Business Model · Confidence · Elevate · Empowerment · Female Athlete · Girls lacrosse · High School Lacrosse · Interview · Invest · Lacrosse · Leadership · San Diego · Triad Athletes · WINterview · Women in Sports · 1 comment ·Mar 02, 2022

W.I.N.terview with Laura Gump

Triad Athletes SwaxLax Lacrosse Balls San Diego girls lacrosse

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUR TRIAD ATHLETES?

Be able to play any position on the field.

Coaches love the player that has the will and the skill to play attack, midfield and defense.

Try not to specialize too early and be open to new things. Work on all elements of your game and that way you can be an asset to any team you play for in the future.

WHAT GAVE YOU INSPIRATION FOR SWAX LAX LACROSSE BALLS?

I noticed that practice lacrosse balls were never the right weight or size as a real ball, which made the sport frustrating and difficult to learn.

It’s challenging for a player to develop muscle memory when you do everything right and the ball still bounces out of your stick.

The Swax Lax ball is the solution.

WHAT WAS AN IMPORTANT LESSON YOU HAD TO LEARN WHEN STARTING A NEW COMPANY?

Be obsessed with quality.

At first, I designed the product with beginners in mind, but quickly discovered coaches of advanced players wanted to use the ball for training as well.

Problem was, the prototype fabric could not withstand shots at high speeds. We had to test and retest different samples until they found a fabric durable enough to hold up to the demands of all levels of players.

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Laura Gump

Founder & CEO of Swax Lax, a manufacturer of soft lacrosse training balls, is a coach who always looks for ways to make the sport more accessible. Laura is committed to providing young players with a positive first experience and older players an opportunity to train anywhere with confidence. When not doing all things lacrosse, Laura is mentoring her athletes and local students, playing pickleball with her family, walking with friends, and reading.