In 2022, Paul Rabil, Kevin Durant, and Rich Kleiman discussed the future of lacrosse. They envisioned a sport that could be played by anyone, anywhere - just like pick-up hoops.
On Sept. 8, 2023, the Premier Lacrosse League and Boardroom teamed up to introduce Street Lacrosse to New York City at Kevin Durant’s Build It and They Will Ball court in the Lower East Side at East Side Community School. Twenty of the world’s best male and female players demonstrated the new adaptation of the game – one that can be played by anyone, anywhere at any time. Players only need sticks and a ball, commonly a tennis ball, any agreed upon boundaries and any goal target, whether it be a net, post, bucket, or other marker, and can be played to any agreed score.
One hundred youth players from 5 local non-profit lacrosse programs came to play alongside celebrities and community leaders. We celebrated New York City through sport, food, music, fashion, art, and entertainment, with the goal of expanding access to the game of lacrosse, no matter where you play.
The PLL and Boardroom worked hand in hand to build an impactful first Open Run to highlight the accessibility, fun, and culture of Street Lacrosse. Tapping celebrity influencers, star PLL and women’s professional lacrosse players, community lacrosse programs from Harlem, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, and equipment partners STX, the PLL and Boardroom maximized impact and attention to this new style of the game designed to bring lacrosse to more communities. Co-collaborating on content and amplification was core to the PLL and Boardroom’s success in bringing Street Lacrosse to life, by drawing on each teams’ collective strengths,
Come Sept. 8, the skies opened up, and it poured rain right up until the pros took the court. PLL and Boardroom staff, including PLL co-founder and CEO Mike Rabil took squeegees and gatorade towels to the court to make the surface playable. Even through the rain, the competition level as well as the vibes didn’t let up. Pros brought swagger and style to the floor, with BTB feeds and through the legs shots, showcasing the freedom and fun that Street Lacrosse brings out in everyone from PLL Champions, to kids picking up a stick for the first time.
Street Lacrosse and this inaugural Open Run wasn’t just a moment, it’s a movement. The PLL and Boardroom are on a mission to make Street Lacrosse widely adopted by public school Physical Education programs throughout the country, and continue to live the value that lacrosse is for everyone by celebrating the people and culture that make up our communities. Through this Open Run and beyond, we will EXPAND the number of communities we reach, SUPPORT local organizations with the necessary resources to grow lacrosse participation, and CELEBRATE the intersection of lacrosse and culture.
Street Lacrosse made a big splash nationally:
Street Lacrosse’s success didn’t stop at great gameplay and impressions – it’s impact was felt in the kids that shared a stick with a friend, got a pick up game going at Eastside Community School the next recess, and the 1,000 sticks shared with kids in the community to fall in love with the game through their first Street Lacrosse run.
One of the quotes of the night was said by award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright. He said, “We’re doing it out here…and I’ll tell you something. I’m looking around at these kids playing….some of these girls playing…the mix of people out here is something I’ve never seen before in my life. I started playing lacrosse in 1975/1976…I’ve never seen this before, man.”
