Mark Brown has been involved with lacrosse for most of his life. Originally from Ellicott City, Maryland, Brown took to playing with a long pole from a young age and was a freshman defender on Mt. Hebron High School’s 1991 state championship team.
He later went on to play on Virginia Tech’s club team, helping the Hokies advance to the MCLA national tournament each season.
After college, looking for a change of scenery from the East Coast, Brown followed three of his childhood friends to Oregon, eventually settling in the southwestern corner of the state in a region called the Rogue Valley.
While none of those three friends are still in Oregon, Brown remains and has become a staple of the local lacrosse community – one that he has helped to build over the past 20 years.
“There was really no lacrosse in southern Oregon when I arrived in 2000,” Brown said. “It was and has been growing in other areas, like Portland and Bend, and we just want southern Oregon to follow suit.”
Shortly after arriving in Oregon, Brown signed on as the coach for a start-up men’s club program at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. He remained in that part-time position for 16 years, stepping down as COVID-19 emerged.
It was around that same time when Brown also shifted his focus, realizing that youth players in the region also needed the same lacrosse opportunities that the SOU players had. The logical step for Brown was to create those lacrosse opportunities for youth players.
To do that, he launched the non-profit Rogue Valley Youth Lacrosse Association (RVYLA), aimed at providing lacrosse access for boys and girls from Grants Pass to Ashland. He serves as both its executive director and a hands-on clinician.
“Lacrosse has been a consistent passion in my life and I am truly excited to grow the game at the youth level here in the Rogue Valley,” Brown said. “We want kids to experience and enjoy all that the game of lacrosse has to offer.”
Since its launch, the RVYLA has tried to increase lacrosse exposure by partnering with public entities, community organizations, and local schools. Brown is frequently invited to introduce lacrosse to physical education classes at area elementary and middle schools.
“PE teachers all seem to talk to each other, so once I got a good reputation, they all started calling,” Brown said. “I guess that’s good word of mouth.”
After a slowdown due to the global pandemic, RVYLA relaunched in 2022 with four boys’ and two girls’ teams.
“Mark's dedication to growing the game in Southern Oregon is unmatched. Major wildfires, global pandemic -- literally nothing stops him and his desire to introduce kids to lacrosse in the Rogue Valley region,” said Lyn Porterfield, Pacific Northwest regional director for USA Lacrosse. “He's doing an amazing job of working with the school districts in Medford and Ashland and is poised to have youth participation really take off down there. He's a true champion of the game.”
Funding support and resources from USA Lacrosse have also played an important role in supporting the growth of lacrosse across the Rogue Valley.
Recognizing the need to provide new players with equipment so that families will not have to bear the full cost of participation, Brown applied for and received Equipment Grants (formerly First Stick) from USA Lacrosse to provide assistance for the newest Rogue Valley players. Sticks, helmets, and other gear have been welcome assets.
“The grants from USA Lacrosse have been instrumental for us to reduce the barriers to entry along with introducing the sport to the youth,” Brown said.
Last year, USA Lacrosse provided $775,000 in grants to 225 local lacrosse organizations across 43 states. The funding clearly makes a difference in grassroots efforts, like Brown’s, to continue growing the game.
“The best feeling is when a kid catches the ball for the first time and has that mixed look of amazement, accomplishment, and pure joy,” Brown said. “Once kids get hooked, they’ll be the ones who help spread the game.”
USA Lacrosse’s grant process for 2022-23 will begin accepting applications on August 1. Get more information here: www.usalacrosse.com/grants-and-scholarships
Annual grants to support local growth initiatives and bring new people to the sport are funded through philanthropic contributions to USA Lacrosse. To give the gift of lacrosse to others, or to learn more about fueling the growth of the sport, contact Jonathan Rodak, senior director of development.
