Our Crowdfunding Groups
Our Team
The Pitt Men’s Lacrosse team is coming into the 2021-2022 with a full head of steam. After a long stretch of not being able to play due to the ongoing pandemic, the team was ready to get back onto the field and finally play lacrosse again. While the team does look very different since the last time, we were on the field back in early 2020, we are confident that our younger members and our reliable group of seniors will step up to the task and dominate on the field. The team is still headed by coach Richard Rattner who is in his 3rd year as head coach and 9th year overall with Pitt Lacrosse. Rattner is also backed by assistant coaches Nate Rattner, our defensive coordinator and goalie specialist, and former Panther Luke Newton.
After a successful trip to Penn State in early fall where the team went 2-1, we are looking forward to the rest of our fall slate and the full season in the spring. We have games @ IUP on October 17th and @ Penn State again on November 6th. For the spring, we are excited to announce that we have officially made the transition into the ALC conference of the MCLA where we will play a slate of rivals and new competition closer to home. These include games against West Virginia, Temple, and Purdue, as well as our long-time rival Michigan State. There is a national championship tournament this year and we are looking forward to competing to get to that point.
About Our Project
Pitt Men’s Lacrosse has made their transition into the ALC Conference of the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) after many seasons of playing in the CLC. The MCLA acts as a governing structure similar to the NCAA, and provides rules, awards, and a national tournament at the end of each season. Being a part of MCLA is an expensive endeavor. Along with league and conference dues, the team plays 12-18 games each season, half of which require travelling to schools across the country. Because of our status as a club sports team, we do not receive athletic funding from the University of Pittsburgh, and therefore nearly every cost must be covered by the team itself. These costs include MCLA and ALC dues, field time, field. Equipment, apparel, and road trip related. Costs (busses and hotels).
Additionally, the global pandemic has had an adverse impact on the team and how it was able to function over the last year or so. Many of our practices last season were required to take place off-campus, meaning the cost of field time increased dramatically. While we were unable to play any games last season, and the majority of our expenses were non-existent, we used the remaining funds from last year to reduce the financial impact on returning players who have stuck with us through these difficult times.
We sincerely appreciate any donation that you are willing to give, which will go toward any of the costs detailed, or. If we surpass our goal, to general operating expenses. 100% of the donations go to our team and all donations are tax deductible, with you receiving a tax receipt from Pitt in the mail.
Where Does Your Donation Go?
Regular Season Road Trips (Virginia, Philadelphia, Tennessee)
While we were able to use bus credit from previous, cancelled season to pay for one of the away trips, we still need to fund the away trips to Virginia and Tennessee for conference games. For this, we would need to pay for two bus round trip busses for the entire roster and coaches, and one/two nights in a hotel (approx. $5,000 - $8,000).
Lowering Dues
Being a part of the team is very expensive ($1,800/year, $900/semester). While this is a small number in comparison to other competitive programs in the MCLA, it still is a concern for our organization. The number one reason we struggle to retain players is the financial burden; we understand it is a lot to ask a new player to spend $900 in the first couple of weeks of the semester to play on the team. If we exceed our goal, we can reduce dues for members, and make playing lacrosse at the university of Pittsburgh more accessible and give more opportunities for students to join.
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Contributions received for this project shall be used in accordance with the purpose described herein, the terms in the FAQs and applicable law. For questions that cannot be answered in the FAQs, please call 412-648-4658 or email engage@pitt.edu.
This donation will help cover basic expenses for equipment. Thank you for helping provide us with the necessary tools to play!
This donation will cover paying officials for a home game. Thank you for taking care of the guys who mediate our games!
This donation will cover for meals for half of the team on long bus trips. Thanks for providing us the nutrients for us to compete!
This donation pays for one hotel room (4 players) on a road trip. Thanks for putting a roof over our heads!
This donation will pay for a helmet and team gloves for one player. Thank you for keeping us safe!
This donation will pay for approximately 200-250 lacrosse balls, which would last us the whole season. Thank you!
This extremely generous donation will pay for 4 weeks of practice at an off-campus location. Thanks for helping us secure a practice field!
