In June, Israel Lacrosse donated 27 helmets, 20 sets of shoulder pads, and 10 girl’s lacrosse sticks to Kenya Lacrosse. It is the freshest feat in the budding relationship between the two young national lacrosse organizations.
It’s a big deal for Kenya, a nation located on a continent without a single lacrosse equipment manufacturer. This means that it isn’t purely a matter of money for Kenya Lacrosse – it’s access.
According to KLA Technical Director Fred Osore, the organization’s primary method for obtaining equipment has been via international lax travelers coming to Kenya, bringing extra gear with them, and leaving it behind for the locals.
“There are many groups of Christian athletes here, because they’re active on the ground,” Osore explained. “There are also other people who are friends with someone who plays lacrosse, and when they come in groups of three or four, they bring equipment. That is how we’ve been growing our equipment bank.”
Kenya Lacrosse does not permit players from taking equipment home with them – they must protect what is there. It is all locked up after practices and games.
In all, Kenya Lacrosse President Cosmas Nabungolo estimated that there are 600 to 700 active lacrosse players in Kenya across the 10 high schools that the organization operates within as of now. The sport has found particular popularity among girls.
Kenya Lacrosse’s long-term ambitions reach higher. Nabungolo said that many of the more than five thousands Kenyan high schools have invited his organization to their grounds. It’s a matter of equipment, not enthusiasm.
“We are not long in it, but Kenyans are passionate about this sport,” Nabungolo said. “First, we started at centers of excellence. When the other schools realized that there is a new sport and the manner in which it’s played, many of them wanted to explore it as a new front as opposed to the dominant soccer, dominant basketball, dominant athletics that have been in the schools. Each one of them wants to apply to a new sport, and lacrosse now seems to be the sport that schools are yearning to participate in.”
The Direct Impact
What the ILA provided Kenya Lacrosse is not enough to solve these issues, but it does make a dent.
After the KLA received the equipment, the organization passed some of it along to Merishaw School in Nairobi. The school formed a boy’s lacrosse team within a month, then showcased it at the Kenya Secondary Sports Association national championship games in August. Merishaw School did so well at the event that it earned a trophy from Kenya Lacrosse.
The remaining elements of the donation are making impacts in other ways, specifically for Kenyan girls.
“(Israel Lacrosse’s donation) will be used to support youth development programs and community outreach initiatives,” Kenya Lacrosse CEO Derick Sagini said. “We are going to identify one girl’s school, then give this equipment to that girl’s school so that we can work along with them.”
Players practicing in Kenya and representing the country on the national, continental, and international stages will use the equipment until the KLA chooses that school. This moves the needle in an obvious sense – well-equipped players are in better positions to succeed – but it makes intangible differences, too.
“This equipment will ensure that our players have the necessary gear to protect themselves and train effectively,” Sagini said. “It will also boost team morale and confidence knowing that they have the equipment and resources needed to compete at their best level.”
The Kenya Lacrosse-Israel Lacrosse Story
The ILA had a bit of a head start on the KLA – Israel gained its World Lacrosse membership in 2011, five years before Kenya’s acceptance as an associate member in 2016 and 10 prior to its elevation to Full Member status in 2021 – but neither nation is home to the world’s lacrosse hotbeds. It’s been an uphill climb from scratch for both. That commonality has sprouted a bond.
It began in 2019 at the World Lacrosse Women’s U20 Championship. Israeli players noticed that their Kenyan opponents were wearing sneakers, not cleats, in their shared contest. The next day, Israel Lacrosse hand-delivered proper lacrosse footwear to every member of the Kenyan team.
In 2023, ILA President Ian Kadish and Osore crossed paths in San Diego at the World Lacrosse Men’s Championship. This personal connection opened doors for the organizations to further co-mingle. The recent equipment donation is the latest milestone in the ongoing cooperation.
The communal focus on the growth and health of lacrosse across the world is the glue, Sagini said.
“When Fred met Ian in San Diego, he discovered a strong partnership with Israel Lacrosse,” the CEO explained. “Their commitment to grow the sport globally and their successful development of programs spoke to us. The relationship between our two countries is collaborative and supportive, because we share so many common goals in promoting and developing lacrosse in our respective regions.”
Kadish agreed, emphasizing that the ILA made this donation with the world in mind.
“Derick Sagini and his team are working tirelessly to grow the game of lacrosse,” he said. “This initiative reflects our commitment to fostering the sport’s growth globally and supporting its development in emerging regions. We are excited to see the positive impact this will have on the lacrosse community in Kenya and look forward to strengthening our international bonds through our shared love of this game.”
Nabungolo believes that Israel Lacrosse’s help and the continued affiliation between it and Kenya Lacrosse will not only benefit the sport in the two countries but all of Africa, too. Together, the associations can do much good, he said.
“My appeal is: kindly hold our hand, let’s learn together,” the president explained. “There is a lot that we can learn from Israel Lacrosse, technically, structurally, and even on matters of coaching and training coaches. This noble gesture will not only benefit Kenya, but I think it will extend when we play Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. We stand together as family with Israel Lacrosse.”
Featured photo courtesy of Kenya Lacrosse.