The UC Santa Cruz Men’s lacrosse team is looking for donations during this year’s Spring Give to help our club reach financial stability by next season. The lacrosse program at UC Santa Cruz provides students with an opportunity to play the sport they love and grow as individuals. We compete in the Western Collegiate Lacrosse League and represent UC Santa Cruz against schools like UC Davis and UC San Diego. We play on the East Field field where we draw crowds of students, alumni, and local community members to cheer on the Slugs. Practicing and playing games improve student fitness and give UC Santa Cruz fans events to cheer at, but the joy and growth I have experienced have come from bonding as a team off the field. This year we have demonstrated the sport of lacrosse to P.E. classes at Santa Cruz High, attended team study sessions in the library, had a fantastic alumni dinner, and organized a team work day in the Chadwick garden.
Our club’s goal is to compete at a high level, build team character that inspires self-improvement, grow the sport of lacrosse in the Santa Cruz community, and make the sport accessible to all students who want to play lacrosse at UC Santa Cruz. This year we have met our first 3 goals—but unfortunately, the high cost of dues has made the sport inaccessible to many potential players. In restarting the team after covid, the team was made aware of an immense debt that an overdrawn coaching contract had created and financial mismanagement. Although the alumni have been extremely helpful, it has been a challenge to rebuild the team after the pandemic graduated a lot of former players and the high cost of dues has turned away many potential new players. Your donation will lower the cost of dues which are currently $1,350 for new players—allowing them to play the great sport of lacrosse, and participate in a team with high character.
