Rachel Zietz- Gladiator Lacrosse

Rachel Zietz was a high performing lacrosse athlete even from a young age. Zietz played at Princeton for all four years. She broke a net one time during a backyard practice session when she was thirteen and it sparked her idea to create a more durable net. Zietz realized the need for better lacrosse equipment. The failure to create high quality, low cost, and a lack of variety of equipment disappointed Rachel so she decided to do something about it. In 2012 the idea really sparked and came to fruition when she was told by her coach to play “wall ball” to practice and the rebounders she looked at were too expensive and the one she ended up purchasing wasn’t made of good quality and didn’t hold up in the weather elements. Naturally frustrated, she started to think up the idea of starting her own lacrosse equipment company.

Zietz with help from ‘Young Entrepreneurs Academy’ she started her business to make high quality inexpensive gear and equipment that will stand the test of the elements and from high level practicing. Her two designs she launched are the lacrosse goal and the rebounder. To make the goal more durable Zietz expanded the net and bars. Zietz kept her company going through her high school and college career. As a fifteen-year-old she went on Shark Tank and sadly didn’t receive a deal but, Gladiator Lacrosse launched and blew up in the lacrosse world, as of 2025 they have reached nine million dollars in revenue. The company now sells to colleges around the country which include: Harvard, Yale, Brown, and Georgetown. Zietz continues to grow the company and the brand ambassador is Casey Powell who is a legendary male lacrosse player. He is a professional American player and he also owns his own company that hosts camps for lacrosse players to attend and could learn from him.

Credits:

Powell, Casey. Casey Powell Lacrosse. 2021, caseypowell.com.

“About Us.” Gladiator Lacrosse, “GLADIATOR LACROSSE – ABOUT US”, gladiatorlacrosse.com/about-us/?srsltid=AfmBOop–qKZgNBWgWUNKlwef1EEKsb2FdZkSm_aJeSN2eN6ryl4o8Er. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

“Rachel Zietz.” Forbes, www.forbes.com/profile/rachel-zietz/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.

“Gladiator Lacrosse.” Shark Tank Companies, www.sharktankcompanies.com/products/gladiator-lacrosse. Accessed 27 Oct. 2025.