LOS ANGELES, CA. (June 1, 2022) – The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster and 3STEP Sports are proud to announce the PLL Junior Championships beginning in January 2023. This first-of-its-kind, immersive experience will bring together over 1,300 of the nation’s best U11 and U13 players with the focus on PLL player interaction, up-tempo training, team competition and featuring a direct connection to PLL teams and players.

“We’re thrilled to launch the PLL Junior Championships. For the first time, youth players from across the country will have the opportunity to represent all eight of our Lacrosse Clubs as they compete for the inaugural championship,” said Co-Founder and PLL President, Paul Rabil. “Over the years, our PLL Academy team has been working closely with youth partners around the country to develop these games, and we’re excited to see it come to fruition at a PLL hosted venue in 2023. Each of these teams and players are going to get a first-hand look and feel of what it'll be like to compete in the PLL.”

The PLL Junior Championships will commence with a series of training camps in Florida and Arizona in January and February 2023, where top PLL players and coaches will train and evaluate all players. Training camps will be focused on coordinated fast-paced offensive and defensive tactics for game situations and finish with a four-game schedule. Each player will be evaluated for their skills and strengths and will be given feedback.

The winter training camps will be operated by 3STEP Sports, the largest club sports and event operator in the nation. 3STEP owns and operates 350 club teams and runs 85 lacrosse events each year.

“We are honored to partner with the PLL to launch the first-ever PLL Junior Championships” said Greg Waldbaum, 3STEP Sports VP of Lacrosse. “Our combined strengths will surely deliver one of the most important and meaningful new products the industry has ever seen.”

The top 168 players in each age group will be selected for a PLL Junior Team Draft in spring 2023 to select eight PLL Junior teams in each age bracket. Those teams will compete in a three-day tournament in August 2023 at a PLL game weekend. Each player will be outfitted with the uniforms and helmets matching their PLL counterpart.

The Championship will include a round-robin tournament with the top teams in each bracket playing in an ESPN affiliate televised game in a PLL stadium. Players and parents will be given VIP exposure to the PLL games that weekend and all PLL Junior games will be played under modified rules similar to the PLL game format.

For more information about the PLL Junior Championships and to register for the winter 2023 training camps, go to www.premierlacrosseleague.com/JRPLL.

ABOUT PREMIER LACROSSE LEAGUE

The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) powered by Ticketmaster is a men’s professional lacrosse league in North America, composed of eight teams rostered by the best players in the world. Co-founded by lacrosse superstar, philanthropist, and investor Paul Rabil and his brother, serial entrepreneur and investor, Mike Rabil, the Premier Lacrosse League is backed by an investment group composed of Joe Tsai Sports, Brett Jefferson Holdings, The Raine Group, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Chernin Group, Blum Capital, The Kraft Group, Arctos Sports Partners, and other top investors in sports and media. The PLL is distributed through an exclusive media rights agreement with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPN+. The PLL was recognized by Front Office Sports’ 2021 Best Employers in Sports. For more information, visit www.premierlacrosseleague.com and follow on social media: Instagram (@PLL), Twitter (@PremierLacrosse), Facebook (@PremierLacrosseLeague), YouTube (YouTube.com/PLL) and TikTok (@pll).

ABOUT 3STEP SPORTS

The 3STEP reach spans 40+ states and serves more than 3.1 million athletes across nine sports through industry-leading events, nationally spanning club programs, premier media content and more. 3STEP was founded by David Geaslen, who sought to create better experiences and more opportunities for athletes and their family. The mission of 3STEP is to be the standard of the youth sports experience and create consistency in the industry. 3STEP also operates the non-profit charity Mission Win.

For more information on 3STEP, go to www.threestep.com.