Grow the Game®

South African Lacrosse Project
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Game Grower Spotlight: Kip and Harrison Hart

A friend of ours at the FIL passed along the story of a couple of brothers who are doing big things. Kip and Harrison Hart are a couple of Baltimore boys growing the game down in South Africa.

Everyone is familiar with the Uganda Cranes story, but the vibe in South Africa is much different. The game has a lot of potential to grow, but the community itself is stricken with many difficulties.

The Hart brothers began by aiming their efforts at the children effected by HIV/AIDS and in time has grown the program by leaps and bounds bringing in many volunteers to help them Grow The Game in South Africa.

These two brothers were in high school when they started their mission and now Kip, 23, and Harrison, 20, are joining us to explain who they are and what they’re up to!

Kip and Harrison Hart

Please describe the state of lacrosse in your area.

South African Lacrosse Project

Our lacrosse program is in South Africa where we have a non-profit called The South African Lacrosse Project.

Since we started the program 8 years ago, there are now 5 primary schools and 3 high schools that have added lacrosse to their curriculum.

In what way(s) are you involved with growing the game in your area?

We have a two-week lacrosse camp in South Africa every summer. When we started 8 years ago, nobody in Limpopo Province (about 3 hours north of Johannesburg) had even heard of lacrosse.

Our first camp was for 25 orphans and vulnerable children who were all affected by HIV/AIDS.

We now have 150 kids in our annual summer lacrosse camp and we bring 15-20 volunteers from around the world with us to help coach.

Next summer we are planning to expand into Cape Town.

How did you get involved? Where did you learn about lacrosse?

We started playing lacrosse when we were around 5 years old. Growing up in Baltimore, it’s as natural as running!

We both played rec-league lacrosse when we were younger, and Harrison played at Towson High School.

What is your favorite thing about our sport? What drew you in?

Our favorite thing about the sport is how much fun it is to play, and how one person can throw a ball up against the wall and practice, two or more can play catch.

It is fun to create teams in a country that has really come to embrace it.

If you could change one thing about our sport, what would it be and why?

South African Lacrosse Project

Nothing we would change – we love the sport and the very generous people who play it!

Do you have a favorite lacrosse? Favorite player(s)? Why do you like them?

Our favorite teams are our South African primary and high school kids.

What do you do outside of lacrosse? (i.e. school, career, other activities…)

We were 15 (Kip) and 12 (Harrison) when we founded The South African Lacrosse Project.

We are now 23 and 20. Kip is in a Ph.D. program in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech and Harrison is a junior at Towson University where he is majoring in photography and film.

What would you say has been your biggest accomplishment when it comes to helping grow the game in your community?

We are the only lacrosse organization in South Africa, and every year we reach more and more kids there.

See our website at www.SouthAfricanLacrosse.org.

What do you think the biggest obstacle for growth of lacrosse is in your area?

Nobody knows how to play [lacrosse] and there is no local source for equipment.

We hand carry all of the equipment with us every summer (usually bringing between 500-1,000 pounds of equipment each time).

We now have a terrific stock over there, but need to do the same thing for the kids in Cape Town.

Who, or what, inspires you most to help Grow The Game?

South African Lacrosse Project

The children that we teach in South Africa are deeply affected by the AIDS crisis, poverty, hunger, and lack of education. Lacrosse is a game that these children have grown to love, and our annual lacrosse camp is something that is eagerly anticipated every year.

In addition to lacrosse, we have a literacy program for those involved in The South African Lacrosse Project.

It is very inspiring to see our kids graduate from high school, and in many cases go on to either college or a trade school.

Please visit website at www.SouthAfricanLacrosse.org and Like us on Facebook to learn more about the growth of lacrosse in South Africa!

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Check out more great Game Grower Spotlight interviews to find out where the game is blossoming around the world!