Long before lacrosse was played by today's athletes, the local Native American Abenaki tribe played lacrosse in “Owascoag, the land of tall grass,” which is the area we now call Scarborough. The Abenaki word “Nichemis” translates as “little brother,” “little sister” or “younger than I.” Nichemis is embraced by SYLC as a tribute to the history of the game of lacrosse.

The spirit of Nichemis includes:

• Giving time and effort selflessly to others

• Giving back to the community and the game of lacrosse

• Being role models and mentors to younger players

Scarborough Youth Lacrosse Club teaches the Nichemis philosophy to all of our players so they will learn that they have an opportunity and responsibility to give back their knowledge, enthusiasm, and lessons learned from the game to younger players. Many graduates of the SYLC program come back to help coach teams. Our Scarborough High School Girls and Boys Red Storm teams take great pride in attending practices to lead and engage their “little brothers and sisters” on the lacrosse field. Many of our volunteer coaches are former SYLC and SHS players.