Mark Ellis: On the Line
October 28, 2020 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New York Lizards News Release
New York - Today Major League Lacrosse released a cinematic depiction of Mark Ellis' lacrosse journey. The release was pushed across social media channels and is an extension of the league's commitment to use its platform to elevate the voices and stories of its players.
This month the league traveled to Long Island, to follow in Mark's footsteps for the day. The feature captured his training on the field, lifting in the weight room, a tour of his home and his neighborhood, and a candid conversation about Mark's lacrosse journey.
Ellis began his journey in Hempstead, NY. His single mother and his grandmother had profound impacts on his life.
Ellis' first story was about his mother tirelessly providing for her family as a dedicated nurse, "Looking back you're like, she was working 12-hour shifts. What am I doing? She would work hard because of us. And now I know that is what I am going to do. I have to work hard for the next generation."
Ellis, with the encouragement and support of his mom and grandmother, took advantage of an opportunity to attend Garden City High School; a difficult decision, as it meant leaving his friends and community in Hempstead.
"It's hard for a 15-year-old, 13, even an 18-year-old, to be like, 'I'm gonna walk away from my best friends I grew up with my whole life, and change.' So for me, being a product of my environment, I was on that line."
The move would make Ellis one of the only black faces on the field and in the classroom. The advice his mother gave when asked how he should adapt to his new reality? Compete.
Ellis said competing on the field always came easy to him. But, he faced greater hurdles in the classroom, affecting his collegiate journey. A journey, he acknowledges, that may have never been a reality had he stayed in Hempstead's school system.
In Hempstead, Ellis had family members facing incarceration, he had family members and friends who did not have beds to sleep on. The expectation for his Hempstead peers was to show up to school and then maybe graduate, maybe not, and then go get a job. By attending Garden City, Ellis was on a new path. The baseline expectation for him now was to attend college.
After struggling in the classroom and then attending a postgraduate year at Westminster School, Ellis earned a scholarship to play lacrosse for Stony Brook's Seawolves. After graduating from Stony Brook and still having a year of eligibility left, Ellis went on to pursue a master's degree in sports science at Hofstra University, while playing for the Pride.
He now finds himself a Major League Lacrosse player for the New York Lizards, a master's degree scholar and in charge of molding the next generation of Seawolves, as the assistant athletic performance coach for Stony Brook.
Looking back on his journey Ellis said, "I'm just a product of my environment. I come from a place where two towns meet. Rich meets poor. White meets Black. Republicans meet Democrat....You are a product of your environment, but you can make constant choices to be a part of that environment in a positive way or a negative way."
Ellis, who has become a leader in the fight for greater equality, opportunity and social justice in our sport is consistently choosing to positively impact our environment.
You can learn more about all Ellis is doing with MLL, with his new podcast "Vibe Checkerss" and at Stony Brook via Instagram: @mte34
New York Lizards Instagram:ÃÂ @nylizards
New York Lizards Twitter:ÃÂ @LizardsLacrosse
Major League Lacrosse Instagram: @majorleaguelax
Major League Lacrosse Twitter: @MLL_LacrosseÃÂ
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from October 28, 2020
- Mark Ellis: On the Line - New York Lizards
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
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