Thirty five years ago, Lacrosse Unlimited opened the door of a tiny shop on Nesconset Highway in Hauppauge, New York. Fifteen hundred square feet. Fifteen thousand dollars of inventory. A couple of racks. And a ridiculous amount of belief that a lacrosse store could matter.
If you were one of the early customers, you probably remember the comic book shop next door, the bakery, the liquor store, the print shop. You might even remember the looks we got from those owners, like they were watching a magic trick they knew would fail. No one would have guessed that the smallest shop in the plaza would outlast everyone else.
Yet here we are. Thirty five years later. Still standing. Still growing. Still obsessed with the sport that brought all of us together.
Today Lacrosse Unlimited has grown into almost sixty stores across the country. A website used by players and parents everywhere. A team sales division that outfits programs nationwide. A production team that makes Always Custom feel like more than a slogan. And a staff of people who love this game and genuinely care about helping every customer who walks through the door or hits the checkout button.
But the truth is simple. None of it happens without you.
You are the reason that our store survived. You are the reason we kept pushing when the world told us niche retail would never last. You are the reason we get to wake up every day and work inside a sport that shaped our lives.
You trusted us with your first stick. Your first helmet. Your first custom pocket. Your team orders. Your season openers. Your holiday gifts. Your late night emergencies before tournaments. You let us be part of your lacrosse journey, and there is no greater compliment than that.
We started Lacrosse Unlimited because we wanted to build a place that treated players the way we wanted to be treated. A place where knowledge mattered and effort mattered and passion mattered. A place that made the game feel bigger, not smaller.
Thirty five years later, we are the largest lacrosse company in the world yet we still focus on the one customer standing right in front of us. We still obsess over the little details. We still believe a great pocket can change a kid’s season. We still take pride in the moments when someone walks out smiling because we helped them find the right thing.
So thank you. Thank you for letting us be part of your seasons, your teams, your milestones, your wins, and even your tough losses. Thank you for supporting a company that started with nothing but belief and a love for the game.
Here is to the next chapter. And here is to you, the lacrosse community that made thirty five years not just possible, but meaningful.
Best,
