Oct. 1, 2015

NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Keeping in line with tradition, the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse program has scheduled an eventful fall slate. With a mission to prepare on the field, while also helping others off the field and engaging student-athletes in unique networking opportunities, the team will touch base in cities such as Chicago, Washington, D.C. and New York.

“As always, we hope to provide a variety of experiences that reflect our commitment to the Character of our guys, the Culture of our team and to our continued Community engagement,” head coach Kevin Corrigan says. “The trick is to do this in a highly competitive environment and without sacrificing our academic objectives. There are no shortcuts.”

Commencing the activities, the team made a short bus trip to Chicago last Thursday for the fourth-annual Playing for Peace service project. A free, instructional clinic co-hosted by O.W.L.S (Outreach With Lacrosse & Schools) Lacrosse highlighted the event, connecting Notre Dame student-athletes with aspiring young lacrosse players.

The Playing for Peace initiative uses sport to transcend boundaries and bring people together in pursuit of peace, justice and human understanding. This mission serves in accordance with all of the community service efforts of the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse program, which includes a long-time relationship with O.W.L.S Lacrosse. A not-for-profit organization, O.W.L.S Lacrosse is dedicated to starting transformative lacrosse programs for inner-city schools and low-income communities.

Moving into October, the team will transition the focus to building relationships internally with a non-traditional training experience at Culver Academies in Culver, Ind. An agenda focused on challenging and bonding the unit will be in place, as team-building exercises, a tough practice regimen and bunking in camp-style cabins is on slate for Oct. 3-4. Other highlights of the trip include a highly-competitive paintball match and Notre Dame vs. Clemson football watch party.

The Culver Training Trip was also part of the team’s fall schedule last season, with the following footage captured:

The inaugural Bob Kemp Lacrosse Classic, featuring an exhibition scrimmage between the Fighting Irish and Navy, will take place Sunday, Oct. 11 at Georgetown Preparatory School in Washington, D.C. Faceoff is scheduled for noon.

The lacrosse game is just a singular aspect of a weekend focused on building character, culture and community. The Bob Kemp Lacrosse Classic was founded to honor the father of Notre Dame lacrosse alumni Joey and John Kemp. The event will strive to celebrate Bob Kemp’s legacy and his notable commitment to faith, family and athletics.

All proceeds will benefit the Washington Jesuit Academy, which caters to promising students from low-income communities in the Washington, D.C. area. All students, grades 5-8, who attend Washington Jesuit Academy do so on a full scholarship provided by members of the community.

In continued support of this initiative, the team will attend the Notre Dame vs. Navy football watch party Saturday evening (Oct. 10) on the Terrace at 101 Constitution Avenue. Proceeds will again benefit the Washington Jesuit Academy. At the event, student-athletes will have the opportunity to network with Notre Dame alumni and prominent members of the Washington, D.C. community in a setting that reportedly offers some of the best views of the city. For more information on the event, please visit: BobKempLacrosseClassic.com

That’s not all the Irish have planned for the fall.

Team members will look to continue expanding their connections with the seventh annual New York City Networking Trip on Thursday, Oct. 22. Exclusively for constituents of the sophomore and junior classes, the trip offers a full day of networking with firms and Notre Dame alumni from various industries, such as finance, media and commercial real estate.

“Our guys love this opportunity to get insight into that world and make contacts,” says Corrigan. “We’ll have a reception that night where they meet 50-60 of our lacrosse alumni who live in that area. It’s not like a job fair, it’s a chance for the players to meet and connect with different people who have been in our program over the years.

“It’s a chance for them to be exposed to different firms on Wall Street and we’ll take them to NBC and we’ll also do something with commercial real estate. It’s a great day in the city and a night of networking. It’s a terrific opportunity for our guys because so many of them want to end up in that area in their first couple years out of school.”

The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse staff dedicates time each fall to organizing two premier trips for the season. The New York Networking event has developed into a staple for the program, while Washington, D.C. was introduced as a destination this season. Last year, the team visited Seattle, Wash., networking at Microsoft Corporation and Amazon.com, Inc. In the past, destinations such as Denver, Colo., Minneapolis, Minn. and San Francisco, Calif. have been visited by the squad.

The following footage was acquired on the Seattle trip last season:

The team’s annual Steak & Hot Dog Game is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Oct. 17 at Arlotta Stadium. The always-entertaining event serves as a precursor for the Notre Dame vs. Southern California football game, taking place in the evening at neighboring Notre Dame Stadium.

The Steak & Hot Dog Game will continue the tradition of splitting the team into two evenly matched squads drafted by the seniors. Some of the most memorable moments from the contest are the choreographed goal celebrations. Later, the team will dine at Coach Corrigan’s house, with the winners treated to steak and the losers dining on hot dogs.

A compilation of highlights from past Steak & Hot Dog Games follows:

The University’s fall break is scheduled for Oct. 18-25; however, the team will have the annual O’Leary Cup to look forward to upon their return. Created as a way to break up the November training period, the O’Leary Cup competition features basketball, soccer, flag football and a weekly box lacrosse league.

The University of Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team pursues excellence on and off the field through the three pillars in which the program is built: Character, Culture & Community. These three foundational values guide the promise of the program, which is to provide its student-athletes with the most compelling and enriching experience in all of college athletics. Through academics, competition, service and travel, the program aims to immerse its players in situations that enhance their student-athlete experience to help them become the people, students and teammates they aspire to be.

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— Ashley Albertson, Athletics Communications Assistant Director