Project Brack Lax Project Narrative

1. Project BRACK LAX will establish the first Brackenridge High School (BHS) Eagles lacrosse team. The team will proudly represent the King William area, San Antonio ISD, and compete vigorously with varsity high school lacrosse programs throughout San Antonio and across the state of Texas.

2a. The program’s growth and staying power will determine the effectiveness of this project. The team may not win all of its games in the first season but should sustain significant growth in the first few years. As described in the cover letter, the long-term project goal for the team is to make the league playoffs in less than five years. Before doing so the team must start in Division III which the sport’s governing body, the Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL), describes as “a new team working towards critical mass.” The league also requires that Division III teams advance to Division II (DII) in less than two years. To qualify as DII, teams have to develop and implement “bylaws, procedures, a designated head coach and president [and] reasonable relations with their host school.”

2b. This project has the potential to make a profound impact in the King William District by reinvigorating the BHS community. The campus is a major feature of the King William District and the lacrosse team will provide the positive recognition the District deserves. I envision the Lacrosse Eagles as being the cornerstone of high school Lacrosse in San Antonio and it will attract serious scholar-athletes to the school and community. On a broader scale, SAISD Lacrosse will have a major impact on high school athletics throughout the city by bringing a new, underrepresented demographic to the sport and increasing the presence of lacrosse in San Antonio. Hopefully, San Antonio will be known nationwide as a hotbed of high school lacrosse.

2c. In recognition of KWA’s generous grant award, the BHS Eagles lacrosse team will prominently and proudly wear the logo of the Association on its jersey during the inaugural lacrosse season. This logo will serve as a public display of gratitude for KWA’s generosity and it motivate our student-athletes as a constant reminder of the community they represent when they take the field. Additionally, the BRACK LAX team will work with the SAISD Communication’s Department to coordinate a press release, social media recognition, and we will invite local sports media to our games.

3a. Project BRACK LAX was motivated by my own experience playing on more traditional sports teams such as basketball, football, and baseball. While these experiences were beneficial, I did not always feel as passionate about sports until I was introduced to a non-traditional sport such as lacrosse. Lacrosse provided me a more engaging outlet and I benefited from improved mental acuity, increased fitness, socialization and team building. I believe lacrosse is the perfect sport for our students to play and it is fun to watch as well.

I chose to start a lacrosse team at BHS because there is significant demand for a new, exciting sport that stands outside the traditional sports establishment. Lacrosse has not yet gained a foothold here in Texas, and I believe that lacrosse is just the sport to refresh high school athletics. Furthermore, I want to create an opportunity for students who are not engaged in school athletics, either because they do not like the sports that are available or because they do not feel welcome in the traditional school athletic community. In joking, I have called lacrosse “an alternative sport for alternative people,” but that is exactly what it will be: something new to grow the high school sports community, while building a culture of respect and acceptance.

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Project Brack Lax Project Narrative

I have substantial experience both in lacrosse and in leadership. I started playing lacrosse when I was in sixth grade, and continued to play on club teams through high school. While in high school, I was also captain of the fencing team for two years and was an active member of the marching band, including leadership roles such as Field Officer, Section Leader and Band Lieutenant. While in college, I held several editorial positions for the school newspaper and took a brief break from lacrosse to play rugby. After recovering, I played lacrosse at a club level until I graduated in May 2015.

3b. I am the only permanent member of the Brackenridge Lacrosse staff but I have the immense guidance and assistance of Roger Rodriguez, SAISD Health and PE Coordinator, who is coordinating the SAISD Lacrosse initiative. The equipment necessary to equip a single lacrosse player is a helmet, gloves, shoulder pads, elbow pads, a cup, a mouth guard and a stick. Initial plans are to equip a team of 20 players, which would require 20 sets of the listed equipment. Additionally, funding needs include transportation, league fees, referee fees, uniforms and practice equipment, such as cones and backstops for the goals.

3c. Below is the anticipated BRACK LAX schedule and associated Budget: February- Recruit players, raise money for team sticks, start basic skills practice. March 2016: June 2016: Practice continues through last day of school, June 2. Scoop-a-Thon fundraiser, pending SASID approval.

June-July- Continue purchasing equipment. August 2016: August 2016 Summer practice, first time playing with full equipment. September 2016: Fall practice. Register for THSLL Division II. October 2016: Continue fall practice. Tryouts in early October. First report due Friday, October 21, 2016 or upon 2 months of receiving grant, whichever is sooner.

November- Continue fall practice until late November/early December. Winter weight room December 2016: workouts through December.

January 2017: Resume field practice after New Year, prepare for first game in mid-February.

February- First games, depending on league schedule. Referee fees. Second report due Friday, March 2017: March 17, 2016.

April-May 2017: Continue practice, finish out season.

June 2017: Scoop-a-Thon fundraiser, all-SAISD summer clinic. Third report due Friday, June 16, 2016.

Brack Lax Budget Category Items Total Supplies and Helmets (20) = $2800 $4,860 Materials Elbow Pads (20 pair) = $900 Defense Sticks/“Long Poles” (6) = $480

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Project Brack Lax Project Narrative

Goalie Sticks (2) = $180 Goalie Chest Protector = $100 Practice jerseys = $300 Bucket of 60 balls = $100 Fees Texas High School Lacrosse League Membership = $1,000 $3,500 U.S. Lacrosse Annual Membership = $150 U.S. Lacrosse Coaching Certification & Training = $750 Referee Fees $150/game * 10 games) = $1,500 $8,360

4a. A lacrosse team at Brackenridge High School will have a positive impact on the King William District by providing a new recreational opportunity for youth in the area that promotes teamwork, dedication and respect. Through hard work and cooperation, the sport will teach students, many of whom spend lots of time in the District, to respect themselves, each other and their community. Furthermore, lacrosse will add a new facet to the cultural diamond that is the King William District. The sport has strong roots in Native American culture, and carries with it a set of defining values. Among native tribes, the sport was played both as healthy competition and as means of building positive relationships with neighboring communities. Project BRACK LAX will serve the same purpose: to build a bridge between Brackenridge High School, the King William District and other schools in San Antonio. Finally, a new lacrosse team at BHS will bring positive recognition both to the school and the surrounding area. The sport is relatively new to Texas, and something that many San Antonians have not seen before. It draws lots of attention (especially when we practice at Roosevelt Park) and is sure to excite the city’s athletic community.

4b. This project has no ties to other San Antonio or Texas historic district or neighborhood projects.

4c. Brackenridge Lacrosse is an opportunity for BHS and the King William District to be leaders in the development of an athletic tradition in San Antonio. Although there are some schools in the city with lacrosse teams, they are limited to the north side of the city and private schools. This is a chance to spread the sport across San Antonio, and for our area to become the epicenter of this new movement.

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