PLL-backed CityLax is transforming New York City’s PSAL through lacrosse, and transforming lacrosse through underdog NYC students

CityLax has laid the groundwork to fundamentally change the culture of lacrosse to become a more diverse and inclusive one in the future.

Already, though, it has major success stories on and off the field.

NYC high school and middle school lacrosse has grown rapidly since CityLax’s inception in 2009

The PSAL, NYC’s primary public school athletic governing body, has steadily added lacrosse programs in all five boroughs to high schools and middle schools with CityLax’s help. Originally at three high schools in total, CityLax has added over 50 high schools and 15 middle school lacrosse programs since its inception in 2009. In total, CityLax works with over 2,500 students every season.

How did this growth happen? As CityLax founder Mathew Levine explained to me, by simply getting sticks in kids’ hands.

“We go into middle school PE classes and introduce the game. We first talk about the history of the game, its Native American origins, and then we give the kids sticks and put them through a set of introductory exercises and drills,” Levine said. “Then build that up to what’s usually about a six-week program, sometimes a little less. And then, if the school gets excited about the game, we'll try to convert that to an after-school program, like an intramural program, and then, ultimately, to teams.

“We decided consciously 20 years ago, because this is our 20th year, to develop a partnership with the New York City public school system as a way to grow the game of lacrosse in the inner city. We chose that path to partner with schools and the public school system because we thought that would be the best way to introduce the game and reach as many kids as we could, boys and girls.”

Having built its reputation through word of mouth, CityLax first expanded from its original presence in Harlem to two more schools in the Bronx. Eventually, there was an expansion to all five boroughs. Brooklyn and Staten Island already had lacrosse set up, Levine told me, making it easier for CityLax to organize teams and competitions there.

One day, the goal is to have built a blueprint across as many of the PSAL’s 400-plus public high schools as possible.

CityLax’s mission: Helping the majority of student-athletes, mainly the ones who won’t get Division I scholarships

CityLax CEO Rich Lisk stressed that the organization is looking to play a role for the role players out there who aren’t going to go pro in the sport. Helping the masses figure out future career moves, instead of the top 1% in talent and resources, is CityLax’s main goal.

“I used to have these conversations with my son all the time. He wanted to play Division I hockey, and I said, well, there's a lot of other options out there besides Division I hockey. And you use this to get to, you know, I don't have delusions of grandeur. My son wasn't going to play in the NHL. That is the athlete and the student athlete that we want to get to,” Lisk said.

“I think when you're a really good athlete, and you're at the top of your class, let's just use this example, like Johns Hopkins, is recruiting you to go play there. They know who you are. But there are 1,000 other kids behind you that Johns Hopkins doesn't know. There are thousands of schools where this kid could play and get a good education and a good path forward.”

In terms of growth, Lisk sees the chance to expand into multiple markets, including Denver, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charlotte. Before doing that, though, Lisk wants to bring back college-centered counseling for the 2,500 kids in the program.

“I want to bring (the counseling aspect) back. That was my goal, to be in the next, within the next year, to bring back that college counseling part, because I think that mentoring college counseling part would be awesome. And I think it can really help some people and give those kids the resources they need. So, if I could expand on the grant that we give out, I can not only double the schools we're in, but make a significant jump in the middle schools that we're already in,” Lisk said.

“Then, if I can bring back the college counseling within the next year and the mentoring part of it, that's a very successful year for me. And then I think now we can start really building upon that. We are doing some significant things and creating significant assets that we can go to potential donors and say, ‘Look, if you help us with this part, the college counseling and the mentoring program, and we can raise X amount of dollars, we can reach this many more kids,’ which makes sense because we're reaching this many more kids at the middle school level.”

Lacrosse legend and CityLax Board President Rob Pannell wants more PLL involvement

The PLL is partnered with CityLax through the “PLL Assists” initiative, which “focuses on community outreach, growing the game, and providing underserved youth with access to lacrosse.”

