Charlie Patterson, Philip Toran and Anthony Phalen started Hackees Lacrosse to make it easier for children and adults to play casual games of lacrosse without wearing protective gear. The three longtime friends grew up together in New England, where they spent much of their childhood playing pickup sports. Street hockey, pond hockey, Wiffle ball and backyard football were regular activities, and they became interested in lacrosse as the sport gained popularity around Boston.
Lacrosse presented a problem that those other games did not. Traditional sticks are hard enough that competitive play requires protective equipment, making a casual game in the backyard or at the beach less practical. Smaller toy sticks were available, but they did not allow the same kind of passing, shooting and defensive play as regulation equipment. The three friends wanted something that would let people play a more complete version of lacrosse without having to organize a formal game.
Their solution was a padded lacrosse stick that moved some of the protection from the player to the equipment. Hackees uses a full-sized lacrosse head with a padded covering and a flexible shaft wrapped in foam. Players can pass, shoot, dodge and defend while reducing the impact of incidental contact. The founders designed the sticks for pickup games and younger players who wanted to try lacrosse before committing to the expense of organized leagues and equipment.
The design required a balance between flexibility and the feel of a conventional stick. The founders settled on a plastic shaft wrapped in foam, paired with a hand-strung lacrosse head. They also developed a soft ball for casual games. Unlike short toy sticks, Hackees was designed to handle more like the equipment used in organized lacrosse, including the defensive checks that are part of the sport.
Hackees began selling its sticks directly to consumers through its website, offering individual sticks and sets for group play. The founders developed different colors and designs and added goals and other accessories so families could purchase equipment for a complete backyard game.
Hackees also began targeting schools, coaches and youth lacrosse programs. They introduced bulk ordering for teams and leagues, along with wholesale sales for retailers. The sticks gave coaches another option for introducing younger players to the sport and organizing practice activities without requiring every participant to wear full protective equipment.
As the product line developed, Hackees added longer defensive sticks and goalie models alongside its original sticks. They introduced replacement parts, allowing customers to replace damaged shafts and other components without buying an entirely new stick. By 2026, Hackees was offering complete game sets, equipment for teams and leagues, and a wider range of sticks for different styles of play.
