Oakland Lacrosse Club, Oakland Athletic League, and OUSD Partner to Build an Eight-School Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse League

Written by Alliance for Girls member, Oakland Lacrosse ClubDid you hear the news?! Back in May, Oakland Lacrosse Club announced that it would be dramatically expanding its girls' programming by building an eight-school girls’ varsity lacrosse league, in partnership with the Oakland Athletic League and the Oakland Unified School District. Not only will this league directly benefit high school girls and gender-expansive youth, but also will enhance OUSD’s work towards fully addressing Title IX sports access for girls. You can read more about this exciting work on OLC’s blog.OLC is currently connecting with students and staff at Castlemont, Oakland High, Oakland Tech, and Skyline in preparation for the spring 2022 season. Teams at Coliseum College Prep, Fremont, Madison Park Academy and McClymonds will be added over the next two years. As we seek to reimagine the youth sports experience in Oakland, the lived experiences of girls and gender-expansive youth will play a critical role in the formation of this new league. Students, who wish to participate, will be invited to influence program design and decision making. Ultimately, playing lacrosse on one of these teams will serve as an opportunity for students to improve their confidence, gain new skills, and achieve their goals. It will serve as an opportunity to collaborate on a new tradition of family, belonging, and unity at each of these school campuses. Most importantly, it will serve as an opportunity to challenge class, gender, and racial stereotypes and to resist systems of oppression.Girls and gender-expansive youth who wish to join a team can contact Girls Program Coordinator, Monica Branch, at monica@oaklandlacrosse.org. Girls champions who are interested in coaching and/or supporting one of these teams can also reach out to Monica for more information.