Charles Haywood didn’t have much luck when he was looking for lacrosse equipment for his sons in Columbia several years ago.
One store told him the only lacrosse equipment it stocked was what was shipped to it by accident. So he relied on the Internet and hoped the fit would be right.
So Haywood opened Palmetto Lacrosse at 806 Pavilion Ave. in Five Points earlier this year to serve a growing field of players in the Midlands.
Lacrosse has been certified by the S.C. High School League for the 2010 season, which is expected to boost interest in a sport that has been growing steadily in the Midlands for about a decade.
Haywood — who said his “real job†is as a computer network consultant — said opening a specialty shop for an expensive sport in a down economy “might have been really, really dumb. But the response has been really good and so far we’re able to pay the bills.â€
He said having a full-time job puts less pressure on having immediate success with the store, but eventually it will have to stand on its own. Continue reading…
