Grow the Game®

Chuck Richardson visits Jamaica
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Growing The Game In Jamaica

Every morning I wake up ready to head to LAS headquarters. I hop in the truck, sometimes accompanied by my lax dog Bear, and turn the music up just right. Playing on the stereo, every day since April, is a band known as the Mystic Revealers, which is, in my humble opinion, the best reggae band in the world. I listen closely to the words Billy Wilmot sings as I set my sights on the day ahead – ready to put one foot in front of the other, work hard, and grow the game.

Since traveling to Jamaica last April with my new dear friend Chuck Richardson (pictured above) as a Fields of Growth volunteer, not a day has gone by in which I haven’t reminisced about my experience.

Many unforgettable memories were packed into our short time in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica, and looking back, I know we only scratched the surface. There is so much more to see, do, and learn when it comes to growing the game the right way in Jamaica. It will take more than just one of us to help fuel.

Dating as far back as November 2012, the roots have been securely planted thanks to Kevin Dugan of Fields of Growth and many gracious volunteers, including former Endicott attack an Harry Holden and former C.W. Post longpole Joey Blount – two individuals I was lucky to meet and spend quality time with during my stay.

Over the summer months, there were hundreds of US volunteers who spent time on the ground in Kingston, groups coming and going week after week. The ages of these volunteers varied, but most were in high school or college – there to help run free lacrosse clinics and experience life in a different culture.

These people, along with a handful of highly educated and passionate Jamaican citizens, have worked wonders over a short period of time. Lacrosse is now gaining attention from powerful local groups in Jamaica, including TV news outlets and even the Jamaican Olympic Committee. Yet the sport really is still very much in its infancy there.

Currently, there is just one full-time lacrosse volunteer on the ground in Jamaica. His name is Miles Makdisi, and coincidently, we played college ball together too. With the help of the Fields of Growth Lacrosse Volunteer Corps, Miles spends up to 18 hours a day coaching, orchestrating events, and genuinely sharing his passion for the sport with local community members.

Today we are proud to announce that we have developed LaxAllStars.com membership as a fundraising tool, and our current effort is to help Miles and other future volunteer coordinators on the ground in Jamaica.

By becoming a member at LaxAllStars.com/Jamaica, proceeds from your membership will go directly toward supporting Miles as he works to grow the game.