In 2023, the National Lacrosse League didn’t just launch a youth initiative—it ignited a movement. NLL UnBOXed™ has quickly become the League’s boldest statement yet: a strategic and deeply personal commitment to growing the game of box lacrosse & the NLL’s fan pool from the ground up. In its first year alone, NLL UnBOXed™ transformed the NLL’s 14 franchise footprint into a 22-market activation engine, with sights set on being active in 60 North American markets by the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“On the surface, any sport with growth aspirations must spark the game’s enjoyment at an early age,” said Kurt Hunzeker, the NLL’s EVP of Commercial Operations. “At its core, NLL UnBOXed™ is personal. The NLL wasn’t investing in its future. That had to change immediately if we wanted to call ourselves The Next Major League.”
In February 2024, NLL UnBOXed™ marked a major milestone in its mission to elevate the sport with the League’s return to Montréal—and its first-ever NLL UnBOXed™ Series Game. Held at Place Bell, the event featured the then-New York Riptide and Toronto Rock and drew over 6,000 fans. For many in attendance, it was their first live experience of the high-speed, hard-hitting and dynamic box lacrosse game. The game was more than just a matchup though—it was a celebration of the League’s return to the city for the first time since 2002 when the Montréal Express last played at the Molson Centre.
The NLL UnBOXed™ Series Game symbolized the League’s mission in box lacrosse’s growth, showcasing top-tier talent at the professional level, while developing & creating opportunities to showcase talent at the youth level.
“NLL UnBOXed™ is the catalyst that opens the funnel for opportunity to play and adds more young boys and girls to the participating player pool,” added Hunzeker. “We want to give every kid a reason to believe there’s a place for them in this sport.”
Just months later, NLL UnBOXed™ took another leap forward in community activation by announcing its first local-market, multi-year presenting partnership with Tampa General Hospital (TGH). As part of this initiative, TGH & the NLL collaborated to double the amount of elementary and middle schools that were granted lacrosse gear, introducing over six thousand Tampa-area students to the game directly through PE classes.
“Tampa General Hospital is committed to promoting health and wellness in our community to prevent illness and chronic health conditions,” said Kim Christine, Administrator of Community Health and Wellness at TGH. “This partnership not only helps us connect youth to the growing game of lacrosse, it allows us to invest in creating a healthier Tampa Bay.”
The Tampa Bay Snowbirds™ presented by Tampa General Hospital is one of nine inaugural NLL UnBOXed™ Lacrosse Communities, joining cities like Seattle, Charlotte, and Montréal. Each location is powered by a bold local identity, fostering pride and participation, which helps NLL UnBOXed™ extend its reach and deepen its impact.
“A primary goal for NLL UnBOXed™ always centered on partnering with influential local leaders and community-driven companies to help us introduce and foster a new love of NLL-style, fast-paced lacrosse,” Hunzeker stated.
But the foundation for this movement begins with a powerful name in the sport: Powell Lacrosse. From the outset, NLL UnBOXed™ was built to be a community anchor, and Powell Lacrosse became the League’s foundational partner in bringing that vision to life. The Powells—Casey, Ryan, and Mike—are one of lacrosse’s most legendary families, having redefined the game at every level, from NCAA dominance at Syracuse to Hall of Fame professional careers. Their passion for growing the game led to the integration of Casey Powell’s SPEED Lacrosse curriculum, a fast-paced, fundamentals-driven version of the sport designed to teach skills in a fun, inclusive, and engaging way.
Together with the League, Powell Lacrosse delivered professional-grade sticks, balls, goals and more to schools where lacrosse had never been played before. This critical first step not only gave students physical access to the sport but also introduced them to a game culture that emphasizes creativity, speed, and community. The Powells’ philosophy of inclusion aligned seamlessly with the mission of NLL UnBOXed™—to ensure every student has a chance to pick up a stick and feel like they belong.
