When Bruce Lincoln was growing up in Harlem, lacrosse was not a sport many kids in his neighborhood were playing. He found it in high school, became the only African American on his varsity team, won a Maryland state championship, and played at Princeton University. For years, he watched the sport remain out of reach for communities like the one that raised him. In January 2025, he decided to do something about it.
Uptown Lacrosse, the nonprofit Lincoln founded to bring youth lacrosse to children ages 5 to 12 across Upper Manhattan, wrapped up a first year that drew more than 150 families and is now heading into a full spring season.
Getting kids in early
Lincoln says the age range was not the original plan. He had envisioned starting at 3rd grade, but the turnout at the program’s launch at the Police Athletic League changed his thinking.
“I didn’t think some of the kids would be as young as they were, but we had 5-year-olds,” he said. “Once we started to see how the demographic skewed, it made sense to start with 5-year-olds and go up to 12-year-olds.”
The reasoning behind starting young goes back to what Lincoln observed growing up. “All my friends who taught me how to play had been playing since first grade,” he said. “In order to grow the sport, it’s really good if we can get kids in early so they can learn the basic fundamentals, but also just learn to have fun and love the sport.”
What the spring season looks like
The 2026 spring season begins April 11 and runs every Saturday through June 20, when Uptown Lacrosse hosts its signature event, Uptown L-Ball at the Rucker.
“We play a form of 3-on-3 lacrosse that we call L-ball,” Lincoln explained. “Think 3-on-3 pickup basketball meets lacrosse. Our kids play at the Rucker basketball court, and other teams come and demonstrate their abilities to play this brand of lacrosse.”
The program also has a trip to Princeton planned during the Ivy League portion of the season, giving kids direct exposure to the university and its athletes.
Building a pathway through Uptown Lacrosse
Beyond the sport itself, Lincoln has built a structure around academic opportunity. Princeton University is the program’s official university partner and supplied all the sticks at launch. Volunteer coaches also come from Georgetown, McGill, and Howard University.
“The kids get exposed to athletes who have used lacrosse and are now very successful in their professional lives,” Lincoln said.
In September 2025, independent private schools began reaching out to the program, interested in 4th and 5th graders with lacrosse skills. Lincoln sees that as part of a longer arc.
“We hope that kids who go through Uptown Lacrosse will have that avenue, because they’ll be good at playing the sport, and they can pursue it by going to some of these top schools,” he said.
Connecting kids to the culture of lacrosse
Uptown Lacrosse also teaches the history of the sport. The program uses a creed modeled after that of the Haudenosaunee, the Native American people who originated lacrosse, and honors the contributions of African American players like Miles Harrison and Dave Raymond. In February, the program hosted a book signing for The American Game at the Harlem School of the Arts, where kids had the chance to meet Mendoza Wallace, a noted Black lacrosse player.
Lincoln’s 10-year goal is straightforward. “We want to make lacrosse as accessible as basketball, soccer, and football,” he said. “Right now, it’s about fun, fundamentals, and spreading the sport so people know they can participate.”
Families can register and learn more at www.uptownlacrosse.org.