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During this year's Black History Month, our program looked to highlight some of our African-American rising stars from our varsity program.
From seniors to freshmen, Lyric Young '22, Christina Thomas '23, Mikayla Kamara '24, and Heba Mobaidin '25 provide a unique insight into what it means to be African-American lacrosse players and the challenges they faced along the way!
Why is representation in lacrosse important?
Representation in lacrosse is important because seeing people who look like you participate in something you enjoy is not only inspiring but lets you know that you can do what they’re doing. Since lacrosse has long been considered a white sport, seeing black players will not only encourage other black girls to play but will also provide exposure to lacrosse in black
communities. - Lyric Young '22
Being a person of color can be difficult let alone being a person of color while playing a predominantly white sport. CMIT Academy's lacrosse program is filled with diversity, whether it be beautiful cultures or different races. Although this advocates for diversifying lacrosse teams, other people might see us as a joke since it is mainly played amongst predominately white people. The team that CMIT has created breaks the untrue assumption that lacrosse is a predominately white sport. Our main goal as a team is to open the eyes of little girls and boys of all races to join in this wonderful sport of lacrosse. Being a black lacrosse player paves the way for other minorities who have always wanted to play lacrosse but have been discouraged by the lack of representation in the media. - Heba Mobaidin '25
What does being a black woman lacrosse player mean to you?
I think being a minority in any majority-run sport or industry can be daunting and come with a set of challenges. When you are one of a small group of black girls playing lacrosse in high
school across the country, you are looked at differently. You become the representative for your community. Coming from a school where the majority of the students are black, it is easy to forget that outside of this “bubble” it is very different. Being a black woman in lacrosse means that I can be an advocate for diversifying the sport. Introducing it to more people like me who would not of known about lacrosse otherwise. - Christina Thomas '23
When I first started lacrosse I didn’t really think about the lack of diversity in the sport, I just thought about how excited I was to play. But, the more I played and the more film I watched, the more I questioned why I didn’t see anyone of my skin complexion on the TV playing the sport I had grown attached to. Being a black lacrosse player has a new meaning to me... it is a chance to inspire young African American girls to play lacrosse and increase diversity within Lacrosse. - Mikayla Kamara '24
What changes in diversity would like to see happen in the lacrosse world?
Nothing is wrong with more diversity. This sport originated with Native Americans, which I'm
sure most would not know because of lack of representation. This sport has few minority groups, which is slowly and steadily changing. People in diverse areas need more access to the sport. If it wasn't for my coach coming to this school and starting the club, then none of us would have done it. People need to have resources available to them, to create the change they wish to see. - Christina Thomas '23
Access is so vital when it comes to diversity in lacrosse. Before coming to CMIT I knew very
little about lacrosse and barely watched it because I didn’t see people who looked like me. If
there was diversity there may have been maybe two to three women of color on the screen.
Changes I would like to see would be more camps, club teams, and clinics available to black
communities so that young black girls can be exposed to the game at a young age so that they can have the same advantages as their white counterparts. I would also like to see more diversity within collegiate and professional teams, from athletes to staff. While lacrosse is growing in diversity and size, there is still a long way to go. - Lyric Young '22
What advice would you give a black girl just starting lacrosse?
As Nike says, “Just Do It”. I never played sports competitively growing up until my sophomore year of high school. I had to try to learn lacrosse in two weeks and then was thrown into a spring season. Looking back it was a crazy experience, but one that I will never say I had regrets about. Our coach always tells us that regret is far worse than failure. So don't pass up the opportunity to join a sport because it is brand new, or because there is a lack of diversity, just do it. - Christina Thomas '23
I would say go in with no regrets. I was lucky enough to play lacrosse with other women of color so I never experienced any type of racial prejudice on my team or in the game. But for some other black lacrosse players I know that's not the case. Still--I would say just go in determined and ready to play. Also, go in with the thought of “I'm doing it for the younger girls coming behind me." At the end of the day go in without fear and play the best you can. - Lyric Young '22
I would say to an African American girl just starting lacrosse is to not be intimidated by it being a predominantly white sport. Be confident and know that you can do anything you put your mind to. Excel in the sport so you can inspire another African American girl to take the leap into lacrosse and know that if “she can do it I can too.” Be the change you want to see in the sport. - Mikayla Kamara '24