CityLax Board President and PLL legend Rob Pannell, who’s 23 points away from breaking the league’s all-time points record as the PLL season kicks off later this week, and is the Cornell Big Red’s all-time assist leader, wants to see more of his PLL counterparts involved with the program.

“I think providing the CityLax community and kids in middle schools and high schools that are supported by CityLax, providing them with the opportunity to be around more of these pros to motivate them and give them something to look up to and follow on TV so they really fall in love with the game,” Pannell said when I asked the Maryland Whipsnakes attackman how CityLax’s PLL partnership could grow.

“I think that's one thing I'd love to see, to get to the point where kids are really committing to the game, and we as pros can be mentors for these kids and have kind of like a mentorship…Get partnered with a kid and keep in touch with them and follow them throughout their lacrosse journey from middle school to high school. I think a relationship like that with a pro could really go a long way towards accountability, keeping these young kids that are playing the game, playing and going to school and getting good grades, I think that could really move the needle. Allowing for those next steps of graduating from high school and going to college, potentially playing there, if not playing, then still excelling in school, and getting an education.

“I think some sort of mentorship program could be really cool. And obviously, whenever the PLL is close, I'd love to just get as many CityLax kids to games as possible. Let them experience it in person and have something to look up to, you know, have something to aspire to, to dream about playing lacrosse professionally.”

Pannell has seen firsthand the impact CityLax has had on students.

“I think it's when you're there, and you see their faces light up when they catch a ball, or when they throw a good pass, or when they score a goal, and you see it just kind of click for them in this excitement of doing something and being successful at something that they have never done,” Pannell said when I asked him what the most rewarding part of working for CityLax is.

“So, I think that alone is what makes you want to show up and see that. It’s the difference that it makes in their lives, just even for a day, but you hope you then see the difference that it makes in some kids' lives for years. Just the opportunities that it provides them, and playing in college, and getting an education. That's really what it's all about.”

Moner Mosa: From CityLax student to CityLax’s Junior Advisory Board and S&P Global

Moner Mosa is the prototype for the kind of student Lisk wants to reach through CityLax. Having been onboarded and guided by CityLax program director Ryan Garling, whom Lisk says he wants a version of in every borough and every city the organization ever expands to, Mosa has become a member of CityLax’s Junior Advisory Board and works for S&P Global.

Mosa had minimal experience with lacrosse before CityLax came into his life. He was emotional discussing what the sport means to him now, 14 years after graduating from Christopher Columbus High School in the Bronx.

“I don't think that I'd be where I am today without the sport itself,” Mosa said. “The idea of the physicality, the grittiness of the game itself, has made me significantly more resilient in my life in general. The sport helped me create this toughness and this mental fortitude that allows me to persevere through life.”

Mosa played club lacrosse at SUNY Morrisville, and as he explained, there were natural challenges for kids from inner-city backgrounds in those settings. When I asked him what growing lacrosse looked like, he shared a personal anecdote to paint the picture of where there could be more diversity in the sport.

“My first year of college, when I arrived, there was one other person of color who played on that team at SUNY Morrisville. The difference was that he was from Long Island. So everyone already kind of liked him. Because it was like, ‘Oh, he's a lacrosse player from Long Island.’ And meanwhile, I'm this kid from the Bronx, who no one else has ever heard of my school or anything. So I think, continuing to grow in untraditional areas is really the best way to continue to drive that diversity,” Mosa said.

Non-white representation in Division I lacrosse currently sits around 16%, a number that’s slowly crept up in the past decade through the work of organizations like CityLax. The change begins with student-athletes like Mosa receiving more opportunities in their youth.

For Mosa, his lacrosse career inspired him to make his dream school, Hofstra University, where he played for the club team. Mosa now has a career in business, something he strongly attributes to what lacrosse built within him.

CityLax’s goal is to replicate this process as many times as humanly possible. From the sound of it, there’s proper alignment across the organization to achieve that.

If you are in the New York tristate area, tickets are still available for CityLax's annual gala on Wednesday, May 6, at the New York Athletic Club.