The New York Tri-State area is a hotbed for the sport of lacrosse. The region produces some of the country’s best high school and college talent — both male and female players.
The late Jim Brown, who moved from St. Simons Island, Georgia, to Manhasset, N.Y., a hamlet on Long Island, was considered by some as the greatest football player of all-time, but is also viewed by many as lacrosse’s best ever. Brown starred in the sport at Manhasset High School before becoming a two-time All-American at Syracuse University, leading them to an undefeated season in 1957. In 1983, Brown became the first African American inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He died in May 2023.
Endeavoring to inspire participation in lacrosse by Black youth, as well as youth of diverse ethnicities, Uptown Lacrosse is planting those seeds. A free, nonprofit youth program based in Harlem, its focus is teaching the fundamentals of the sport and building youths’ skills while fostering a fun environment that is conducive to their social-emotional growth.
Uptown Lacrosse was founded last year by serial entrepreneur and former Princeton lacrosse player Bruce Lincoln. Lincoln observed that there were few opportunities in inner city New York for youth to take part in lacrosse, similar to the exposure to the sport he had growing up in Lutherville, Maryland.
“We have experienced a very positive response from both the kids and their parents as far as being able to learn lacrosse and being able to participate in the game,” Lincoln told the AmNews. “We launched Uptown Lacrosse on February 22, 2025, at the Police Athletic League’s (PAL’s) Harlem Center, at 119th Street and Manhattan Avenue. “There were more than 150 kids, parents, and guests in attendance at the launch …”
Lacrosse in among the sports in which African-American youth are increasing their engagement — ones that the demographic, by and large, has historically shunned. (Fencing. in which Queens native Lauren Scruggs won a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics last summer. and rowing are others.)
Uptown Lacrosse provides free access and instruction to youth primarily from Harlem, Upper Manhattan, and the Bronx in grades 3 through 8, and has received donations from Princeton University, USA Lacrosse, and global sporting goods lacrosse and hockey equipment manufacturer STX.
Uptown Lacrosse’s signature event, Uptown L-Ball at the Rucker, originally scheduled to be held at the Holcombe Rucker Memorial Basketball Court in Harlem on June 22, was moved back to this past weekend due to heavy rain and instead was held at the Madison Boys and Girls Pinkerton Clubhouse(155th Street and Bradhurst Avenue). The event was designed to showcase the youths’ lacrosse prowess and highlight other teams, from high school to college, playing three-on-three lacrosse.
On April 5, 2025, the Uptown Lacrosse Academy began and ran every consecutive Saturday (excluding Memorial Day weekend), ending its inaugural spring season this past Saturday. The Academy will return in the fall for 15 weeks. For additional information, go to uptownlacrosse.org.