Donations
Dear Family and Friends,
Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation, at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. In the past few years, many southern universities have added varsity and club-level Lacrosse teams to accommodate the demand for the sport. As Lacrosse gains popularity and momentum in the South, universities will need to be better equipped to support its development. Until then, men and women who have already developed a passion for Lacrosse rely on the support of donors who see its potential.
Four years ago, students at Ole Miss began the Women’s Lacrosse Team with only 14 athletes. The team is a member of the Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (WCLA) at the Division 1 level. We are also part of the Southeastern Women’s Lacrosse League (SWILL) playing SEC teams like Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, and Conference USAs University of Central Florida, and many more.
Although our team is extremely new, we are already gaining recognition as a standout Club Lacrosse Team. In 2012, we had two women make the All SWILL team, and our goalie was named Goalie of the Year. We placed third in the league behind Florida and Central Florida. Our record was 14-6, and we were ranked 33rd nationally for the 2013 season and were a team to watch out for at the nationals by WCLA.
In the fall of 2013, our goalie Sarah Wheat and her brother John (a coach for the Men’s Lacrosse team) were killed by an intoxicated driver, this devastating event brought great pain to our team. Needless to say our team has not been the same after losing Sarah. We managed to complete the season with a record of 4-7, while one of our players making the All SWILL team. SWILL so greatly named the "Goalie of the Year Award" after Sarah, bringing gratitude to the Ole Miss program. Each spring, the Men’s and Women’s Ole Miss Lacrosse teams host the "Wheat Memorial Tournament" in Oxford, Mississippi honoring Sarah and John.
This year, our roster consists of many athletes - all of these women are out-of-state students ranging from California to the East Coast. In addition to being dedicated Lacrosse players, our teammates stay involved with campus life as members of sororities, academic All-Americans, ROTC, local church members, and many more organizations that are offered at Ole Miss.
As a member of SWILL, we are required to play eleven games, and dues for that organization are $3,000. Our transportation cost fluctuates from $18,000-$19,000 a year. To reduce our budget, we stay at a teammate’s house. Last year, our budget totaled $23,047. Ole Miss gives us $3,500 from Club sports and another $5,000 from Athletics – both of these amounts are the maximum a Club team can receive from each organization. On our own, we raised the additional $15,000, which covers travel expenses and equipment for the team. This season we expect our costs to increase due to higher costs for transportation. To meet our potential, we need financial help to cover the expenses that come with playing in our league. However, we have bigger plans last year!
We are looking forward to competing again this season and are excited for any opportunity to gain recognition for Women’s Lacrosse and Ole Miss. We hope that you will be supportive of our program and greatly appreciate any donation you may be willing to give. We encourage you to become a Sponsor of our Lacrosse Program. Please consider one of the Sponsorship Levels below. Please make the checks out to Ole Miss Women’s Lacrosse and address then to our team’s Financial Advisor, Courtney Cleveland.
Ole Miss Women’s Lacrosse
124 Tanglewood Drive
Oxford, MS 38655
Levels:
Hotty Toddy Club - $2,500
- Ad, Logo, & Link on website
- PA Ad at Spring Tournament
- Dinner with Team
- Ole Miss LAX Heavy Fleece
- Ole Miss LAX Hat
Rebel Club - $1,000
- Ad, Logo, & Link on website
- PA Ad at Spring Tournament
- Ole Miss LAX Heavy Fleece
- Ole Miss LAX Hat
Red & Blue - $500
- Ad, Logo, & Link on website
- Ole Miss LAX Hat
If you have any questions about our program or other ways to support Ole Miss Women’s Lacrosse, feel free to contact our team’s president Kate Cowne at kecowne@go.olemiss.edu.
On behalf of the Ole Miss Women’s Lacrosse Team, thank you for your support. We look forward to a winning season and are anxious to grow the sport in Oxford and at The University of Mississippi. Hotty Toddy!
Sincerely,
The 2015-2016 Ole Miss Women’s Lacrosse Team
|
