Youngsters in the Northern Maine Lacrosse Club recently participated in a practice inside Houlton Middle-High School’s gymnasium. (Contributed photo)
HOULTON, Maine — Efforts to bring youth lacrosse to the greater Houlton area have received a huge boost thanks to the coach of the New England Patriots football team.
On March 15, the Bill Belichick Foundation has awarded a grant for 24 sets of player equipment, worth more than $7,000, to the Northern Maine Lacrosse Club. The equipment includes sticks, helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads and gloves.
“We were the only youth lacrosse group that was granted through the Bill Belichick Foundation this year,” explained Ken Ervin, organizer of the Northern Maine Lacrosse Club. “Bill is huge into lacrosse. His daughter is a coach at Holy Cross. I still get goosebumps when talking about this. It’s so exciting.”
The award is the third time the club has received a grant. Last spring, the group received a “soft stick” grant, which provided equipment so club leaders could hold introductory clinics without participants having to invest substantially in gear.
A summer clinic was held with 22 boys and girls participating. That enrollment gave Ervin the confidence to pursue additional funding avenues.
“After our success, and talking with parents, I decided to submit more grants,” Ervin said.
The club also received a grant from U.S. Lacrosse for 20 sets of sticks and goggles for girls, as well as membership in the U.S. Lacrosse program for one year. With that membership, the club now is covered for player and field liability insurance.
“My goal has been to try and offer this program at zero cost to the families,” Ervin said. “Through these grants, this is something we will be able to do.”
The Northern Maine Lacrosse Club currently has about 30 players (15 boys and 15 girls) in grades 3-6. It is open to students from the greater southern Aroostook area and currently includes youths from Mars Hill, Houlton and Hodgdon. They have chosen the Moose as their mascot and will be playing club sport games this spring against clubs from Bangor to Gray-New Gloucester. Their season runs from the end of April to the beginning of July.
The club has partnered with the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to use their practice facility on Pine Drive, near the Maliseet Indian Housing facility. The Houlton High School football team also uses this facility for their games in the fall.
Richie Lynds and Chris Bossie are helping out with the program. Ervin’s dream is for the sport to catch on in popularity and to one day become a high school program. In Maine, there are 44 boys’ teams and 45 girls’ teams in high school lacrosse, but no teams north of Lawrence High in Fairfield.
The Bill Belichick Foundation was established in 2013 to provide coaching, mentorship and financial support to individuals, communities and organizations. Focusing on football and lacrosse, its mission is to bring the values of the Belichick family — a love of sports, coaching and team building — to the athletic leaders of tomorrow. The Bill Belichick Foundation has raised more than a half a million dollars since its inception.
For more information, contact Ken Ervin at northernmainelacrosseclub@gmail.com or phone 603-903-2493.
