News

Gait Lacrosse® Re-signs Matt Poskay to Player Endorsement Deal

ST. LOUIS, MO (November 1, 2010) Gait Lacrosse is pleased to announce the re-signing of Matt Poskay, 2010 Professional Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year. Poskay will continue to endorse Gait equipment and apparel through the 2011 season.

"We are thrilled to have Matt continue representing Gait Lacrosse," said Ren Pettinelli, Gait Lacrosse business director. "Matt personifies the new Gait brand: hard-working, over-achieving and dedicated to the cause."

Poskay is a 2006 graduate of the University of Virginia where he won two NCAA national championships. This season, Poskay changed positions from midfield to attack, scoring a league-leading 45 goals and setting the single-season scoring record for his team.

"I am very happy to continue endorsing the Gait Lacrosse brand," said Poskay. "I have been thrilled with Gait equipment since I played at the University of Virginia, so I'm excited to stay with the brand and products I trust."

Gait Lacrosse to be Lead Sponsor for Philly Showcase

Two-Year Deal Further Establishes Philly Showcase as Nation Preeminent Fall Recruiting Event

NXT Sports™ and Showcase Lacrosse are proud to announce a partnership with Gait Lacrosse in which Gait will serve as the lead sponsor of the Philly Showcase for 2010 and 2011. Under the partnership agreement, Gait Lacrosse will provide uniforms for all participants and coaches in the event, the Showcase afternoon boys and girls all-star games will be branded as the Gait Lacrosse Fab Forty All-Star Games, and NXT and Gait will work together to promote the event.

NXT Sports is very excited to work with a great company like Gait Lacrosse,” said Andy Hayes, CEO of NXT Sports. “Gait’s name commands respect throughout the lacrosse world, and having them as lead sponsor adds tremendous prestige to the Philly Showcase.

Said Gait Lacrosse Marketing Manager, Bryan Bendig ,Gait Lacrosse is proud to serve as the lead sponsor of the 2010 and 2011 Philly Showcase events. Although the Philly Showcase is a relative newcomer to the lacrosse scene, we believe it is already the best-run and most prestigious fall recruiting event in the nation, and we are excited to be a part of it.

The Philly Showcase is the Mid-Atlantic premiere lacrosse recruiting event. The initial Philly Showcase took place in November 2009 and was hailed as an aging success by InsideLacrosse.com. The 2010 Showcase will take place November 20-21 at Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, PA. The Saturday boys event and Sunday girls event will each feature over 300 of the finest high school players in the nation. Over 100 college coaches are expected each day.

Gait Lacrosse® Announces Bryan Bendig
as Grass Roots Marketing Manager

ST. LOUIS, MO (November 23, 2009) Gait Lacrosse, a division of Jarden Inc. that includes popular sporting goods brands such as Rawlings®, Worth®, Miken®, JT Sports®, Licensed Products® and deBeer®, announces that Bryan Bendig has joined the Gait lacrosse team as the Grassroots Marketing Manager. Bendig will report to Ren Petinelli, Business Director, for deBeer/Gait. Bryan will be responsible for the Gait Grass Roots Program nationwide.

"We're proud to have Bryan on our team; both his field lacrosse and indoor lacrosse experience will benefit us in the market place." said Ren Petinelli, Business Director.

Prior to joining Gait lacrosse, Bryan played professional lacrosse for six years, as well as, collegiately for the University of Hartford.

Bendig holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Hartford.

Gait LACROSSE to Sponsor Trilogy Lacrosse

New York, NY (February 3, 2010) Gait Lacrosse, a leading manufacturer of lacrosse gear and equipment, today announced its sponsorship of Trilogy Lacrosse, The Leader in Lacrosse Education.

"The Gait brand is rich in lacrosse tradition. Gait has been an integral part of the development of lacrosse gear and we share their commitment to improving the experience of every lacrosse player." said Rob Lindsey, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Trilogy Lacrosse. "We are excited about being associated with Gait. Trilogy Lacrosse and Gait both aim to be the best at what they do. As Trilogy Lacrosse continues to expand across the United States, the addition of Gait Lacrosse gear and apparel will provide additional momentum to our growth.

