The Tenacity Way of Girls Lacrosse Training and Leadership

Crafted over years of elite play by
world-class coaches and players,
The Tenacity Way is more than a training method—it’s a mindset.

Crafted over years of elite coaching at the collegiate and national level, the Tenacity Way is a complete philosophy for how girls learn to play lacrosse, face pressure, and grow as people. Our approach blends fun with serious, collegiate-level instruction across five interconnected pillars: skill-building, game IQ, mental wellness, leadership, and community. We believe the same habits that make a great athlete make a great human being: discipline, confidence, and resilience in the face of challenge.

Our Mission at Tenacity Project

The Tenacity Project is a women-led movement that uses lacrosse as a vehicle to provide all girls access to opportunities to learn, play, and live with tenacity.

Our Purpose is to Develop The Whole Athlete

We have a purpose, and that is to help girls navigate life’s challenges by providing a supportive environment where they can develop the necessary tools to become successful on & off the field.

Through our athletic programs, we cultivate tenacious student-athletes who are goal-setters, problem-solvers, and collaborators. Through our youth lacrosse club, players of all skill levels learn the skills to play and live under pressure. We know that adversity cannot be prevented in our girls’ lives, but the transferable skills that our players acquire through sports will help them meet these challenges with confidence and community.

Our Approach to Girls' Lacrosse Training

We facilitate dynamic, fun, challenging experiences that meet athletes where they are and inspire them to pursue better.

We enlist the nation’s best coaches to implement our first-in-class curriculum that incorporates top college training and Olympic development programming.

We strategically unite coaches with players and families to create powerful communities of support and enrichment.

As a not-for-profit organization, we are proud to be able to provide scholarships to girls in need.

We praise effort and train you to train yourself.

We possess a deep belief in the importance of mental health fitness and therefore weave journalling, breathwork, and yoga into every session.

Our Goals are Access, Empowerment, and Growth

To empower all Tenacity players to realize their full potential as lacrosse players and leaders in their communities.

To remove barriers that prevent girls from playing and staying in the game.

To grow the game of lacrosse and provide access to elite athletic opportunities regardless of gender and socioeconomic status.

The Five Pillars of the Tenacity Way

Every Tenacity program is built on the same five foundational pillars. Together, they form a complete system for developing girls who perform at their best on the lacrosse field and lead with confidence everywhere else.

Skill-Building

At Tenacity, skill development means more than running drills. Our coaches, who've competed and coached at the collegiate and national level, teach athletes the precise techniques, footwork, and stick skills that unlock their full potential on the field. Every rep is purposeful, and every player is coached with the same rigor and attention that Division I programs demand. Skill-building at Tenacity doesn't just make better lacrosse players; it instills the discipline and work ethic that carries over into everything your daughter does.

Leadership

Tenacity doesn't wait for leadership to emerge on its own. We train it, deliberately. Through team huddles, structured leadership workshops, and purposeful coaching moments, our athletes practice speaking up, making decisions in pressure situations, and being the kind of teammate every program depends on. Our athletes go on to captain their high school teams, lead in the classroom, and step into college lacrosse programs already knowing how to lead, because they've been doing it with us for years.

Game IQ

Great lacrosse players don't just react; they read the game situation. Tenacity coaches develop athletes' tactical understanding by teaching them to see the full field, anticipate plays, and make smart decisions under pressure. Through structured film study moments, small-sided games, and coach-directed scenario training, our athletes develop the kind of lacrosse intelligence that separates good players from great ones, and that college coaches actively recruit for.

Community

The Tenacity athletes, coaches, parents, and alumni are one of the strongest in girls lacrosse. Players join a network that supports them through the recruiting process, through hard seasons, and long after their last game. At Tenacity, every athlete matters, every voice is heard, and nobody develops alone. That sense of belonging is what keeps Tenacity athletes coming back and what makes them better teammates everywhere they go next.

Mental Wellness

Tenacity is one of the only girls lacrosse programs in the country that formally integrates mental wellness training into every tournament and session. Through guided journaling, breathwork exercises, and coach-led reflection, our athletes learn to understand their emotions, regulate pressure, and build the inner stability that makes them more grounded people. Mental fitness is a core part of what we teach, because we know that how a girl handles a hard practice is also how she'll handle a hard day.

Get better while nobody’s watching.

Every drill, every huddle, every reflection builds strength from the inside out. We encourage and embrace multi-sport athletes and train girls to train themselves—to take ownership of their growth, lift up their teammates, and lead with courage.

See our programs

By a Champion, Proven by 500+ College Athletes

The Tenacity Way was built by Theresa Sherry, a Princeton alumna, Hall of Fame lacrosse athlete, and championship coach. Theresa created the Tenacity Project on a simple belief: that the lessons of elite sport, taught with intention, can change the entire trajectory of a girl's life. Over ten years, that belief has been proven by the 500+ Tenacity athletes now competing at the collegiate level and by the thousands more who carry what they learned here into everything they do next.

“The Tenacity community—coaches, parents, alumni, and players—works together to shape young women who are tough, self-reliant, and ready for whatever comes next.
The Tenacity Way is more than just how we play the game. It’s how we live our lives.”

— Theresa Sherry

Our 2025 Impact Report

Take a closer look at the numbers, stories, and growth behind Tenacity’s 2025 Impact Report. See how our programs continue to expand access, develop leaders, and create lasting impact through girls lacrosse.

View the Report

Common Questions About the Tenacity Way

The Tenacity Way is Tenacity Project's core training philosophy. It is a holistic approach to girls lacrosse that combines elite skill coaching, mental toughness training, lacrosse IQ development, leadership workshops, and community building. It was developed by Founder Theresa Sherry based on her experience as a Princeton All-American and Hall of Fame coach, and is embedded in every Tenacity program across all skill levels and age groups.
At Tenacity, mental wellness training means giving athletes structured tools to understand their emotions and manage pressure. In practice, this looks like guided journaling before or after sessions, breathwork exercises, and coach-led reflection conversations. These are woven into every Tenacity session because we believe mental fitness is just as important as competitive physical conditioning.
No, the Tenacity Way applies at every level. Whether your daughter is attending her first girls lacrosse summer camp or competing on an Elite l acrosse team preparing for college recruitment, all five pillars are present in every Tenacity experience. The training scales to the athlete; the philosophy stays constant.