlottesville. To summarize his experience, Brennan reflects:

“The women that I worked with [running LtN’s Charlottesville programs] were incredibly patient coaches, knowledgeable and professional as leaders of the volunteers. They showed me how to approach the very young students so that they could either fall for the sport of lacrosse in the same way that I have, or just have a fantastic time. I was given leadership opportunities to engage students, and frankly I got better with each chance that I was given.. I walked away from my experience a much better leader. I will 100% volunteer again this summer.”

While we were delighted to have Brennan as a volunteer who is enthusiastic and motivated about LtN’s mission, Brennan had more in mind. In the previous year, Brennan organized a lacrosse tournament to raise money and awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest. We were honored to receive word from Brennan after his volunteer experience in Charlottesville that he and his teammates decided to include Lacrosse the Nations in their 2018 Lacrosse My Heart event.

As a sport-for-development organization, we aim to be a catalyst for young leaders. By employing something that we all know and love - lacrosse - players, coaches, and fans can impact lives and create momentum for larger community involvement in philanthropy. We’re thrilled that LtN’s programs can stand alongside Lacrosse My Heart’s charity partners, but the true honor is promoting a cause that motivates youth to step up and lead others to action. In Brennan’s reflection of his event which took place this October, he stated:

“I am amazed at how much every guy stepped up to make a difference raising money for important organizations like Lacrosse the Nations and playing their hardest to make the crowd feel excited about the effort. It was a fantastic day.”

CJ Sets the Bar High as an LtN Ambassador

CJ first discovered LtN Costa Rica during a family vacation in Playa Potrero. From the moment he heard about LtN’s mission, he was ready to get involved. Since then, CJ has worked single-handedly throughout his spring season as an ambassador for our cause, raising awareness and funds for our programs. CJ topped off his spring efforts with a trip back to Playa Potrero to play lax with some old friends of LtN…

“It has been an exciting year working with LtN! I first learned about the organization while on vacation in Costa Rica with my family over a year ago. The philosophy of the program really hit home for me. I love lacrosse, so giving kids who are less fortunate than I am an opportunity to learn the game, plus enrich their lives academically, meant a lot.

“I spent my spring season reaching out to friends and family along with my club lacrosse coach to raise awareness and money to support Lacrosse the Nations. I was fortunate to raise over $1,100 for the organization. I then traveled to Costa Rica this past August to work with the kids involved in the local community center run by past LtN partner, Abriendo Mentes.

“The director of the program, Rachael, was amazing in helping set up the equipment and sending out announcements to the community that I would be there to play with the kids. I also worked with a man named Mario who heads up the computer classes at Abriendo Mentes. I had so much fun playing with the kids and also practicing my Spanish!

“Even though there was a language barrier, the love of the game made communicating easy.  It was an incredible experience which I hope to participate in again next summer. I also want to raise my goal in future fundraising for such a great organization. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of LtN.”

CJ Boustany

A Letter of Thanks: Will Cogan on his Trip to Panama

My name is Will Cogan and I am a senior defenseman at Christopher Newport University. A few weeks ago, I was given the amazing opportunity to travel to Bocas del Toro, Panama to work with kids and spread the game that I love. I did this with teammates and members of the Washington & Lee men’s and women’s lacrosse team.

Will and CNU teammate, Miles, coaching some beach lax in Bocas.

This experience is something that I will never forget. In my 15 years of playing lacrosse, this was by far the most rewarding, humbling, and unforgettable experience I have had in the game of lacrosse. Each day we woke up with the opportunity to positively impact high schoolers and young kids with the game that we love so much. Knowing that every day would give us an opportunity to teach a game that these kids have never seen before seemed challenging at first, but once we had the stick in our hands it was just like any other day for us. We got to teach kids how to catch, throw, scoop ground balls, and even fun games like hungry hungry hippo. Whether it was at the local high school or at the Give & Surf community center on the beach it was a week filled with smiles, laughs, and a whole lot of fun.

Will testing out his goalie skills alongside fellow volunteer and W&L Women's Coach, Erica.

I want to express how thankful I am of the Lacrosse the Nations staff (Caroline and Brooke) and the Give & Surf staff (Drew and Taylor) for giving us such an amazing experience. Drew and Taylor taught us so much about the communities of Bocas and Bastimentos, and as took us on many adventures that I will never forget. Brooke and Caroline showed us that you do not need to speak the same language in order to connect with young kids and teach the game that we love.

I hope that LtN can continue to grow their programs in Bocas del Toro, and that it remains a place to go for years to come. I STRONGLY encourage any lacrosse player, coach, or fan to go on a trip with Lacrosse the Nations, to experience what its like to give back to a sport that has given us so much. Thank you LtN and Give & Surf.

- Will Cogan

CNU Mens Lacrosse '19