To the Texas Lacrosse Community,

For more than a decade, we have been welcomed and supported by many people and programs in Texas. This support has played a crucial role in our many successes and growth, both on and off the field. In a time where the sport was in its infancy in Texas, Bridge Lacrosse was founded to help remove the high barriers of entry to lacrosse, especially for communities of color. The mission of Bridge has always rested upon a foundation of diversity, equity, and opportunity. It is a mission that many advocated for and continue to do so, and we are grateful to them.

 However, in this mission and work, there exist challenges to creating a more inclusive lacrosse environment, one that remains widely homogenous and inaccessible. One such challenge is the blatant and explicit use of racist language and hate speech directed at our student-athletes. And at this point in our young spring season, we have experienced two such reported events. Every season, we must prepare all members of our family for these types of events, and we must talk to our teams about how to respond and report these incidents.

These appalling moments of ignorance and hate are a reminder that our teams are often the outliers in the lacrosse community, despite our deep history and longevity in the sport. And while these events are seldom, rarity does not diminish the severity of racist language, or the hurtful and painful impact it has on student-athletes of color.

It is our need that everyone be proactive and mindful of how your teams engage, and compete, with student-athletes of color. We need everyone to recognize and condemn hateful and discriminatory language of all kinds. We need everyone to take steps to understand implicit biases and how diversity in lacrosse is beneficial for all. We need your help in continuing to support our student-athletes and their love of lacrosse.

Signed,

 Members of the Bridge Lacrosse Family - Spring 2022