It started with a tip from a source that led me down a path I was stunned to learn had not been discovered yet.
On Thursday, a story broke on Softball On SI about a lawsuit involving one of the most prominent travel softball organizations in the United States.
After the Lady Dukes were founded in 2012, their popularity quickly rose in youth softball. It might have been the name or the colors or the connection to a new college program that, at the time, was building for its inaugural season.
Help shape what’s next for The IX Sports! Take our short reader survey:
The Duke Blue Devils have been led by head coach Marissa Young since she was hired to start the program on July 29, 2015. Her husband, James Lamar, founded the Lady Dukes around the same time.
What the couple has created is nothing short of impressive. They’ve stayed within the rules while creating a system that funnels youth players to the collegiate program without committing any NCAA violations.
However, the club is now under fire as Lamar and the Lady Dukes are being sued for more than $100,000 for unpaid uniforms. Young is not named as a defendant in the case.
Wooter Apparel, a New York-based apparel company, is suing the Lady Dukes and Lamar, claiming a breach of contract that dates back to 2022 when 113 orders totaling more than 1,100 items were placed. The lawsuit was filed with the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of Richmond.
Wooter Apparel is seeking $111,716.68 in damages at an annual rate of 9.0% The lawsuit also seeks reimbursement for attorney’s fees and legal costs and any other relief the court deems appropriate.
Just a few months after placing the orders in May 2023, Lamar fought death. He suffered a major heart attack that required a heart and kidney transplant, spent weeks on a ventilator and months in the hospital. He has since had to use a wheelchair.
Lamar’s recovery was very public, there was a GoFundMe, and stories captured his health scare on ESPN and Duke Magazine, but he wasn’t immune to the impending legal action. He was served on Feb. 15, 2024, at 11:37 a.m.
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast and Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis. Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or anywhere you listen to podcasts, and make sure to subscribe!
Since the case was filed, Lamar has denied the allegations.
Soon after Softball On SI broke the story, comments began piling up about organizational fundraisers, like an annual raffle ticket sale with prizes ranging from new gloves to new vehicles.
But, former Lady Dukes families began publicly questioning the validity of the fundraisers on various public forums.
‘The organization made us pay $400 for uniforms never received till last tournament of season,” Deanna Stearns wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Made us buy whole new sets because they retired the dog on the uniform. They make you buy a lot of things you don’t need such as backpacks and force a new uniform every season.”
Similar sentiments were echoed on Facebook.
“One of my families [sic] members is still waiting on a glove they supposedly won from a Lady Dukes fundraiser but never got it,” Rebecca Lynn stated.
In a Reddit thread in response to the story, another person under the name Coldhearted Mistake replied with the following:
“My daughter played with Lady Dukes around this time and we had nothing but trouble with uniforms. We never did get everything we paid for. I’m not sure if it was this vendor or a different one. They switched vendors mid season. But I’ve always heard about money issues with this organization.”
The Lady Dukes story began as a simple informative piece about a lawsuit seeking payment for custom made product, but perhaps there could be more?
Soccer: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tennis: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Basketball: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Softball: Maren Angus-Coombs, @Maren-Angus, The IX Sports
Golf: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Hockey: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Gymnastics: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer
