Board Member Spotlight: Mike Barrett

If lacrosse had a cosmic playlist, you’d find Mike Barrett’s name scattered through the decades. He picked up a stick at 11, fell hard for the sport, and never quite managed to put it down. By 16 he was pulling on an England jersey; by 26 he’d helped his country capture three European titles. When most people are settling into a sensible hobby, Mike was still chasing faceoffs – at forty, he suited up for his native Denmark, lacing up to deliver hat‑tricks against Austria and Hungary at the 2016 European Championships. You could say he’s a man who keeps the Viking horn close and the lacrosse stick even closer.

What’s remarkable, though, is not just how long he’s played, but how he’s used that experience. A lifelong teacher – he has over twenty years in physical education – Mike understands that sport isn’t only about winning; it’s a vehicle for connection and growth. In 2022 he left a stable job to start MB Coaching & Teaching Services UK. His mission was simple: rebuild the lacrosse scene in Bromley’s primary schools. With the help of the Bromley School Games Organisers, The Lacrosse Foundation, Centurions Lacrosse, and England Lacrosse, he created the Bromley Junior Lacrosse project. Within months, kids were swinging sticks in PE lessons, after‑school clubs were popping up, and the dream of four youth teams across the borough was suddenly within reach. It was audacious, a little absurd, and exactly the sort of thing that makes people fall in love with sport.

Mike’s success in Bromley didn’t go unnoticed. Centurion Lacrosse Club noted that his work in the Bromley Schools Partnership was so impactful that they’ve asked him to expand into the Sevenoaks schools, even supplying youth gloves to kick‑start the new program. Meanwhile, he and his family—his son now coaches alongside him—are nurturing an intergenerational love of lacrosse. On the Bromley Bobcats coaching page, he’s described as a three‑time England men’s European champion, an educator and the founder of the Bobcats program. The title sounds serious, but Mike would likely grin and roll his eyes. To him, being a champion isn’t about medals. It’s about giving kids a chance to run, learn, and maybe laugh at themselves when the ball goes rogue.

That humility is part of what makes Mike such a beloved figure. Friends tease him about his “retirement,” but his retirement involved quitting his full‑time job to coach full‑time. He doesn’t sit still. He talks about lacrosse with awe and amusement—as if it’s both the most important thing in the world and an utterly bonkers way to spend your weekends. He’s working with The Lacrosse Foundation in the UK to make the sport accessible to every corner of British society, and he’s negotiating with his local council to build a multi‑sport arena—complete with a box lacrosse facility—to serve his community.

Mike brings strategic insight, fundraising experience, community‑building chops and boundless enthusiasm to the Global Lacrosse Foundation’s advisory board. He knows how to connect with kids who’ve never seen a lacrosse stick and with adults who played their last game twenty years ago. More importantly, he believes in the unifying power of sport and isn’t afraid to do the unglamorous work—like counting sticks and ordering gloves—to make magic possible.

As Global Lacrosse launches the Unity Through Lacrosse Tour, Mike’s experience bridging cultures, nurturing grassroots programs and inspiring people of all ages will be invaluable. He’s the sort of person who can talk about faceoffs and astrophysics in the same breath, who’ll send you a podcast recommendation at 2 a.m. and laugh with you when you realize you’re both crying at a Pixar short. In short, Mike Barrett is the epitome of what this movement is about: passion, community, and a touch of cosmic wonder.