For the first time, the U.S. women's national senior lacrosse team will sport Champion Athleticwear uniforms on the lacrosse field at this year's Champion Challenge, scheduled for this weekend, Jan. 29-30, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, FL.
“Designing the uniforms for the women's lacrosse team is an exciting step for Champion, merging the brand's iconic heritage with the fastest-growing sport in the U.S.,” said Kevin Hall, Champion executive vice president and general manager. “We're proud to exclusively outfit these dynamic athletes and look forward to further fostering our partnership with the women's lacrosse community.”
“We're thrilled to have partnered with Champion to provide apparel for the U.S. women's national teams,” said US Lacrosse Director of National Teams Nathaniel Badder. “Doing so allows us to provide our players with best-in-class apparel from top to bottom. From the start, Champion has been a great partner, inviting our staff and players into the design process, soliciting feedback after training events, and working diligently to develop a look and feel which will allow our athletes to perform their best. The new uniforms are, put simply, very, very cool and we look forward to many more great things to come from this relationship in the years ahead.”
The Champion jerseys feature a sleek, curved stripe designed to evoke the image of the flag's stripes waving in the wind. The uniform skirts also feature a gripper for a stay-put fit to prevent the skirt from twisting and turning during play, a common complaint among players. The Champion uniforms are made from a lightweight, high-performance blend of recycled polyester and spandex. Ventilation areas, wicking material and stretch ensure the players are focusing on the game and not on their uniforms during play.
“As the apparel provider for the U.S. women's national team, Champion is dedicated to bringing fresh, fast and innovative products to the everyday athlete. By outfitting Team USA's women's lacrosse teams, we are staying on the cusp of what's happening in the marketplace,” said Champion Chief Design Officer Ned Munroe.
An inspirational quote is also found at the bottom of the jerseys: It Takes a Little More to Make a Champion.
The sixth annual Champion Challenge, a US Lacrosse event sponsored by Champion Athleticwear, will feature the U.S. men's national lacrosse team, the U.S. women's national Senior and U19 teams, the Notre Dame University men's lacrosse team, the Maryland University women's lacrosse team, the University of Virginia women's lacrosse team, the University of Jacksonville (Fla.) women's lacrosse team and Rollins (Fla.) College women's lacrosse team.
