NLL UnBOXed, Volo Kids Foundation and USA Lacrosse Bring Free to Play Lacrosse Clinic to Baltimore

BALTIMORE, MD · The National Lacrosse League’s grassroots initiative, NLL UnBOXed, is teaming up with the Volo Kids Foundation and USA Lacrosse to host a Free to Play lacrosse clinic during Atlas Cup Weekend. The clinic takes place Saturday, October 24, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Club Volo Brewers Hill, giving young players in Baltimore a chance to pick up a stick and experience the fast and beautiful game of lacrosse for the first time.

The clinic, open to kids aged 5 to 13, had all 50 spots filled ahead of the event, a clear sign of the appetite for the game in Baltimore. There is no cost to play and no experience required, and every participant will have a stick in hand from the first drill, removing two of the biggest barriers that keep kids from trying the sport.

Sessions will be led by USA Lacrosse coaches, who will walk players through the fundamentals of the game, from cradling and passing to shooting in tight spaces, in a fun, high-energy setting built for first-timers and young players alike. The emphasis is on reps, touches and fun, so every kid leaves the field with a feel for the game and a reason to come back.

“This clinic, built with the team at Volo alongside USA Lacrosse and Hackees Lacrosse, shows what’s possible when we make the game easier to try, play and fall in love with,” said Dennis Bruzzi, Manager of Grassroots Operations for the NLL. “Together with our partners, it’s a model we can bring to every market. The next great NLL player could pick up a stick for the first time at an event just like this one, and we owe it to the game to keep creating more of them.”

More Than a One-Day Event

The goal reaches well beyond a single afternoon. NLL UnBOXed is providing 50 Hackees Lacrosse sticks, goals, giveaways and more, and all of that equipment will stay with Volo Baltimore after the event to power future clinics and programming in the area. Rather than a one-time visit, the clinic leaves behind the tools for a local program to keep growing.

Volo Sports, which is leading and co-running the activation, brings deep roots in Baltimore’s youth sports community and a direct connection to a network of new players. Working alongside community partners like Living Classrooms, which runs a lacrosse program for Baltimore middle school students, the group is focused on building lasting pathways into the sport for kids who may not have had access before, with a shared goal of turning this clinic into ongoing opportunities to play across the city.

USA Lacrosse brings experienced coaching to the field and a link to the broader lacrosse community in Maryland, giving new players and their families a clear next step once the clinic wraps, plus a chance to see the best players in the world that same weekend. Every clinic participant will receive a free ticket to the Atlas Cup, and family members who want to come along can get discounted tickets.

Make It a Weekend at the 2026 Atlas Cup

The clinic is part of a huge weekend for lacrosse in Maryland. From October 23 to 25, USA Lacrosse hosts the 2026 Atlas Cup at its national headquarters in Sparks, bringing together the men’s and women’s national teams from the United States, Canada, the Haudenosaunee Nationals and Ireland to compete in sixes, the format headed to the LA28 Olympics.

Beyond the games, the weekend features fan zones, autographs, exclusive merchandise, family activities, food trucks and entertainment. Clinic participants and their families are encouraged to make the trip and see the best players in the world up close. For kids who just picked up a stick for the first time, there is no better way to see where the game can take them.

Families who missed out on a clinic spot can still catch the action at the Atlas Cup, with the full schedule, ticket options and event information available at the link below. And with the equipment staying in Baltimore, more NLL UnBOXed opportunities in the area are on the way.

Get Your Seats Now: 2026 Atlas Cup Information

About NLL UnBOXed

NLL UnBOXed is the National Lacrosse League’s grassroots box lacrosse initiative, working with partners to make the game easier to try, play and love through clinics, community programming and equipment support.

Interested in bringing an NLL UnBOXed clinic to your community? Reach out to [email protected] to start the conversation.