IMG_6440%2B%25282%2529.jpg — **OUR APPROACH**

Our mission is to improve educational opportunities and life outcomes for underserved middle school and high school students in the Bronx, using lacrosse to build community, invest students in school, and improve academics.
Our approach combines intensive academic and athletic services with mentoring, team-building experiences, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) opportunities to position our student-athletes for success in school, in life, and when applying to competitive high schools and colleges.

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OUR VALUES

COMMUNITY

We put the needs of our team and classmates above our own. We lift our classmates, teachers, coaches, and teammates up; we never tear down. We strive to be role models in our classrooms, school, and neighborhood. We take care of our parks, fields, streets, and classrooms. We ask, “how can we help?”

GROWTH

We believe no one is born smart or good at lacrosse; hard work makes you stronger in the classroom and better on the field. We welcome failure as an opportunity to get better and believe tomorrow is another chance to get it right. We don’t give up on ourselves or each other.

COMMITMENT

We show up--on time--every time: to school, to class, to practice, to tutoring, and after school. We give 100% on the field in the classroom. We practice lacrosse and academic skills after hours and outside of schools. We persist through challenges, setbacks, and discomfort.

WHO WE SERVE

Bronx Lacrosse serves middle and high school students in the South Bronx, one of the most underserved congressional districts in the U.S. Program participants are fierce competitors, committed teammates, and hard-working student-athletes.

240 PARTICIPANTS

ages 10-18

67% Hispanic/Latinx
32% Black
1% Other

78%
First-Generation American

SUPPORT OUR TEAM

Our Impact

Bronx Lacrosse serves as an anchor of support, community, and resilience. That’s why our students outperform their peers academically.

2023 Full Impact Report

of our 8th graders graduated middle school on time

of rising 9th graders were accepted into high schools with graduation rates of 85% or higher

81%

average GPA

81%

math GPA

Algebra-Readiness Tutoring Program

33 percentage point growth on average

“Bronx Lacrosse’s impact on our school community

has been tremendous. In an unprecedented global pandemic, the support Bronx Lacrosse gave our students was nothing short of game-changing. Our students in the Bronx Lacrosse program are significantly outperforming their peers in academic and social-emotional readiness, as demonstrated on baseline assessments and school attendance.

—Kyle Brillante, Principal, Highbridge Green School

View our previous Impact Reports:

2021

Get+involved+banner+picture+.jpg — OUR HISTORY

In 2015, Dan Leventhal began teaching special education math at the Highbridge Green School in the South Bronx through Teach For America. Looking for a way to connect with his students outside of the classroom, he decided to share his passion for lacrosse with his seventh grade class.
By the spring of 2016, he garnered enough enthusiasm to form a team of 30 students. In 2018, he started an official team and organization called Bronx Lacrosse. The program’s impact was dramatic and immediate: Students demonstrated an increase in school attendance, enhanced academic performance, and better overall behavior. Encouraged by these results, he expanded the program to three other schools in the community.

Our Team

Dan Leventhal is the Founder and President of Bronx Lacrosse. As a Teach for America '15 Corps Member, Dan worked as a special education math teacher at Highbridge Green Middle School in the South Bronx. During his time there, he launched the school… — Dan Leventhal is the Founder and President of Bronx Lacrosse. As a Teach for America 2015 Corps Member, Dan worked as a special education math teacher at Highbridge Green Middle School in the South Bronx. During his time there, he launched the school’s first ever after-school lacrosse program. Seeing an immediate and dramatic impact on the students’ behavior and academic performance, and as a means to deepen his connection with his students, he formally launched Bronx Lacrosse in 2018. Shortly after, the program was expanded to reach even more young people in the community.
Under Dan’s Leadership, Bronx Lacrosse has helped hundreds of youth in the South Bronx develop their lacrosse & leadership skills and improve their academics. Dan’s efforts with the program have recently been recognized on City and State Magazine’s “Bronx Power 100,” which highlights local influential leaders who are working hard on behalf of the Bronx.
Dan was a member of the Men’s Lacrosse Team at Tufts University (2014), which won the 2014 DIII National Championship and was a member of Israel’s National Lacrosse Team in the 2014 and 2018 World Games. At Tufts, he worked with Team Impact, a non-profit that connects children facing serious illnesses with college athletic teams. He received his Masters in Education from Fordham University and currently resides in Manhattan.

Dan Leventhal
Founder & President
dan@bronxlacrosse.org

Chrissy Young is the Chief Program Officer of Bronx Lacrosse. She’s passionate about making sure everything kids do here - from lacrosse to tutoring - is the best it can be. Before joining the team, Chrissy rowed on Fairfield University’s Division I crew team. She sat in the back of the boat, tried not to fall out, and helped keep team spirits high. Chrissy began a career advocating for equity as a Teach for America corps member in New Orleans before returning to her native Brooklyn, where she taught, designed curriculum, and developed teachers and leaders as Senior Director of Humanities. Chrissy holds a Masters in Education from Hunter College and a Certificate in School Management and Leadership from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. She believes kindness and snacks solve most problems.

