In an effort to raise awareness and promote lacrosse sport in Botswana, LaxReach in collaboration with Botswana Lacrosse Association hosted lacrosse clinic in Kasane on the 6th June, 2026.
LaxReach is a non-profit organization dedicated to making the sport of lacrosse accessible to children worldwide while the Botswana Lacrosse is the official governing body for lacrosse in the country which was established in 2023 and it is a member of the World Lacrosse.
The one-day lacrosse sport clinic which is first of its kind in Botswana was held at Chobe JSS attracting 165 participants aged between 13-16 years, to accelerate player development by focusing on fundamental skills and game knowledge.
Originating from the United States of America (USA), lacrosse is a fast-paced contact team sport where players use a long-handled stick with a mesh net at the end, called a crosse, to catch, carry, and pass a rubber ball. The main goal is to score more goals than the opponent by throwing the ball into their goal.
Two teams compete, typically with 10 players on the field for men’s lacrosse and 12 for women’s lacrosse. Players wear helmets, gloves, and protective padding to stay safe from body checks and stick checks. Players pass, catch, and run while cradling the ball in their stick’s mesh to keep it secure. Defenders use their sticks to block passes, knock the ball away, or physically check opponents to steal possession.
In an interview, Botswana Lacrosse Association President, Lebogang Sedirwa said that their intention is to develop the sport across Botswana by teaching it to members of the community so that they can understand how it is played.
Sedirwa stated that by starting their first lacrosse clinic in Kasane they wanted to bridge the gap on urban sports dominance by making the sport accessible for people in rural areas.
She revealed the plans to expand the sport to other places across Botswana to make it more accessible and affordable. Sedirwa noted that part of their plans is to develop the sport at the grass root level and establish lacrosse national teams.
According to Sedirwa, their plan is to also develop a team that can represent Botswana at the Summer Olympic Games that will be hosted in Los Angeles, California, from July 14 to July 30, 2028.
Sedirwa said that her intention is to work with different stakeholders to teach Batswana about the sport. She encouraged Batswana to join the sport and support her efforts of developing it.
She stated that the sport is rapidly growing in Africa as it has already been introduced in other countries that include Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ghana, Nigeria Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Ivory Coast.
Meanwhile, Sedirwa who learnt how to play lacrosse in 2023 in South Africa, came back to Botswana last year January to spearhead development movements aimed at getting lacrosse into the local sporting fraternity. She has taken her expertise to neighbouring countries, such as helping with lacrosse clinics in Zimbabwe alongside other African lacrosse advocates.
