Lacrosse Clinic Spreads Love of the Game
By Cade Hamner / Contributor
Boys and girls from western and southern Dallas were introduced to the sport of lacrosse on Saturday, as Park Cities resident and professional athlete Ryan Brown hosted a community youth clinic at Mercy Street Sports Complex.
The clinic was free to children in grades 1-8, and each attendee was given a lacrosse stick of their own to take home.
“We’re really focusing on growing the game of lacrosse in communities where the game hasn’t traditionally seen a lot of exposure,” Brown said. “The coolest part of this is always seeing the joy on the kids’ faces as they discover the fun and excitement of our sport.”
Brown, a Maryland native, was a three-time All-American at Johns Hopkins University. Brown now plays professionally in the Premier Lacrosse League for the Waterdogs LC and is an assistant coach for the Highland Park varsity team. He was joined Saturday by other members of the Highland Park staff as well as student players from Highland Park, ESD, and more.
“Our focus is on mentoring boys in girls in our community, and ensuring they have every opportunity to succeed in life. Connecting with young people through sports is just one of the ways we seek to serve our community” said Carlton Oby, executive director of Mercy Street. “Lacrosse is a great sport and we love the fact that we’re helping to bring it to west and south Dallas.”