Chrissy Young
Chief Program Officer
chrissy@bronxlacrosse.org

Nate Galper
Director of Strategic Marketing & Program Director
nate@bronxlacrosse.org

Nick Leffler is a Senior Program Director at Bronx Lacrosse. He is a University at Buffalo Graduate ('16) who studied Education and Health and Human Services. During his time in Buffalo, he was a 3-year starter and team captain in his senior season for the Bulls Men's Lacrosse Program (MCLA). In his Junior Year Nick began his coaching career at Clarence Middle School in Clarence, NY. Nick then served as a Varsity Assistant at his alma mater Scotia Glenville, helping them reach the Class C Sectional Final in 2018. In addition to playing for UB, Nick also served as the Vice President ('15) and President ('16) of the Lacrosse Program. Outside of coaching lacrosse, Nick spends much of his time on the golf course attempting to finally break 80 or get a hole-in-one, whichever comes first.

Nick Leffler
Senior Program Director
nick@bronxlacrosse.org

Dwayne is the Director of Lacrosse at Bronx Lacrosse. Prior to joining Bronx Lacrosse, Stewart served as the inaugural Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at SUNY New Paltz, where he led the program to several key wins and milestones during their first few seasons. Before his time at SUNY New Paltz, Stewart was an assistant coach at Lincoln Memorial University where he led the team to both a top-five ranked offense in Division II lacrosse and a top-ten extra-man unit in 2018. Stewart attended the University of Albany from 2008-13, earning his bachelor in psychology while minoring in sociology. At Albany, Stewart was named to the America East All-Rookie Team, in addition to helping lead the Great Danes to an America East Conference Championship and an NCAA Tournament Berth.

Dwayne Stewart
Director of Lacrosse
dwayne@bronxlacrosse.org

Ethan joined Bronx Lacrosse in the spring of 2022. As an undergraduate college student, Ethan was a member of the Brown University Men's lacrosse team, where his team won the Ivy League Championship in 2015 and 2016 and played in the Division I NCAA Final Four in 2016. He graduated with honors in 2018, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He has since worked in financial services and then at a healthcare company seeking to bring higher quality medical care to historically underserved communities. In his free time, Ethan loves to be active - he especially enjoys pickup basketball and playing tennis with his family. One of his most fond memories is when the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Ethan Frieder
Program Director
ethan@bronxlacrosse.org

Inde joined Bronx Lacrosse in the Winter of 2023. In May of the same year, she graduated from Florida State University with her master’s degree in Sport Management following the completion of her B.S. in Sport Management in 2022. She began playing lacrosse in third grade and continued to play through college as a member of the FSU Women’s Club Lacrosse team. During her last year in Tallahassee as a graduate student, she was the Head Coach for the club team, ending the season at the WCLA National Tournament in Virginia Beach. In her free time, Inde enjoys spending time with her friends, completing the NY Times Daily Games, and going on walks.

Inde Lauer
Program Director
inde@bronxlacrosse.org

Jeffrey Perez joined Bronx Lacrosse in February, 2024. Born and raised in the Bronx, Jeff attended Cardinal Hayes high school from 2011-2015, where he was a 3 year member of the Varisty Lacrosse team and a 2 year member of the Varisty Football team. Jeff attended and graduated from SUNY Canton and was also a member of the SUNY Canton Men’s Lacrosse team for all 4 years. After graduating with his B.A. in Sports Management in 2020, he took the summer to find himself doing things such as in-line skating, living life without a beard, and playing other sports such as Basketball and Golf. From December 2020 – February 2024, Jeff was working in youth athletics, coaching in lacrosse, basketball, football, baseball and any activity or sports kids wanted to try or practice. He discovered Bronx Lacrosse doing part timework at the Barclay Center, when a friend/co-worker told him about Bronx lacrosse and all the great work we’ve been doing in his hometown. His college mascot was a kangaroo and Jeff will be a proud Kangaroo for life! #rollroos

Jeffrey Perez
Program Director
jeffrey@bronxlacrosse.org

Eddy Bautista
Assistant Program Director

Julie joined Bronx Lacrosse in the Summer of 2021. After graduating from Northwestern University with a B.S. in Social Policy, Julie completed a M.S. in Management Studies at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, she was a member of the women’s lacrosse team and was on teams that won Big Ten Championships and competed in the NCAA D1 Final Four. Julie continues to play lacrosse on the international stage as a member of the Israel national team.

Julie has experience working in the nonprofit sector, and is passionate about growing the game of lacrosse, developing nonprofit organizations and positioning them to best serve communities, and immersing herself in the South Bronx community. When Julie is not working, she enjoys spending time with her friends and family, eating sushi, and polishing her knowledge of random college mascots.

