Dragons host first Lacrosse Fun Day for kids in the community

During the inaugural Lacrosse Fun Day, the Allentown/Upper Freehold Athletics Association’s Dragons lacrosse program opened up the fields for all of the children in the community.

Above: Dragons lacrosse player Connor Sullivan helps teach a child the basics of lacrosse during the first-ever Lacrosse Fun Day in Allentown on Nov. 13. Left: A future Dragons goalie is born at the Lacrosse Fun Day. Veteran players were on hand to help teach kids how to catch, throw and shoot while their parents learned more about “America’s fast-growing sport,” according to John Masserini, president of the Allentown/ Upper Freehold Athletics Association.

“At one point, we had about 80 boys and girls on the fields, and more than half of them were not wearing Dragons jerseys” Masserini said. “We had kids from kindergarten through eighth grade having a catch, trying their hand at accuracy shots, and seeing how fast they could shoot into the net.”

Veteran Dragons players have a very strong belief in giving back to the community, and many of the young men and women volunteered for the event to help give back to the program they love, according to Masserini. The league supplied everything the children needed for the day, including sticks, gloves and helmets.

“Parents are a bit leery about the cost of equipment without knowing if the children will stick with it,” Masserini said. “Today was an opportunity for the children to come out, pick up a lacrosse stick and run around the field to see if it was something they wanted to do.”

The Dragons will be celebrating their fifth anniversary this spring. The league offers full programs for boys and girls in grades 3-8, as well as an instructional program for children in grades K-2.

For more information, visit www.AUFAA.org or send an email to lacrosse@aufaa.org.