Elevate Ep 69: Building Champions with Blake Balcaen, Vice President of True Lacrosse

In this episode of the Elevate Podcast, host Jason Ulm sits down virtually with Blake Balcaen all the way from New York to explore his journey from college lacrosse player to helping lead one of the nation's expanding youth lacrosse organizations. After graduating from Pace University with an MBA in Corporate Finance, Blake faced a career-defining decision: pursue a traditional finance career in New York City or take a chance on building a youth lacrosse program from the ground up. He chose the unexpected path. Today, the Westchester True Lacrosse program has grown to nearly 400 players, and Blake helps oversee programs across the Northeast. But for him, success isn't simply measured by growth or victories. It's measured by the opportunities created for young athletes and the life lessons they carry beyond the field. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Elevate Podcast 00:45 Meet Blake, Vice President of True Lacrosse 01:28 Growing Up with a Passion for Sports 02:26 Playing College Lacrosse at Pace University 03:06 Turning an Unexpected Challenge into Opportunity 04:38 Navigating Career Decisions After College 05:22 Taking a Chance on True Lacrosse 06:31 Why Being Open to Opportunities Matters 07:28 Building a Youth Lacrosse Program from Scratch 08:40 Growing to Nearly 400 Players and Expanding Leadership 10:16 The History and National Growth of True Lacrosse 11:24 Why Coaching Is About More Than Winning 12:51 Helping Student-Athletes Navigate College Recruiting 14:17 Finding Purpose Through Mentorship 15:12 How AI and Technology Are Changing Youth Sports 16:06 Social Media's Role in Athlete Exposure and Recruiting 18:17 What Community and Leadership Really Mean 20:26 Life Outside of Work and Personal Growth 21:36 Final Thoughts and Closing The Elevate Podcast is powered by Braden Business Systems, hosted by Jason Ulm, and produced by Lauren Knauer. Keywords: True Lacrosse, youth sports leadership, lacrosse coaching, college lacrosse recruiting, Blake True Lacrosse, Elevate Podcast, Braden Business Systems, youth athlete development, leadership through sports, sports mentorship, lacrosse player development, college athlete to entrepreneur, sports business leadership, youth sports coaching, True Lacrosse Westchester, student athlete recruiting, leadership development, coaching young athletes, entrepreneurship podcast, community leadership, AI in youth sports