This article appears in the January edition of US Lacrosse Magazine, available exclusively to US Lacrosse members. Join or renew today! Thank you for your support.

This is a man’s world.

The sport scene has been dominated by males for centuries, from players and coaches to media and referees. Nine times out of 10, it is an unequivocal guarantee that if asked about sports, a male athlete or professional team would come to mind.

Lacrosse is no different. Paul and Gary Gait, being two of the greatest to ever play the sport, have stamped their legacy on men’s lacrosse. Given the numerous championships and personal accolades between them both, stunning plays like the Air Gait and the teams for which they have played and coached, it would be easy to see their names attached solely to men’s lacrosse.

Not so fast.

In the fall of 1993, Gary Gait accepted a position at Maryland as a women’s lacrosse assistant coach alongside the equally legendary Cindy Timchal. Over the course of nine seasons, they would win seven NCAA championships and produce an awe-inspiring program.

During this time, Paul Gait was working and developing products for deBeer Lacrosse. The culmination of these lax luminaries brought a what-if mentality that soon would birth the creation of the Apex, a truly revolutionary product in women’s lacrosse.

What if a stick was designed to push boundaries for women’s lacrosse?

What if women’s lacrosse did not have to mold to men’s lacrosse?

The Apex was the No. 1-selling women’s lacrosse stick for years. Its domination on the field at Maryland caught on like wildfire and became an overnight success. It changed the game of women’s lacrosse forever.

In 2007, Gary Gait rejoined his alma mater and became the second-ever Syracuse women’s lacrosse coach. He changed the culture of the program with the Gait innovation and immense knowledge of how equipment works. He was able to motivate and bring out the confidence in his players as the individuals and coaches that they have grown to be. Some of them are arguably the greatest female athletes in sports, period. Gait’s time as a women’s coach, and knowing the game as he does, has not only changed the way players play, but what they play with. The Gait brothers are just wired differently.

Fast-forward. The year is now 2020. Paul and Gary Gait have pivoted back into the lacrosse equipment scene, re-launching Gait Lacrosse with legacy products like the Torq head, Ice handle and a women’s head, the Air. The first official collaboration between the sport’s twin titans, the Gait Draw, introduced a revolutionary product to the women’s lacrosse community. A few short months later, Gait Lacrosse unveiled the Whip head, a soon-to-be favorite among attackers.

The innovation and design of these sticks have no comparison — unrivaled pockets, technology designed for accuracy and creativity on the field. With these products, female laxers everywhere are conquering their craft and putting their own marks on the game.

Although 2020 has been riddled with trials, it also has given Gait Lacrosse time to unfold the return of the Apex, the fourth addition to the women’s head suite. Sometimes you need to step into the past to move forward.

The redesign of the Apex head featuring flex-mesh stringing combines all of the best qualities of the Air with the Whip. A deep V-scoop and large upfront pocket with no sacrifice to the ball-stop area creates a midfield stick built for speed, maximum control, balance and accuracy.

With championship-caliber programs like Boston College, Maryland, Navy and Northwestern and world-class athletes like Dana Dobbie, Hannah Nielsen, Taylor Cummings, Alex Aust and Sydney Pirreca endorsing these products, Gait Lacrosse has once again made its mark on the sport.

The next 12 months will bring further developments for the Gait Lacrosse brand, with new gear on the horizon for both men and women, as well as the opening of new headquarters that Paul and Gary Gait have helped to build by hand. 

While 2020 will ultimately be marked with an asterisk, Gait Lacrosse has made its own mark not only on the sport, but for the future of female athletes.