England Lacrosse
This is the third time I’ve collaborated with Lark on a job for England Lacrosse. So you’d be forgiven for thinking I’m a brilliant sportsperson when, in reality, I can’t throw overarm and the only weight I lift is my (gargantuan) toddler.
But luckily for me, you don’t need to be able to run very fast to write well. And having rethought their U18 talent pathway, England Lacrosse needed a brand identity and comms for the programme that would appeal to athletes, parents, clubs and schools without feeling exclusive to existing players. Naming, strategic messaging, and copywriting — yes please.
‘To be the best, we need the best. That’s why we want you. On the Aspire athlete development programme, you’ll build your ability and resilience and hone your technique as you strive for a spot on the national team.’
Website introduction
One of the objectives of this exercise was to open up the programme to a broader cohort, so for the name I had to avoid words like ‘talent’, ‘player’ and ‘lacrosse’ that might exclude promising athletes from outside the sport. But whatever I came up with still had to feel familiar and hint at the proposition, so audiences would know they were in the right place. Beyond that, it needed to feel exciting and forward-looking — something full of promise and potential, just like the athletes.
I love naming briefs like this; clear needs and no-gos narrow the playing field and allow me to zone right in on just a few areas. I lurked the talent programmes of other governing bodies to see what everyone else was up to and gathered recognisable cues that would help me to root the name in the world of training and development. Then I explored three areas: functional, descriptor-style names; inspiring, positive options; and creative words and phrases inspired by the movements and language of lacrosse.
Suggestions ranged from descriptive (‘Athlete Programme’, ‘Training Scheme’) to victorious (‘Future Champions’) to more abstract (‘Flight School’). But it was something that sat somewhere in the middle that won out: the ambitious, empowering, eyes-to-the-sky Aspire. Paired with a clear follow-up descriptor — ‘athlete development programme’ — it balances exciting possibility with the promise of top-class training. Perfect.
Next, strategic messaging. I wrote programme summaries and supporting lines for four audiences: young athletes and their parents, schools, and sports clubs. Each audience has slightly different motivations, so I shifted the emphasis from message to message. For athletes, it’s about ambition — the possibility of realising their dreams. For parents, it’s about giving children what they need to succeed and finding credible, comprehensive training. Schools seek opportunities for their pupils that could reflect well on their own sports facilities and training. And clubs? They want their players, lacrosse, and specifically the England team to absolutely fly.
But while the messaging changes, the brand voice remains. I set the tone for England Lacrosse on our very first project, and it continues here with a little more prestige and just a little less zip and zing. Sentences are brisk and choppy, often opening with ‘but’ and ‘because’, while powerful imperative verbs pack each paragraph with action. Superlatives like ‘best’ and ‘most’ give the whole thing a flavour of elite competition, too. And overall, it’s full of promise: ‘if’, ‘might’ and ‘could’ hint at the exciting possibilities ahead.
‘You train hard. You strive for the top. You dream of a place on the national squad. But what happens when you get there? Our men’s and women’s teams compete all over the UK and around the world, playing Box, Sixes, and Field lacrosse at Worlds, Eurolax, The Fly — and now, the Olympics. With Sixes Lacrosse set for LA 2028, there’s never been a more exciting time to join. Because you’re not just training to be an elite athlete. If you make it to the top, you could become an Olympian.’
Information pack
While I was working on the strategic messaging, though, something massive happened — lacrosse made it to the LA 2028 Olympics. That meant the stakes for Aspire were higher than ever. Now, England Lacrosse weren’t just seeking promising athletes; they were searching for future Olympians. So, I worked up another set of blurbs, creating summaries and lines with the Olympics in their crosshairs. That left England Lacrosse with a comprehensive bank of messages they could use to talk about the Aspire programme to multiple audiences, with multiple angles.
‘Your child will have to be more than an exceptional athlete to thrive on the national team. They’ll need to know how to manage their lifestyle, time, and money, while coping with a demanding schedule and training regime — especially on residential camps and at competitions. By encouraging independence, you’ll help them become more confident — and succeed.’
Parent pack
To finish up, I rolled out the name, messaging and tone to key programme communications, writing a parent pack, welcome pack, and a dedicated section of the England Lacrosse website, and advising on the structure and content to make sure each told the Aspire story in a clear, impactful way. Teamed with Lark’s incredible visual identity and Oli Frape’s punchy illustrated type, the new name and copy have revamped the programme ready for a brand new cohort of athletes. Some of whom, in 2028, we might just see going for gold.