For American military servicemen and women stationed at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the risk of Groundhog Day syndrome is quite real. Every day on the 45-square-mile base starts to look exactly like the day before. Rinse and repeat.
That’s one of the reasons that Ken Goris, an Army reservist now serving in his second tour in Cuba, decided that introducing the game of lacrosse might be a welcome distraction for his fellow soldiers and their families. Goris figured that the game he loves would be a good way to break up the daily routine.
“Unfortunately, where we are, there’s really nothing else down here besides the base,” Goris said. “We are pretty much self-sustained and not really allowed to go off the post. So, the more options that we have for people, especially the younger soldiers, the less trouble they are going to get into.”
When Goris, a native of New York City and volunteer coach with Brooklyn Lacrosse first arrived for his current nine-month deployment, he had possession of the only two lacrosse sticks on the base. The curiosity of others motivated Goris to expand the game’s presence.
His outreach to Shootout for Soldiers and USA Lacrosse yielded the additional equipment that was needed to put his plan into action. Soon afterwards, the Los Cocodrilos Club – named in honor of an endangered crocodile species found on the island – was formed.
“I saw an opportunity to grow the game here,” said Goris, who also played club lacrosse at Jacksonville University. “It was born out of my desire to make this community better. I knew that every community that I’ve gone to that has the sport of lacrosse has become better and stronger.”
Goris now organizes several practices each week, with soldiers of all ranks gravitating to the weekly gatherings. After starting with the basics of passing and catching, the sessions have now progressed to scrimmages.
“It truly means a great deal to us here in Guantánamo Bay to have the support of USA Lacrosse,” Goris said. “The organization has been instrumental in giving us real momentum and legitimacy to what we’re building with Los Cocodrilos. What started as an idea has quickly grown into something meaningful for this community, and USA Lacrosse has absolutely helped give it legs.”
Word of mouth and some online marketing help to draw newer arrivals to the practices. The branch diversity of the participants makes the games quite competitive.
“We’ve got a whole gamut of people playing, including the Joint Task Force commander and the sergeant majors,” Goris said. “I’ve got Navy, Air Force, Army, and military kids. We’re all running around and exercising, and they don’t even realize that they are exercising. People are loving it.”
Since active duty soldiers doing two or three year tours are often accompanied by their families, Goris is glad that the game also offers the youngsters another activity option.
“Unfortunately, this is a community that's kind of underserved because these kids who are in high school here or in elementary school, they just don't get the recognition that they need,” he said. “They don't get the exposure to all the different sports. So, it’s very rewarding to have all the younger kids involved too.”
Goris is encouraged that as the kids return to different parts of the United States, they will be taking lacrosse with them.
“This is great exposure of lacrosse for the kids,” he said. “I love that they are developing enthusiasm for the sport. I don’t know any of their futures, but one of them might become the next great player.”
Knowing that his tour in Cuba will be ending soon, Goris is also grooming his replacement as the local lacrosse coordinator. Another Army soldier with Maryland roots appears to be the heir apparent.
“I’ll be signing off all the equipment because we’re not going to let this die,” he said. “We put a lot of effort into this, so I'm going to be reaching out and checking on them and keeping up with what's going on.”
Goris is thrilled that lacrosse is alive and well in Cuba.
“We’re proud to represent the game in a place like GTMO,” he said. “I just love the game and I’m glad to be able to share my passion with others. There’s a powerful connection here between service, discipline, and the spirit of the game.”
About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse fuels the growth, enriches the experience, and fields the best National Teams, supporting more than 425,000 members across the country.
