Eamon McAnaney, CEO of CityLax
In the heart of New York City, CityLax is rewriting the script on who gets to play, who gets to lead, and where the sport can thrive.
Since its founding, CityLax has built a network of 30+ high school teams across all five boroughs—providing equipment, coaching, clinics, and community to nearly 3,000 student-athletes each year. The goal? Make lacrosse accessible to everyone, especially students from underserved communities who might never otherwise pick up a stick.
A Full Circle Story
For CEO Eamon McAnaney, this mission is personal.
He grew up in NYC in the '70s and '80s—long before the city had a single lacrosse team. It wasn’t until he left for prep school in Pennsylvania that he saw the game for the first time.
"All the best athletes played lacrosse," he said. "I picked it up as a lark and fell in love with it. It reminded me of basketball, and I loved being part of that team."
He went on to play at Notre Dame and later became a sports broadcaster. When lacrosse made its way to national TV, Eamon found himself back in the game—this time behind the mic.
That’s when CityLax found him.
“I started as an emcee for their events. They asked me to join the board. When the CEO role opened, I felt like I could help grow the mission even more.”
Building Teams - and Futures
What CityLax does goes far beyond gear and games. It gives young people a place to grow.
Kids like Mahama, a student at Jamaica High School in Queens. When he picked up a stick for the first time, it was clear he had potential. But what stood out more was his commitment. He showed up to every clinic. Traveled to every camp. Found a way to get to games in other boroughs—even Long Island.
Now, after years of hard work, he’s on track to play in college.
“He’s trained with Hall of Famers like Jeff Teat and Michael Ehrhardt,” Eamon shared. “But more importantly, he’s stuck with it. He’s the kind of success story that makes this work worth it.”
From the Ground Up
CityLax doesn’t just fund high school varsity programs. It also builds new teams from scratch—especially at the middle school level, where support is often lacking.
“We’ve found that’s when kids are most at risk of going down the wrong path,” Eamon explained. “So we’re trying to start teams earlier, create structure, and show them what’s possible.”
It’s working. At MS 363 in the Bronx, CityLax helped turn a gym class into a full-fledged team that made the playoffs.
Changing the Narrative
Lacrosse has long carried a reputation as a sport for the privileged few. CityLax is changing that by showing what’s possible when access isn’t limited by zip code.
“It frustrates me when people write lacrosse off as exclusive,” Eamon said. “There’s a whole movement happening—here in NYC and across the country. It’s powered by volunteers, donations, and kids who just want a shot.”
CityLax doesn’t just give them that shot—it walks with them the whole way.
From walking across the East River footbridge to Randall’s Island with sticks in hand… to building teams in Crown Heights, Fort Greene, and the Bronx… to watching players grow into college recruits, role models, and community leaders.
This is what growing the game looks like.
And we’re proud to support it.
How You Can Help
🟣 Donate to CityLax: citylax.org/donate
🟣 Share their story. Reply or DM us on Instagram @SignatureLocker if you know a team or coach we should feature next.
Because the game doesn’t grow unless we all pitch in.
