This article appears in the November of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Join US Lacrosse today to start your subscription.

In September 2016, US Lacrosse partnered with the Chazz Woodson-led Sankofa Lacrosse Foundation to offer free clinics for boys and girls ages 8-18 in underrepresented communities.

It is fast becoming one of US Lacrosse’s most popular offerings.

For each clinic, US Lacrosse provides two hours of instruction, plus a complimentary lacrosse stick, t-shirt and a one-year membership. Perhaps more importantly, the series connects kids with some of the most prominent minority players and coaches in the sport.

“It aligns perfectly with our mission,” said Eboni Preston-Laurent, senior manager of diversity and inclusion at US Lacrosse. “We are all about giving kids an opportunity to participate in a fun, friendly and safe environment, while removing socioeconomic barriers to entry in the sport.”

US Lacrosse works with local organizations to plan and implement the clinics, while Sankofa-affiliated players and coaches provide the hands-on instruction.

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Oh, The Places You'll Go

US Lacrosse has hosted Sankofa clinics at a variety of destinations — from a summer hip-hop festival in Brooklyn to a snowy barnyard in New Mexico. Among other destinations: Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

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Correctional facility in the U.S. with a lacrosse program. US Lacrosse has held Sankofa clinics at the Ferris School in Wilmington, Del., each of the last three years. The secure-care, ACA-accredited treatment center provides services for court-committed males ages 13-18.

El Paso Strong

US Lacrosse hosted a Sankofa clinic Sept. 28 in El Paso, Texas, a predominantly Hispanic city on the Mexico-U.S. border and the site of a mass shooting 56 days earlier. Participants received specially made “El Paso Strong” t-shirts in support of the victims.

SAN•KO•FA

Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana that translates to “go back and get it.”

“San” means return, “ko” means go and “fa” means look, seek and take.

It is represented in Akan art by a mythical bird with its feet planted forward and head turned backward while taking an egg off its back — symbolizing the quest for knowledge.

The Sankofa Lacrosse Foundation logo incorporates a lacrosse stick into the icon.

Bridging the Gap

"It’s bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots, and giving them the opportunity to learn the game that I have loved my whole life.” — Rick Burton, a Baltimore native and U.S. Air Force veteran who volunteers as a
Sankofa clinician and with Charm City Youth Lacrosse