ND men’s lacrosse team works out with veterans

The Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team will host a special functional fitness workout with veterans in honor of Veterans Day tonight at the Loftus Sports Center.

“Our team and the ND MBA veterans are hosting an athletic event to bring together veterans and students,” junior lacrosse player Chris Carter said. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to not only honor and support those who have served our country but also to spend time with the veterans and learn about their experiences.”

Each lacrosse player will pair up with a veteran volunteer to complete a workout, based in repetitions of 11 to represent the history tied with the date of the World War I Armistice on Nov. 11.

The workouts will be held across the country, helping to raise both money and awareness for veterans nationwide.

“Coach Corrigan has always emphasized service on our team, so I think this is another great way for our team to be active in the community,” sophomore lacrosse player Shane Doss said. “As of last week, our event had the second-most participants signed up in the country, so using our team and position at the school is a great way to get more people involved and raise awareness for the event.”

Carter said the event serves as a tool to help people remember and honor Veterans Day in a meaningful way, in addition to providing a platform for veterans and community members to connect through fitness.

“The active portion of the event will definitely be a great way for our team to connect with the veterans and vice versa,” Carter said.

The classic military exercises workout, featuring varying repetitions of sprints, air-squats, box jumps, push-ups and more, also includes a two-minute section for rest and reflection, symbolic of the moment of silence observed at the tomb of the unknowns.

Andy Dytrych, an MBA candidate at the Mendoza College of Business, the lacrosse team mentor and an U.S. Army veteran himself, was largely responsible for planning this event.

“This event is significant because it not only shows the dedication that the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team has in serving its community and remembering veterans, but the strong bonds that the University of Notre Dame has with the military community, both past and present,” Dytrych said in a statement. “We, as a veteran community, are honored to be recognized by the Notre Dame men’s lacrosse team and thank them for all they do for our nation’s veterans.”

Notre Dame head lacrosse coach Kevin Corrigan said the team is looking forward to an important evening honoring those who served.

“We are excited to partner with the MBA veterans, ROTC and others from the Notre Dame community to work and sweat together as a way to recognize the service that veterans have provided for our freedom,” Corrigan said in a statement. “It should be a fun and challenging evening.”

View this story on The Observer website.