Months after its inception, the lacrosse program at Mater Dei Prep has received a $10,000 grant from The Bill Belichick Foundation.
The $10,000 grant was recently received to support the Mater Dei’s lacrosse program, which fields both a team for the boys and the girls at the Middletown school.
Mater Dei, a Catholic preparatory school, currently has 22 varsity teams and competes in the Shore Conference.
According to school representatives, Mater Dei held its inaugural season for the boy and girl lacrosse programs in the spring of 2017 and fielded a junior varsity team. Both programs will compete at the varsity level this spring season.
The Bill Belichick Foundation was formed in 2013 and provides coaching, mentorship and financial support to individuals, communities and organizations, with a focus on football and lacrosse, according to the organization. The foundation is led by Bill Belichick, the five-time Super Bowl-winning coach of the New England Patriots.
“It may shock a large number of people who arguably the greatest football coach of all time is such an avid supporter of lacrosse,” said Lance Bennett, a football coach at the school. “The Bill Belichick Foundation has been a blessing to so many lacrosse programs across the country and we are honored and thankful to have been chosen this year.”
“I am humbled by the generosity of The Bill Belichick Foundation and extremely excited for the future of both lacrosse programs,” said Andy Eastwood, the boys head lacrosse coach and Mater Dei Prep director of lacrosse operations. “I would like to thank the foundation for their gracious donation to our Seraph athletes. Your love for lacrosse and your commitment to grow the game will help us establish a strong foundation as we embark on our first girls and boys varsity lacrosse seasons.”
