Welcome!
We are Laurels and Leaders, a nonprofit that hosts inclusive, low-cost, low-risk athletic games based in childhood development and game theory. Through these games, we intended to guide children and youth ages 7 to 17 to be better players and better people!
Who We Are
Laurels and Leaders is a community youth activity in Las Cruces, NM. We host inclusive, low-cost, low-risk athletic games based in childhood developmental theory. Through these games, we intended to guide children and youth to being better players and better people!
Our focus is on offering alternative sports for kids and youth who do not enjoy or thrive in a traditional sport environment. We have worked to create a community that emphasizes cooperation and inclusion over competition. Through play, we encourage and support development of values such as respect, self-control, sportsmanship, leadership, and more.
We are a 100% volunteer driven organization. Most of the supplies for Lords & Ladies comes out of volunteers’ pockets! If you interested in helping to provide this free programming for the kids in the community, please email us at Admin@LALYP.org. In addition to cash, we are always accepting donations of water and healthy snacks.
Calendar
Please note that not all months have five Saturdays.
On Build & repair days, if you have boffer to fix or make, please bring supplies (schedule 40 PVC, duct tape, blue camping mat, pool noodles, etc.).
For up-to-date information on parks, gatherings, and events, please enroll in our Remind texting system or follow us on Instagram. Because we are 100% volunteer run and life happens, there are times when we cancel due to not having enough volunteers to host safely.
Upcoming Events
JUNE 15, 2024: Water day! It will be a hot summer day, so in addition to regular play, we’ll cool off with water balloons and water guns. Special games that incorporate water will be featured.
Testimonials
Many of our players come from low-income or single-parent families. This is one of the reasons its so important to us that programming be free and as accessible as possible to all children and youth.
One of the single mothers who took her child to L&L took the time to share with us what a huge impact the program had on her son. She appreciated the positive male role models (most of them dads in their own right) that were present and supportive of her son. Out leaders exemplify the values of Laurels & Leaders, and she could see how her son was taking and applying those values in the home and in school.
Laurels & Leaders is an inclusive program that encourages social problem solving, team dynamics, and respectful communication. One of the in-game practices of these values the “mama bird” formation where a player with a shield guards a player with a spear as the spear-wielder tags opponents.
One example of the cooperation this dynamic and the L&L culture can bring comes from prior to the implementation of dress code. I watched as a teen in a MAGA hat and a teen wearing a “Be Gay, Do Crime” shirt were in this formation, communicating and supporting each other as they held an objective against swarms of opponents. While it’s not the expectation that these kids would be friends, they were able to effectively work together to achieve a common goal.
