Sam Cardella, a 9th grader from Mendham, NJ. who plays for the STEPS Elite 2022 White team is looking to grow the game of lacrosse internationally by leading an equipment drive for teams around the world called Gear the Globe. Sam came up with the idea of collecting used gear through a traveling shipping container at lacrosse tournaments. Sam said, “My passion for lacrosse led me to this incredible opportunity to help lead what I hope will be one of the largest equipment drives in the country. My goal is to get a stick in anyone’s hand who wants to play. Together with the Pan-American Lacrosse Association (PALA), the Peru Lacrosse Association and the founder and owner of STEPS Lacrosse, Charlie Shoulberg, we will help grow the game globally and hopefully reach the Olympic dream.”
The Gear the Globe (GTG) collection container will tour the Northeast at various lacrosse tournaments with its final destination arriving at the FIL Women’s World Championship Qualifier game for the Pan-American region on November 14th at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale, Florida. Eight countries will be taking home the donated equipment including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Haudenosaunee nation.
Katherine Loh, Secretary General of PALA, said, “I am so impressed with Sam’s enthusiasm and drive. She came up with a great idea and campaign. I can’t wait to see the results.”
Charlie Shoulberg, founder and CEO of STEPS Lacrosse, said, “Gear the Globe is an amazing initiative by Sam Cardella! Her passion for this project is contagious and I am extremely proud of her efforts. For a 9th grader to come up with the concept and bring it to life is truly inspirational. STEPS Lacrosse fully supports her efforts and looks forward to seeing all her hard work help grow the great game of lacrosse globally!”.
Sam Cardella has put together an advisory board to help achieve this vision, including Carolyn Everson, Vice President, Global Marketing Solutions at Facebook, Charlie Shoulberg: CEO & Founder of STEPS Lacrosse, Mike Walsh: President of STEPS Lacrosse & Head Coach of Summit HS Girls Lacrosse and Mike Cardella: President & Owner of Cardella Waste Services. Carolyn Everson will bring expertise in getting the message, building the brand and fundraising and said “Working with Sam reminds me of one of my favorite quotes fromanthropologist Margaret Mead. She said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Gear the Globe is looking for interested girls lacrosse players from around the country to join the Global Ambassador Director program to help spread the word about Gear the Globe.Founding Global Ambassador Directors include: Sophia Cardella, Taylor Everson, Elizabeth Shoulberg, Gracie Shoulberg, Elizabeth Walsh, Maddie Eisenhardt and Jack Eisenhardt. If interested, please contact Taylor Everson at taylor@geartheglobe.com
For information on how to get the GTG container at your next event, visit www.geartheglobe.com and follow @geartheglobe on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
GEAR THE GLOBE TOUR DATES:
4/14 – STEPS Spring Fling, Tinton Falls, NJ
4/28 – T3 Spring Club Play Day, Far Hills, NJ
5/11 – Mahwah Lacrosse Day, Mahwah, NJ
5/17 – Chester Mendham Lax Night, Chester, NJ
5/28 – STEPS Summer Kickoff, Chester, NJ
6/8-9 – Lax By the Sea, New Egypt, NJ
6/12 – Jersey Strong Showcase, Madison, NJ
6/15-16 – Live Love Lax, North East, MD
6/20-23 – Lax for the Cure, New Egypt, NJ
7/5-7 – Nike G8, Central Park of Morris County, NJ
7/24-25 – Nike XPO Prospect Camp, Basking Ridge, NJ
11/14 – FIL Women’s World Championship Qualifier, Auburndale, FL
About Gear the Globe
Gear the Globe Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded by Sam Cardella, a 9th grader from Mendham, N.J., who plays for the STEPS 2022 White team. Sam came up with the idea of collecting used gear through a traveling shipping container at lacrosse tournaments through a touring model. Gear the Globe’s mission is to provide lacrosse equipment to teams world-wide. Along with partner, STEPS Lacrosse, Gear the Globe hopes to grow the sport internationally. The GTG collection container will tour the Northeast at various lacrosse tournaments to collect women and men’s used equipment to be donated to teams around the world. For more information, visit: www.geartheglobe.com.
About STEPS
STEPS is a lacrosse program founded by the company’s CEO, Charlie Shoulberg. The STEPS Elite Team program is designed to foster the development of the highly competitive, dedicated player. STEPS Elite was recently ranked #1 Girls lacrosse club in the nation by US Club Lacrosse Rankings and it is the first girls club program sponsored by Nike. STEPS has partnered with US Lacrosse in its tournament sanction program so that four of its events including Lax by the Sea, Live Love Lax and Lax for the Cure, are qualifiers for the US Lacrosse Nationals. Other STEPS events include Spring Fling, Jersey Strong Showcase, Nike G8, Nike Elite 120, and the Nike XPO prospect camps. Growing the sport internationally is a very important goal for the organization. For more information, visit: www.stepslacrosse.com
About PALA
The Pan-American Lacrosse Association (PALA) is the third Continental Federation to be formed under the auspices of the Federation of International Lacrosse. The European Lacrosse Federation formed in 1995, boast 29 member countries. The Asia Pacific Lacrosse Union formed in 2004 currently has 15 members. PALA, as the third Continental Federation, will cover a relatively large geographic area. Countries in North, Central, South America and the Caribbean all fall under the PALA umbrella. Currently, this includes the USA, Canada, the Iroquois Confederacy, Argentina, Bermuda, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Peru. For more information visit: https://www.panamericanlacrosse.org/
About Peru Lacrosse
The Peru Lacrosse Association is the national governing body of lacrosse in Peru. The organization first gained membership with the Federation of International Lacrosse in 2008. As of January 17th, 2019 Peru Lacrosse is now officially a full member of the FIL. The Peru Lacrosse Association’s primary mission is the development of lacrosse in Peru. In 2018, the PLA fielded it’s first National Team in the 2018 World Lacrosse Championship. Working with lacrosse partners all over the world, the PLA will continue to grow the sport of lacrosse in Peru. Planned programs already include Abancay, Cuzco, and Lima, with further expansion into other regions, schools, and universities. For more information, visit: www.perulacrosse.org
