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IWLCA Partners with Leveling the Playing Field to Expand Equipment Accessibility

By IWLCA Admin, 10/22/24, 1:00PM EDT

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IWLCA Partners with Leveling the Playing Field to Expand Equipment Accessibility
 

The IWLCA is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with Leveling the Playing Field (LPF), a non-profit dedicated to addressing equipment accessibility gaps for players and teams in under-resourced areas. This partnership, supported by the IWLCA's Equity and Inclusion Committee, aims to make lacrosse more accessible to all young athletes through equipment sourcing.

"We couldn't be more excited about working with Leveling the Playing Field to collect and distribute girl’s lacrosse equipment to programs in need,” stated IWLCA Executive Director Liz Robertshaw. “Access to the game should not be limited by location or financial constraints, and if the IWLCA can help through the reach of the IWLCA Tournaments Series and our member institutions, we want to do it."

Will McBeath, LPF Operations Manager, added, "Leveling the Playing Field is thrilled to partner with the IWLCA. We invite players, parents, and coaches to support this initiative by donating equipment so that kids in under-resourced communities can enjoy the game without the burden of equipment costs.”

Starting with next month's IWLCA Leaders Cup in Richmond, Virginia, the IWLCA will be collecting donations of new and gently used lacrosse sticks, goggles, and goalie equipment. This equipment will be brought back to LPF headquarters, inventoried and sent to various LPF sites like Buffalo, Columbus, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. for distribution to local programs. The IWLCA and LPF will continue this effort into select future IWLCA Tournament Series events in the Summer of 2025 and beyond.

Additionally, the IWLCA will explore opportunities for college players and programs to donate unused and gently used equipment at the end of the school year, ensuring that equipment left behind finds a new home with young players who need it.

For more information about the IWLCA Tournament Series, visit www.iwlcarecruiting.com and for more on LPF, visit www.levelingtheplayingfield.org.

About Leveling the Playing Field: Founded in 2013 by Max Levitt, Leveling the Playing Field collects new and gently-used sports and playground equipment from local youth sports communities. Volunteers then sort the donations in our warehouse so we can distribute the gear to schools and organizations working to provide an affordable and accessible option to under-resourced youth groups, community programs and schools throughout several markets. In evaluating our success, a primary benefit LPF brings to youth sports organizations is the ability to reallocate equipment funds towards other aspects of their program that increases affordability and accessibility. Ninety percent of our beneficiaries report that they have additional financial flexibility for their program as a result of our donations.

About the IWLCAThe IWLCA is a membership-led, professional association representing the nation’s intercollegiate women’s lacrosse coaches within Division I, II & III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The IWLCA is a 501c(3) nonprofit educational organization. Currently, there are over 550 institutional members and over 1,200 coaches participating in NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, and the NAIA.