Students erupt in cheers in celebration of a game win on the main court of the famous Rucker Park in Harlem. Not for basketball like the court is known for. Organizers say it's the first time the court and this neighborhood is seeing a lacrosse tournament featuring local teens like Jomar Perez and Jacob Saldana.

“When I first started lacrosse, I didn’t know about the sport and I was like what is this I’ve never seen this in my entire life,” Jomar Perez said, a 17-year-old lacrosse player attending M.S. 223.

What You Need To Know

  • Harlem Lacrosse said this is the first time Rucker park and the neighborhood has seen a lacrosse tournament featuring local students

  • About 200 student-athletes from across the city came ready to compete and have some fun

  • Harlem Lacrosse has programming at five schools supporting 12 programs for girls and boys in various divisions throughout the city

  • This year the organization said all of its graduating seniors have received full scholarships to play at division 1 to division 3 colleges

The sport was relatively new for many of the students at the tournament. The organization Harlem Lacrosse said they’re now at about five schools supporting 12 programs for girls and boys in various divisions throughout the city.

“Our students basically are low income kids but the idea is that shouldn’t in any way stop them from having all the opportunities as those kids who grow up in a suburban environment playing lacrosse,” Bruce Lincoln said, executive director at Harlem Lacrosse.

Harlem Lacrosse said they work with about 400 students regularly — at no cost to the student. On this day, about 200 of them came ready to compete and have some fun.

“I know how great I play in the sport so it’s just like I think it upped my confidence and made me realize how much potential I have,” Keyonah Taylor said, a lacrosse player at P.S. 76.

Athletes competed in round robin style matches utilizing the basketball court and adjacent hand ball courts. The objective being to get a rubber ball into a goal. The game is widely known to be the fastest on two legs because of how quick the ball moves between goals.

Sharon Peterson has lived in the neighborhood her entire life and said all this activity made her stop whatever she was planning to do and watch.

“This is epic,” Peterson said. “I just came out to be nosey and I had to find out what’s going on and this is really good."

Jacob Saldana has been playing lacrosse with M.S. 223 for over a year now and said this was a first for him competing at Rucker.

“Some of the best basketball players in the world showed their skill here at Rucker park and it’s really an honor to play lacrosse on this momentous basketball court," Saldana said.

Former Nets player Brian Taylor knows this park and court all too well. He played tournaments here along with other basketball greats like Dr. J. He said seeing lacrosse here is like a breathe of fresh air for the community.

“Its powerful because now what it does for our youth it just opens their world to other opportunities that exist within the community,” Taylor said.

Harlem lacrosse said this year all of its graduating seniors have received full scholarships to play at division 1 to division 3 colleges.

“Hopefully I will try to ho professional with this, I want to make sure I have all my grades up,” Perez said.

For 11-year-old Kennedy Davis who’s only been playing for a few months now, her eyes are set on the future.

“I wanna be a famous lacrosse player,” said Davis.