Lawrence Sports Leadership Academy

A first-of-its-kind, multi-sport leadership academy that guarantees Lawrence youth have access to a quality sports camp in their own backyard. It tackles summer disengagement and low sports participation with quality coaches, high-level fitness experiences and motivational speakers. In summer 2019 it offered 8 sports: Tennis, soccer, basketball, volleyball, basketball, baseball, track & football (NEW in 2019).

LSA was launched during COVID!

LSA was launched by the LSLA partners to do a better sharing resources to expand impact, especially in the face of COVID-19. LSA’s mission is to support a vibrant youth sports ecosystem that ensures all youth in Lawrence have the access and opportunity to engage in quality sports programs, grounded in the principles of positive sports-based youth development to help them develop the physical & social capacity to succeed in life.

LSA Website Coming Soon!

Community Need

Pre-COVID-19, Lawrence had one of the state’s lowest sports participation rates. In fact, when LSLA launched in 2016, only 15% of LHS students play sports. Sports participation rates had been moving in the right direction, but the pandemic negatively impacted that progress. LSLA is a way to help reverse these trends! See Commonwealth Magazine’s Rich-Poor Divide in H.S. Sports.

Camp Testimonies

“I like how it (LSLA) inspires kids to try sports that they never heard of or might have been interested in before. I like how also in the morning, they give inspiring speeches of people who were looked down on and never gave up. – 2019 Tennis Camper …..Read more under Impact

History

Beyond Soccer & Everyone’s A Player, in collaboration with Lawrence High School Athletic Department, developed a two-week camp at the high school for 124 middle & high school youth in 2016. LSLA’s chief objective was to provide a meaningful sports camp, otherwise unavailable or unaffordable… More Here.

Academy Highlights

75% of 2019 Campers surveyed reported that they would either be watching TV, playing video games, eating or sleeping if they were not attending LSLA Read More

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 LSLA was cancelled in 2020.

LSLA Partners

Thank you to the following LSLA partners & funders, including New Balance, Red Sox Foundation, Essex County Community Foundation, Gemline, City of Lawrence, New England Revs, CIL Finishing, Cummings FoundationMore Here.

LSLA – Lawrence Sports Partners