Due, in no small part, to several local and national groups, our efforts to expose students in East Austin to lacrosse opportunities now include regulation lacrosse teams. New Horizons partners in this effort with US Lacrosse, Austin Independent School District (AISD), After-school Centers for Education (ACE), The City of Austin (Parks and Recreation Dept.), NHLF Services, Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL), Central Texas Youth Lacrosse League (CTYLA), Friends of Central Texas Lacrosse (FoCTL), and a host of local supports and contributors (see right).

Two spring teams will be formed from students living in and going to public schools in East Austin

• Participation is free for all ACE (after-school) lacrosse class members
• No equipment is required.
• Regulation lacrosse equipment will be provided.
• Bus transportation will be provided from each participating school to centralized practice fields at Martin middle school.

• Two teams (1 boys & 1 girls) will consist of 5^th and 6^th graders from eight (8) AISD middle schools. Older students will also be considered
• Twelve practices are planned from late January to mid-May (dates to be determined)
• Three (3) game events will be scheduled, probably on Sunday afternoons

New Horizons participates with After-school Centers for Education (ACE) and NHLF Services to provide co-educational, non-contact lacrosse curriculum in the after-school setting. Last year a pilot “Get Ready” program targeted three (3) elementary campuses that were part of the AISD’s effort to re-purpose Pearce Middle School. This year, the “soft-lacrosse” initiative has been expanded into eight (8) schools. New Horizons provides equipment and NHLF Services provides teacher/coaches. This year’s after-school efforts also incorporates middle schools and some two-day-a-week programs while most campuses currently feature lacrosse one day a week. Based on exposure to the after-school soft-lacrosse curriculum,  students have expressed an interest in competing in regulation lacrosse against other schools. New Horizons has hired coaches to head our week-end efforts to establish both boys and girls regulation lacrosse teams from the eight neighborhood schools that currently participate in the after-school program.

Kevin Dolezal concentrates his after-school coaching efforts at the middle school level in AISD schools covering two days each week at Fulmore MS and Martin MS and one day at Pearce MS. Kevin is from Atlanta Georgia and was a four year starter at the University of Texas Men’s lacrosse club. He received 2nd Team all-conference defenseman honors as a senior. A couple of Kevin’s players are seen here with their coach along with his coach, UT Men’s Lacrosse Coach-of-the-Year, Brian Myers at the recent dedication of Clark Field on the UT campus.

 Quinesha Preston goes by “QT“. She is a graduate student at Texas State majoring in Special Education. She comes with experience teaching young children a variety of sports and movement activities. She is currently working in two elementary schools (Barrington and Pecan Springs) and has introduced soft-lacrosse at the Mendez Middle School Campus. Here she works with the girls at Winn Elementary in preparation for East Austin Lacrosse team formation.  QT will head our GLaX, regulation lacrosse, team activities. She has become a member of US Lacrosse and is seeking Level I coaching certification.

Mike Wright will serve as Head Coach for the regulation boys lacrosse team forming this spring. Mike has extensive experience with youth sport coaching and has coached lacrosse at the high school level and currently coaches youth lacrosse in Westlake. He also heads a local organization, Texas Sports for Life, that helps develop and improve the fundamental movement skills and sports-specific athletic skills of all Texas youth athletes. Here, Coach Wright evaluates basic skills and discusses upcoming team activities with students at Winn Elementary. Wright is a US Lacrosse member and a certified Level I Coach.