Lacrosse Clinic for Special Needs Children Being Offered in Ellington

ELLINGTON, CT — Children with special needs and their parents will be able to experience the game of lacrosse first-hand in an event planned for next month.

The event is the first-ever Spirit Lacrosse Clinic and it is scheduled for Sunday, May 7, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Pinney Street Fields in Ellington.

Spirit Lacrosse is the creation of local youth player Riley Giordano, a seventh-grader at Ellington Middle School who volunteers through the Ellington Youth Services Decide to Be Kind campaign.

The goal of the campaign is to spread kindness throughout the community.

"After spending time with a couple of my cousins who have special needs, it occurred to me that not all children have the same opportunities to play this fun sport," Giordano said. "One of my cousins has autism and another one of my cousins has Down Syndrome, and unfortunately, they have never had the chance to try lacrosse in a setting that is comfortable for them. This is why I will be hosting the clinic."

The clinic is designed for players 5 to 14 and will feature fun-themed lacrosse drills, skill development sessions, snacks and the opportunity to make new friends. Experienced coaches will be on-hand.

The clinic is open to both Ellington residents and non-residents. In addition to Ellington Youth Services, the Ellington Parks and Recreation Program is sponsoring the event.

Questions can be e-mailed to spiritlaxCT@gmail.com.

Click here for registration information with the code "spirit.lax."

Patch File Photo