22,000+ students are playing lacrosse in gym class thanks to our partners at @powelllacrosse 🥍
Nominate YOUR school and get in the game 👉 https://t.co/pVAYJ4b9H6 pic.twitter.com/VZDKq8gLXw
— NLL (@NLL) April 15, 2025
NLL UnBOXed™ received a major boost with the announcement of eero as the presenting partner of the Seattle Shipwrecks. With eero’s support, the Seattle Shipwrecks became just the second community to secure a local presenting partner, helping ensure that box lacrosse will thrive and connect more families, players, and neighborhoods across the Seattle area.
As NLL UnBOXed™ prepares for year two, it is taking the program’s next evolutionary step: bridging the gap between gym-class exposure and year-round engagement. With more than 500 schools nominated to receive lacrosse equipment, the League is building a pipeline from opportunity to sustained play by working with existing leagues and organizations to grow enrollment & launching community-level programs and events designed to keep sticks in hands.
In school, the NLL is taking deliberate steps to ensure that NLL UnBOXed™ becomes more than just a gym-class experience. Across participating schools, the NLL is actively developing after-school lacrosse programs that extend access to the sport beyond the school day, giving students more time, space, and opportunity to play.
In parallel, NLL UnBOXed™ is working closely with local coaches and youth organizations to connect the dots—linking new participants and physical education teachers with community leaders who can provide consistent, age-appropriate instruction and meaningful engagement. This collaboration not only strengthens how the game is taught but also creates a direct pathway for kids to continue playing beyond the school setting. By linking local coaches to a brand-new population of emerging players, we’re helping grow local programs organically while ensuring that every student who wants to keep playing knows exactly where and how to do so—fostering long-term participation and building the future of lacrosse from the ground up.
“Within two years, we will establish a new alliance network of youth lacrosse organizations in UnBOXed communities,” said Hunzeker. “That network becomes the Player Portal—the seamless next step for kids who want to keep playing beyond school.”
We’re excited to partner with McFly Lacrosse to grow the game in the Indianapolis Checkers Community! 🤝
Find out how you can get involved 👉 https://t.co/bfiGJEp81j pic.twitter.com/DWQ300kIhK
— NLL (@NLL) May 14, 2025
Whether it’s helping to boost enrollment, introducing box lacrosse for the first time, or expanding access to underserved players, NLL UnBOXed™ aims to meet each organization where they are and help them get where they want to go. By doing so, the NLL not only helps these groups thrive, but also drives the League’s mission forward making the game more accessible, more affordable, and more rooted in communities. When local organizations succeed, the sport grows stronger at every level.
Just weeks before the launch of NLL UnBOXed™, lacrosse was re-added to the Olympic Programme for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. Since that announcement, the number of countries with national governing bodies for lacrosse has jumped from 75 to 93.
“It is incumbent upon the sport’s longest-running pro league to lead by example and leverage the Olympic moment,” said Hunzeker. “NLL UnBOXed™ is how we do that. It is our legacy project.”
By the end of the 2025-26 academic year, NLL UnBOXed™ is set to be active in 22 markets, reaching over 100,000 students across 150+ schools, with eyes firmly set on 60 total markets and 500,000 participants by LA28.
NLL UnBOXed™ is actively laying the foundation for a nationwide network of established programs united by a shared mission: to grow the game of lacrosse. By partnering with passionate organizations already making an impact in their communities, NLL UnBOXed™ not only creates more opportunities for kids to pick up a stick but also elevates these programs to showcase their talent on a broader stage.
Starting this month, the NLL will begin announcing the affiliated programs joining the growing network—each one a vital partner in the ongoing mission to make lacrosse more visible, inclusive, and impactful across North America and beyond. Through these partnerships, NLL UnBOXed™ is committed to highlighting the best of box lacrosse’s youth talent from each community, giving them a pathway to shine on the world stage.
NLL UnBOXed™ is calling on coaches, local sports programs, schools, and sponsors to join the movement. Whether you’re nominating a school for a lacrosse grant, wishing to host a clinic, or looking to help build a community league, there’s room for everyone in this rapidly expanding pipeline.
“NLL UnBOXed™ will be the primary driver of box lacrosse’s growth worldwide. Full stop,” said Hunzeker.
This is just Year One. The Player Portal is open, and the future of the NLL and box lacrosse on the world stage is now.
Learn more about how you can get involved at NLL.com/UnBOXed
