Students Who Serve

Harlem Lacrosse is an educational non-profit with a mission to empower children to reach their full potential by reducing risk factors that lead to academic decline by using lacrosse as a teaching and motivational tool. My name is Jaime Nolan and I proudly serve as the Girls Program Director with Harlem Lacrosse at Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School Middle School in Boston, Massachusetts. Each day I strive to inspire my players to aim high in the classroom and on the field.

Harlem Lacrosse is unique because of the dynamic of using mentoring, academics, and athletics and as one comprehensive program. I spend every recess and lunch with my players, teach a social emotional learning class four days a week, and I have practice three times a week. In addition, we take our players on enrichment trips to get outside Boston, visit different colleges and university, and gain new experiences and skills. The best part of my job is using lacrosse to teach our players transferable skills that cannot be taught in the classroom. As an athlete my entire life, sports taught me discipline, perseverance, goal setting, and I was able to mentally and physically challenge myself in a way I never thought I could. These things and so much more, I hope my players will take away from the program.

As a first year Program Director and new to Boston,  I was nervous about how I was going to find an assistant coach. As is true for many sporting leagues, many people want to coach, but they do not have the time due to work and family obligations. Fortunately, at Young Achievers Science and Math Pilot School, we have a partnership with Boston College’s PULSE class. PULSE is a theology and philosophy class that educates their students about the inequalities we have in this country through a service learning opportunity. Our PULSE students are with us all year, every week, working on the players athletic skills as well as their social emotional learning.

At Young Achievers the girls program has Caroline Costa. Coach Caroline is a sophomore at Boston College from Rye, New York. She comes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and assists with brainstorming and setting up for our social emotional class, assists in running practices, and more importantly is another person for the students to look up to and get to know. Coach Caroline’s goal is to become a mentor to our players at Young Achievers and encourage the girls to reach their full potential.

“I joined PULSE because I wanted to expand my perspective and understanding of the world and take a course that went beyond the classroom.” At Harlem Lacrosse, Coach Caroline is doing that and so much more. She’s building her leadership skills while investing in theirs through lacrosse and enrichment activities. She is in players lives week after week, supporting and encouraging each and every girl.

Coach Caroline has been with us for a few weeks now and is enjoying seeing the returners help out the new players with their stick skills. “I am really enjoying seeing how the girls interact with each other. I have already seen multiple more experienced girls teach new team members how to do certain drills or help them with their technique.”