Fox Finding Success in Budding Lacrosse Industry
Chris Fox Playing for the Burnaby Burrards
Wallaceburg, ON – Lacrosse is his passion, and Chris Fox of Wallaceburg, along with former Wallaceburg Red Devils teammate Kevin Dostie, have managed to start making lacrosse a career through the creation of their company, Vagabond Lacrosse, and the recent production of “Rugburn,” their first lacrosse highlight DVD.
A member of the 2001 Red Devils Founders Cup winning team, Fox still plays lacrosse in the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA). This love for lacrosse, and a recognition of the sport’s rapid growth in North America sparked Fox to feed off his passion and start Vagabond,
“I started Vagabond Lacrosse because I recognizied several opportunities that exist in mainstream sports-media that were not being utilized to promote the game of lacrosse,” said Fox in an interview with the CKSN. “For myself, while I was coaching in the NCAA and playing WLA in Vancouver I needed to focus my energy on a project that was mobile and creative. With that vision I began the initial steps to produce our first DVD, Rugburn.”
Fox, who played minor and junior lacrosse in Wallaceburg, moved on to play NCAA lacrosse at Wheeling-Jesuit College, where he also served as a coach following his playing career.
After his former Wallaceburg Minor Lacrosse Association was the victim of fraud, draining the organizations bank accounts, Fox stepped up to the plate by offering to donate a portion of sales from his “Rugburn” DVDs directly to his hometown Association, a decision he called a “no brainer,”
“Donating a portion of the DVD sales was a no brainer. I grew up in the WMLA system. I have been unable to give back coaching or refereeing because I live in the US and British Columbia. So I figured out where I could contribute and I contacted the executive immediately.”
Following early successes, Fox is now hoping to expand Vagabond and cover a broader range of lacrosse services and memorabilia.
“After the success of the DVD I am now focused on promoting the game through the production of various lacrosse products and the branding of players to foster excitement within popular culture, while maintaining the tradition.”
“I now live in downtown Vancouver. Lacrosse is very popular in the surrounding suburbs. I will be working with local associations to grow the game in the city limits. I am also looking to produce several apparel items (hats, t-shirts, jerseys). Our biggest product involves television.”
Despite the fact he now lives thousands of miles from his hometown, Fox, as is the case with many Chatham-Kent and Wallaceburg athletes, hasn’t forgotten his roots and the important role his friends, family, and local organizations played in his development as a player, businessman, and person,
“Playing out of Wallaceburg provided many growing and development experiences as a young lacrosse player. Although, our lacrosse community isn’t as large as a Whitby or as knowledgeable as an Orangeville, the one thing that separates Wallaceburg and sets us ahead of other communities is our ability to “care” about each others success. Besides my parents, Tom and Bill Garnet were vital in my development as a lacrosse player. They cared about my success. Wallaceburg needs to pride themselves on that.”
The Chatham-Kent Sports Network will feature another interview with Chris Fox as his WLA season gets underway. For more information, or to purchase a “Rugburn” DVD, feel free to visit the official Vagabond Lacrosse Website.