Julie Krupnick
Director of Operations
julie@bronxlacrosse.org

Kristina Mendez joined the Bronx Lacrosse team in the summer of 2023 after previously being a K-5 teacher. In 2018, Kristina graduated from Agnes Scott college with a B.A in Philosophy with plans to go to law school but she always knew that she wanted to work with children. Teaching became the natural career choice and she moved to New York in 2018 to teach in the South Bronx. After teaching kindergarten and 1st grade for one year, she chose to pursue education more seriously and joined Teach For America in 2019. Since then she has completed a Masters in Teaching and an Advanced Certificate in Special Education from Relay Graduate School of Education. Kristina has taught 5th grade math for the past four years and served as a teacher coach for new Teach For America Corps Members. She played lacrosse for a short time in high school along with other sports such as volleyball, golf and cheerleading and has always been passionate about the title "student athlete" and the motivation it can give youth to reach for the stars. In her free time, Kristina enjoys making mathematical anchor charts, completing puzzles and trying various international foods.

Kristina Mendez
Director of Academics
kristina@bronxlacrosse.org

Cole joined Bronx Lacrosse as a Program Director in the spring of 2022. Growing up in Northern New Jersey, Cole began playing lacrosse at a young age and continued throughout high school. He was named a Captain and won a Passaic County Championship at Wayne Valley High school. Cole graduated from the University of Delaware (’22) earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Forensic Science. As an undergraduate college student, Cole spent his summers working as an intern with the Drug Enforcement Administration and in Family Court at the Passaic County Superior Court House. These experiences allowed him to pivot his focus towards wanting to help provide resources and opportunity for our youth. Cole hopes to spread the game of lacrosse to as many people as possible in hopes it can inspire and change lives the way it did his own. When he isn’t working, Cole enjoys spending time outdoors, preferably on the beach or golf course. He also loves cooking, at least when he isn’t setting off the fire alarms, which happens a bit too often.

Cole Drozjock
Program Director
cole@bronxlacrosse.org

Chesslyn began working at Bronx Lacrosse as a Program Director in the Winter of 2023. After graduating from Kennesaw State University with a B.S. in Psychology and minor in Entrepreneurship, she worked in HR management while coaching her local club and school team. While at Kennesaw, Chesslyn was a member of the D1 lacrosse program, served on her team's Leadership Committee, and sat on the University’s Student Affairs Leadership Council. Chesslyn is passionate about player development on and off the field and is committed to serving the Bronx Community and the Bronx Lacrosse mission. Chesslyn enjoys spending time with friends and family, trying new foods, and exploring the city.

Chesslyn Lamar
Program Director
chesslyn@bronxlacrosse.org

Brianna McCaffrey began her journey with Bronx Lacrosse in June 2021 as Program Director. She grew up in South Florida, where she first picked up lacrosse at Pope John Paul II High School. She continued her athletic career at Liberty University, graduating in 2019 with a major in Interdisciplinary Studies. She played for the NCAA D1 team for all four years and was a captain during her senior year. During her time in college, she helped grow the program and was invited to play in the IWLA Senior All-Star game at US Lacrosse headquarters in Maryland. Before working with Bronx Lacrosse, Brianna helped various top D1 teams by coaching summer camps, and was a private lacrosse trainer in Florida and New Jersey. She hopes to share her passion by giving back to the sport that helped her grow tremendously on and off the field. During her free time you can find Brianna at the beach, painting landscapes, and taking long walks down the ice cream aisle.

Brianna McCaffrey
Program Director
brianna@bronxlacrosse.org

Gabby joined Bronx Lacrosse in the summer of 2023. Gabby started playing lacrosse at a young age and continued on her playing career at Niagara University. She graduated in 2021 with her B.S. in marketing and her MBA in 2023. While at Niagara she was also involved in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and the Morgan's Message ambassador program. In her free time Gabby enjoys reading, going on runs and spending time with family.

Gabby Tambroni
Program Director
gabby@bronxlacrosse.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Davon Russell, Board Co-Chair
Wendy Sacks, Board Co-Chair
Michaelene Durst, Secretary
Joanie Berkery
Mike Bocklet
Brian Carcaterra

Andrew Copelan
Wendy Frieder
Beth Leventhal
Sharon Robinson
Lauren Schwartz
Cindy Wiseman

Associate BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Blair Friedensohn
Emily Krupnick
Lindsey McKone
Brett Makar

John Ranagan
Jake Schuckman
Beau Wood

OUR PARTNERS

OUR supporters

The Bronx Community Foundation
Bill Belichick Foundation
Charles Hayden Foundation
Citibank
Cleveland H. Dodge Foundation
Dick’s Sporting Goods Foundation
Fordham Street Foundation
Gatorade
Gray Foundation
Heckscher Foundation for Children

Heisman Trophy Trust
Ichigo Foundation
Kohlberg & Co.
Laureus Sport for Good
MarketAxess
Marc Haas Foundation
Nuveen
NYC Department of Education
NY Life Foundation
Patrina Foundation

Pinkerton Foundation
Robin Hood Foundation
SparkYouth NYC
Thomas F Staley Foundation
Torch Foundation
UJA Federation of New York
Women’s Sports Foundation
WHEDco
Youth Inc

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