As youth sports continue to professionalize—bigger events, bigger brands, bigger balance sheets—it’s worth pausing to ask a simple question: *what are we building all of this for?*
At Focus On The Field, I’ve been fortunate to work with organizations across the entire spectrum of youth sports. But some of the most meaningful work we do happens with events and organizations that intentionally tie sport to something bigger than the scoreboard. This past month, two such events stood out: the
Burning Flower Lacrosse Tournament, held outside Houston in Hockley, Texas and the
Oakland Lacrosse Club Jamboree in California.
Both events are run by nonprofit organizations,
Cy-Fair Iron Maidens Lacrosse Club and
Oakland Lacrosse Club, respectively, and both are explicitly connected to causes larger than wins and losses. They serve as reminders that even as youth sports races toward a more professional, profit-driven future, its soul still lives in community-driven efforts built around purpose.
Six years ago,
I wrote about the idea that sports are not inherently good or bad—they’re neutral. They only become a force for good when they are “intentionally designed” to be so. In Linda Flangan’s book
Take Back the Game,
she expanded on this notion as sports have become more influenced by profit motive and the recent influx of capital. When competition is detached from purpose, we see the worst of youth sports rise to the surface: pressure, burnout, misplaced priorities, and environments where winning crowds out joy.
But when sports are attached to a cause, something powerful happens. Playing “for” something bigger changes behavior. It reframes pressure. It unifies teams. It softens the sharpest edges of competition without dulling the intensity or desire to win. And regardless of cause, parents will still get crazy on the sidelines, but at least they’ll have a higher purpose behind their temporary insanity.
That’s what we see in events like
The Burning Flower, which is held in honor of 13-year-old Julia Marie Briggs, a former Iron Maiden player who suddenly and very unexpectedly passed away from a very rare and aggressive cancer, Mediastinal Lymphoma. To support Julia’s efforts that she began prior to her passing, new stuffed animals are collected for donation to police departments to give to children to hold for comfort in times of crisis. Julia’s parents and family have attended every tournament since its inception and explain the cause to the new teams coming to play each year.
It’s what we see at the
Oakland Lacrosse Club Jamboree, where participation, access, and connecting across the community are core to the event’s identity. In addition to being a fundraiser for the
Oakland Lacrosse Club’s extensive operations, the Jamboree is guided by a players council that connects young men and women from across the Bay Area. The resulting event has player led teams at the high school level and encourages teams to embrace the fun as much as the competition.
These aren’t tournaments chasing prestige. They’re gatherings intentionally designed so that the act of playing itself becomes a contribution.
Supporting events like these is crucial. Not because they reject growth or competition—but because they remind us what growth should and could be anchored to. In a landscape increasingly shaped by consolidation and capital, nonprofit, cause-driven events act as cultural counterweights. They preserve space for values that don’t always show up on spreadsheets: belonging, empathy, perspective, and shared responsibility.
The lesson from years ago still holds. When teams play for a cause, parents cheer differently. Coaches coach differently. Players compete just as hard—but with a sense that the game is part of something larger than themselves. The beauty of sport isn’t diminished by purpose; it’s amplified.
As we look ahead, Focus On The Field remains committed to supporting organizations and events that design sports intentionally—especially those rooted in nonprofit missions and community causes. Because if the future of youth sports is going to be bigger, faster, and more professional, it must also remain deeply human.
Until next time, have a wonderful Holiday season and Joyous New Year-
Tyler
