Kyle Michelsen is a native of Kaufman, Texas, a rural community located 30 miles southeast of Dallas. It’s where he was born, where he grew up, and where he returned to be a middle school teacher after graduating from Tarleton State University in 2017.
It was also in this small Texas community that Michelsen initially discovered the game of lacrosse as a youth, and now, the place he is hoping that he can help other kids do the same thing.
Inspired by that vision, Michelsen launched Kaufman Youth Lacrosse (KYL) in 2024, finding enough used equipment in his garage and through the Internet to outfit 15 boys on the initial 5th-6th grade team.
Now, one year later, KYL has grown to 60 players split across three age divisions, including a high school squad that participates in Texas’ sixes division.
“It was always my goal to start lacrosse in Kaufman,” said Michelsen, who used to drive 50 miles each way to play in Plano’s Mustang Lacrosse League in his early days. “We started with just seven boys doing clinics, and it’s grown from there.”
Having founded a men’s club program at Tarleton State during his college days, Michelsen has been able to draw on that experience as he navigates the building process in Kaufman. Finding like-minded partners and generating community support is part of the blueprint.
While he has found help through volunteers and willing parents, Michelsen does most of the heavy lifting in growing the KYL. He oversees its operations, organizes schedules, coaches three teams, and continues to scour all resources for equipment donations in order to offset expenses for his players.
“Our goal is to keep the fees and costs to a bare minimum,” Michelsen said. “We want to provide an opportunity for all kids to play regardless of whether they can afford it or not.”
Michelsen credits the support of organizations like It Takes a Village Lacrosse and Canon Lacrosse for providing KYL with equipment assistance. A grant from USA Lacrosse also helped to offset the cost of new helmets.
“Our goal is to be able to provide 100-percent equipment for all players,” said Michelsen, who is also quick to give credit to the families that have supported his vision.
“All of this has been possible by parents who are fully invested in growing the game in our community,” Michelsen said. “I’m just a guy with a dream and idea. They are the ones making it happen.”
Michelsen is encouraged by the momentum that is building in Kaufman.
“We have dads who are learning the game and becoming students of lacrosse so that they can help with coaching,” he said. “We have other parents who work tirelessly handing out flyers and posting on social media, or helping to set up practices and supporting all the kids. We are nothing without all these parents.”
Michelsen says the motivation behind his own significant investment of time, energy and money is really quite simple.
“The kids just love the game and always show up for our games and practices with smiles on their faces,” he said. “You really can’t beat that.”
Community Heroes
This USA Lacrosse online series seeks to recognize individuals who are helping to grow lacrosse on the grass roots level. Do you know a USA Lacrosse member who is making a positive difference in their community? Submit an online nomination and share their story.
