Last Friday we activated our NLL sponsorship at the JR Tourney at the state of the art Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. As is with most events we attend, there was the initial "wow" factor, and then the post-game excitement of the new SISU converts.
The usual amount of non-stop traffic milling around our booth carried the buzz of disbelieving conversation about our thin, protective properties and as always was drowned out by the unprompted, but reassuring comments from SISU athletes about how much they love their SISU Guard. It was both incredibly cool and incredibly humbling to see the athletes take the time to come back to our booth after the game just to say, "Thanks! The guard was amazing. I could talk and breathe so much better."
Quite possibly our favorite moment was when three adorable kids (shown) stood by our table and had this casual chat about how cool their new guard was and how it was "the best thing ever."
We fitted over a hundred prominent players in their respective communities with SISU Guards and made new friends and grateful new brand ambassadors for SISU. But what's great is that these kids are the future of Lacrosse!
After each mouthguard fitting, we like to test to make sure that the athlete can talk properly. So, among my other questions I asked all the kids I fitted was if they were any good at playing Lacrosse. "Yes," they would say without hesitation, "I'm good."
The goal of this event was not only to introduce SISU to the box lacrosse community, but to meet the players who are in it for life. These are the kids who are the future of Lacrosse and we are happy to keep them safe. Our product introduction at the Junior tournament was the first step in the direction of improving dental safety among lacrosse players, as well as challenging the standards of what a mouthguard can do. It gave us an opportunity to showcase our product and to connect with parents and athletes on a more personable level.
For our kitchen table start up, a sponsorship on this level is a big step. In fact, it our first "Official Mouthguard" sponsorship. It is not just a title. In order to become partners with an organization of the NLL caliber, we had to pass the scrutiny of coaches, players and medical pros who evaluated our guard. They deemed us worthy. So, what's in it for them?
On the professional level, athletes are not required to wear mouthguards. Yet, with increased demand from the athletic community for better safety measures in all sports, dental safety is the next logical step. In this case SISU seems like the best mouthguard for lacrosse since it allows for the most natural transition: a properly fitted SISU Guard allows athletes to talk and breathe naturally, as well as stay hydrated during the game. As a mouthguard brand, we are, of course, happy to see a shift towards better dental safety, especially among prominent players in the athletic communities. Everyone looks up to these guys! And through this partnership with the NLL we hope to improve the general aversion towards mouthguards, because a better alternative is now available - SISU.