Trilogy Lacrosse is a national company with an established reputation as The Leader in Lacrosse Education. With camps, clinics and select teams in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Ohio, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, Colorado and California, the entire Trilogy Lacrosse organization is united by a passion for the game, teaching, and excellence.

"Trilogy's expertise in lacrosse education, complements Gait's expertise in lacrosse product development. While Trilogy Lacrosse strives to develop exceptional youth lacrosse players, Gait strives to develop the best product available for the serious player. With this philosophy, Trilogy Lacrosse and Gait Lacrosse are sure to make excellent partners." says Ren Pettinelli, Business Director for Gait/deBeer.

Knighthawks Name Paul Gait Head Coach

The Rochester Knighthawks named Paul Gait the fifth head coach in franchise history today at a press conference at The Blue Cross Arena. Paul is reunited with his twin brother, Gary, who came out of retirement to play for Rochester this past October. Paul begins his professional coaching career in 2009, replacing departed Head Coach Paul Suggate.

"I am very happy having been offered this position and am looking forward to a great season and a great start to my coaching career," said Paul Gait. "I finally have had some time to get back into the sport I love and the sport in which I work in every day. To be back involved with players again is going to be a great situation. I missed it a lot."

"Paul brings a resume full of lacrosse success both on and off the floor," said Knighthawks General Manager Regy Thorpe about Paul Gait, who is the president of deBeer Lacrosse. "He is a very well respected lacrosse icon that guys will have immediate respect for and rapport with. He will transfer his lacrosse knowledge to his players and lead the coaching staff. I know the players, staff and organization are excited to have him come on board to help us in our quest for the Cup."

The National Lacrosse League Hall of Famer and 11-time All-Pro returns to the Knighthawks, where he played three seasons (1995-97) and helped the franchise win its first championship in 1997. He also earned the team's MVP award that season as he completed his Knighthawks career with 87 goals and 58 assists in just 27 games.

Those three seasons were part of an unprecedented 13-year playing career that began in 1991 and ended in 2005. Gait played in 128 regular season games for teams in Detroit, Philadelphia, Rochester, Syracuse, Washington and Colorado. In Syracuse, he was also the Director of Player Personal. He won titles in 1991 (Detroit), 1994 (Philadelphia) and 1997 (Rochester) and was named the league's MVP in 2002. Further, he was an eight-time First Team All-Pro and a three-time Second Team All-Pro. He still ranks third all-time in league history in goals (410) and eighth in points (712).

Gait led the league in goals in four seasons (1991, 1992, 1994, and 2002). He was also outstanding in the playoffs, scoring a record-setting eight goals in the 1994 Championship Game for the Philadelphia Wings, the most goals ever scored in a league championship game. Gait also holds the record for most career championship game goals with 23. After retiring following the 2002 season, Gait, made a brief comeback with the Colorado Mammoth in order to play again professionally with his brother Gary before Gary's retirement in 2005.

"We are very excited to be introducing Paul Gait as our new head coach today. Needing to fill this position, only two weeks before our season gets underway, presented a challenge for sure," said Knighthawks President Lewis Staats. "Having Paul available and agreeing to come on board with all his experience both on and off the floor will make this transition a lot easier. And finally, I'm sure the opportunity to coach his brother made his decision a little easier as well."

To go along with his three NLL titles, Gait captured an additional nine championships in his career. He earned a Minto Cup in 1998 with Esquimalt-Victoria Legion, and won four Mann Cups: 1990 with Brooklin, 1994 and 1995 with Six Nations and 1999 with Victoria. In 2001, Gait helped the Long Island Lizards win the inaugural Major League Lacrosse championship. At the collegiate level, he earned first-team All-America honors from 1988 to 1990 and helped Syracuse win three straight national championships.

He was named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player in 1989 and was named to the USILA North-South All-Star Game in 1990. Gait played for the Canadian National Team in the ILF World Championships in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002, earning All-World recognition in 1994. Lacrosse Magazine named him to its All-20th Century Team and the NCAA named him to its 25th Anniversary Team. In 2003-04, he was named to the Knighthawks' All-Time Team. In 2005, both brothers were inducted into the United States Lacrosse National Hall of Fame. In 2006, both Paul and Gary were among the five charter members to be voted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. In addition, he was named to the Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.