Join us as we Celebrate our 2019 Annual Benefit Honoree, Coach Chris Sailer!

Everyone involved in athletics dreams about competing against the very best--and winning.  Chris Sailer knows how it feels to be a champion. But as the head of the Princeton Women’s Lacrosse Team, she has also done an ever rarer thing: build a foundation for long-term, consistent success.  For more than three decades, Coach Sailer has kept Princeton at the highest levels of the sport.     

It would be understandable if Coach Sailer chose to rest on the strength of her resume.  In her 33 years as Head Coach, she has led Princeton to three national championships and 15 Ivy League titles.  She is the only Division I head coach to win 400 games at one program. But she still remains relentlessly dedicated to excellence.  Harlem Lacrosse is proud that Chris Sailer is a member of our Executive Board, and we are proud to honor her contributions to our student-athletes and to the sport of lacrosse at our 2019 Annual Benefit in New York City on September 26th.

As Senior Program Director for Harlem Lacrosse’s girls at P.S. 76 A. Philip Randolph in New York City, Brittain Altomare has had the opportunity to partner with Chris for four years.  Chris and her teams at Princeton have visited Harlem annually to run lacrosse clinics and lead enrichment programs with our middle school students.  Brittain said, “It is an amazing opportunity for us to have a relationship with one of the most recognizable names in women’s lacrosse and at one of the best universities in the world. Her mentoring makes college success feel like a reachable goal, not just a dream. Chris makes sure our students know how much she cares about them and is there for them.”  Her former players echo those comments.     

Kellie Ragg played at Princeton, and later became a Harlem Lacrosse volunteer.  She too emphasized how Coach Sailer’s genuine care for each and every one of her players created an unparalleled sense of teamwork and camaraderie.  Kellie said, “I admire her dedication and commitment to the lacrosse community as she continues to inspire the next generation of young female athletes through Harlem Lacrosse. Whether through running clinics with the teams, supporting the program through events, or encouraging Harlem Lacrosse youth to continue to pursue their athletic dreams, Coach Sailer continues to pave the way for young female athletes. She inspires the next generation of brave, courageous leaders who are ready to tackle the world, and I feel lucky to have been one of her players.”  

We invite our supporters to join us at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers on Thursday, September 26th as we celebrate the achievements of over 1000 Harlem Lacrosse student-athletes and pay tribute to Coach Sailer’s groundbreaking leadership on and off the field.  

To secure reserved seating and sponsor a table please contact Kim Appelt, kim@harlemlacrosse.org. Limited table sponsorships available.