About

Our Story

I have always dreamed of giving back to the communities that have given me so much; now is that time. I was raised by a single mom in the public housing projects a stone throw away from the Yale University campus. My intense involvement in football, basketball, and baseball growing up helped me to appreciate competition, hard work, and discipline. I am convinced these characteristics led me to excel academically at The Troupe Middle School and, eventual, helped me matriculate into the Ulysses S. Grant Foundation, an after school enrichment program at Yale University, where I was introduced to boarding school. Pomfret School gave me the chance to stretch myself even more academically, grow athletically, and learn to lead. After three amazing years at Pomfret School, I attended Trinity College, played basketball and majored in Economics. My life was changed as a result. This is why I am motivated to return to New Haven and Hartford to start making a difference in the lives of inner-city kids there. The vision of Inner City Lacrosse is to spread to colleges and universities along interstate 91 and 95 in Connecticut.

As an educator who believes in the power of character development of kids through sport, I endeavor to introduce inner-city kids to lacrosse, one of the fastest growing sports in America. The boys and girls I have in mind to benefit from inner-city lacrosse are middle school age kids in grades4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 in those two cities. Over 7 weeks on Sundays for two hours, kids will be instructed in the game of lacrosse through drills the first hour and then play the game for the second hour.

The other powerful aspect of Inner City Lacrosse is the use of collegiate lacrosse players as volunteers to instruct and coach these kids during the fall when they are not in their season. This framework allows collegiate lacrosse players to be good ambassadors for their school and for the sport of lacrosse. I envision these volunteers developing important skills such as teaching, coaching, mentoring, and patience.

T H E T E A M

Our Founders

Michael Gary - Founder

Head of School at Friends Select School in Center City Philadelphia. I joined Friends Select School in July of 2016, after working at three other wonderful independent schools. I had been in the admission profession for twenty-seven years because I believe in the powerful, transformative nature of independent school education; I am a product of it. After graduating from Pomfret School, I attended Trinity College where I majored in Economics. After working in the business world for several years in marketing and advertising, I joined the admission profession. In addition to admission work, I lived in a dorm, coached basketball, taught Economics and eventually earned a Master’s Degree from Harvard School of Education.

Trina Gary - Director

Trina is an educator and leadership coach committed to teaching, learning, and providing ways for students and adults to access opportunities that improve educational and professional outcomes. She has worked as a school administrator and teacher at the Peddie School, Pingree School, and most recently at The Governor’s Academy where she served as Associate Dean of Faculty and Director of Multicultural Education. Trina received her B.A. from Trinity College in Urban Studies with a concentration in Economics, and her M.Ed. from Northeastern University.