Breaking Barriers in Women's Sports ft. Rachel Vallarelli

In today's episode of The Business Behind The Game, I sat down with Rachel Vallarelli, a trailblazing athlete and entrepreneur who made history as the first women's lacrosse player to compete in a men's league. After her time as a Division I lacrosse player at UMass Amherst, Rachel channeled her passion for the sport into building RV Lacrosse LLC, where she trains and mentors lacrosse athletes looking to elevate their game. She has also grown a strong personal brand through social media under her platform ravslax26, sharing training content and insights along the way. In this episode, we cover her journey from D1 athlete to historic trailblazer and what inspired her to turn her passion into a business. We get into what RV Lacrosse does, what her day-to-day looks like as a founder, and how she balances coaching, entrepreneurship, and personal branding all at once. We also talk about the challenges of starting a business, the early mistakes that shaped her growth, and where she sees herself and RV Lacrosse headed in the future — plus her advice for anyone looking to break into the sports business world.