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http://www.comptonschoolsuccess.org/all-stories/-carver-elementary-students-learn-lacrosse-during-two-day-clinic

In collaboration with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and City Lacrosse, students from Compton Unified School District’s (CUSD) Carver Elementary School were introduced to the game of lacrosse.

With the guidance of City Lacrosse, students learned about the sport, which shares many similarities with soccer and field hockey, during a two-day clinic promoting their upcoming free summer lacrosse program in partnership with the LA County Sheriff’s Department at Athens Park. The program kicks off June 17.

Principal Damien Kessler said it is important to expose students to a wide range of athletics students might not be familiar with. “You can learn a great deal from a new sport, but you can also discover a new passion. When that happens you gain important skills like discipline and teamwork. These are skills that you can carry with you the rest of your life.”

Executive Director for City Lacrosse Mike Levin, who once played in Major League Lacrosse, said students who pick up sports learn to have a good work ethic, which also translates into academic success.

“I’m a graduate of Brown University where I had the opportunity to play lacrosse. It wasn’t on an athletic scholarship but through the sport I gained a good work ethic that allowed me to apply for school there,” he said. “Being here in Compton to introduce kids to a sport they might not be familiar with is always rewarding.”

Lacrosse coach Ernie Melero said the more sports students are introduced to, the more opportunities are opened to them.

“Lacrosse opened many doors for me. Because of the sport I was able to study and play at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts,” he explained. “Many of the top academic schools in the country are also well known for their lacrosse teams. That’s something these students should think about when learning something new. Sometimes trying something new can lead you to places you never thought you woud be.”

For fourth-grader Andrea Valadez, learning lacrosse was simply a lot of fun. “I liked throwing the ball to my partner using the sticks. The game reminds me of soccer,” she said. “I want to play it again.”

Fourth-grader Lyndel Morris immediately loved lacrosse on his first try. “I liked it a lot. I’ve never played lacrosse before but it was a lot of fun,” he said. “If my dad doesn’t sign me up for lacrosse at the park, my mom will.”

Families interested in signing up their children for the free City Lacrosse Athens Park Summer Clinics are encouraged to register at www.citylacrosse.org, where they must click on “programs” and “Athens Park Clinic Series. You can also contact City Lacrosse’s Mike Levin via email: [email protected] or by phone: (213) 290-5662.

Additionally, the LA County Sheriff’s Department will also host tennis summer clinics at Athens Park beginning June 17. For more information, please contact Gymeka L. Williams via email: [email protected]