Kylie Ohlmiller is a two-time Tewaaraton finalist, the most prolific scorer in NCAA women’s lacrosse history, a member of the U.S. national team, a No. 1 overall WPLL draft pick and the face of the Brine brand.

TJ Buchanan, US Lacrosse’s technical director for athlete development, was trying to explain to the group of 50 girls who had just tried lacrosse for the first time at a TryLax clinic Feb. 9 at Newtown Park in Johns Creek, Ga., that they just learned from a legend.

A 5-year-old perked up from the crowd.

“But I beat you on a ground ball!” she gushed.

And just like that, the game grew by a factor of one.

 “[That was] one of the most real things that a child said,” said South Forsyth high school coach and clinic volunteer Sarah Serbinksi, whose 9-year-old daughter, Delaney, also played in the event. “Little girls who were clueless found such joy in realizing, ‘I beat this person who is the best. I can do this game. It’s easy.’ When they realized she’s somebody in girls’ lacrosse, to realize they were playing with her, and in their eyes, they were keeping up with her, I thought it was really cool.”

The little girl’s epiphany likewise left a lasting impression on Ohlmiller.

“Being able to connect with them during those moments, it’s a feeling that’ll never get old as a lacrosse player,” she said.

TryLax clinics, which run for 90 minutes at the low cost of $35, provide a fun and positive environment for first-time participants. As part of the registration fee, each participant receives a Warrior Warp (boys) or Brine (girls) stick, a ball and a t-shirt to keep, as well as a one-year membership to US Lacrosse. 

In Atlanta, US Lacrosse staff, along with at least two dozen high school players, 10 adult volunteers and Team USA’s Rob Pannell and Ohlmiller, coached 50 boys and 50 girls during a sold-out event that resulted in more than 20 new registrants with Newtown recreational programs. 

“After the clinic, we had [parents ask,] ‘Do you have any teams we can sign up for?’” Newtown Park director Brandon Allen said. “Once a kid puts a stick in their hands for the first time... they get that itch, the bug to continue to play, and want to join a league.” 

The TryLax curriculum is based on the lacrosse athlete development model (LADM), which aims to increase player involvement over longer periods of time, allowing the best to emerge once they reach physical maturity.

“If we do things the right way, then hopefully they stay with us for a lifetime,” Buchanan said. 

The clinics target kids ages 6-12, which fit within stages two and three of development. Stage two is all about fundamentals, allowing children to develop their movement ABCs — agility, balance and coordination, as well as speed — and learn the game’s basics. The third stage, dubbed “foundations,” begins at age 8 and builds in reflection.

“The word ‘fundamentals’ is very important and it’s, I think, in this sport everything,” Pannell said. “A kid can be the fastest, the strongest, the tallest when he’s at a younger age, but if he doesn’t learn the fundamentals, then he’s only going to be as good of a player as that when he’s older.”

To Andrea Braun, president of the Georgia chapter of US Lacrosse, the growth of the players’ awareness, interest and ability directly translates to the growth of sport in the state. This clinic simply boosted it further. 

“We had kids from over 40 different schools across the metro area,” said Braun, whose developmental program for elementary girls, the Gwinnett Lacrosse League Sticklets, gained four new registrants the week after the clinic. “If each of those kids goes back to her school and tells one friend about her new sport, the potential for growth is exponential.”

According to Serbinski, there’s a misconception in the state that lacrosse is only a middle or high school sport. That’s because, as Allen noted, Georgia is “football country.”

“If you introduce it young, it only helps the growth of the program in our state, and the South in general,” Serbinski said. “[The clinic] was really eye-opening.”

As a result, the Atlanta kids are already pining to TryLax again. 

“A lot of smiles on faces — that’s probably one of the best things you can see,” said Matt McCoy, a youth boys’ coach and volunteer clinician. “It was definitely billed as it needs to be fun, fun and fun, and I think we were successful.”