Paul Rabil
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Paul Rabil (born December 14, 1985) is an American sports executive and retired professional
lacrosse Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...
player. He is currently the president of the
Premier Lacrosse League The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is a professional field lacrosse league in the United States. The league comprises eight teams. Its inaugural season debuted on June 1, 2019, and included a 14-week tour-based schedule taking place in 12 major- ...
(PLL), which he co-founded with his brother, league CEO Mike Rabil. Paul played collegiate lacrosse at
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
. He won All-America honors all four years and holds the record for most playoff goals, assists, and points. He won two championships in 2005 and 2007. In 2007, he won the
McLaughlin Award The Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award — also known as the "Don MacLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) to the NCAA's most outstanding college lacrosse midfielder. ...
as the nation's best midfielder, and was inducted into the Johns Hopkins Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022. Paul Rabil played professional lacrosse in
Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001 Major League Lacrosse season, 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This w ...
(MLL) for eleven years from 2008 to 2018, when he cofounded the PLL. He then played in the PLL for three years, from 2019 to 2021. He won the MLL Offensive Player of the Year Award triple times, in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and the MLL MVP Award twice, in 2009 and 2011. He won the MLL Championship twice, in
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
and in
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
. In 2021, he was 1st team all-pro. Rabil also holds the record for most career points in professional lacrosse, scoring 657 points seasons across 14 seasons. Paul Rabil is widely considered one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time.


Early life

Paul Rabil was born on December 14, 1985, in
Gaithersburg, Maryland Gaithersburg ( ) is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. At the time of the 2020 United States census, Gaithersburg had a population of 69,657, making it the third-largest incorporated city and the ninth-most populous communit ...
, to Allan and Jean Anne Rabil, his mother was a
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
school art teacher; his father, who worked in sales for an aerospace company, was the one who strengthened his son to try many sports. He grew up in
Montgomery Village Montgomery Village is a census-designated place (CDP) in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, and a northern suburb of Washington, D.C. It is a large, planned suburban community, developed in the late 1960s and 1970s just outside Gaither ...
and completed his education at a local public school. During his childhood, Rabil pursued a variety of interests and extracurricular activities. Along with playing basketball, soccer, and swimming, he also inclined toward music and learned to play several musical instruments. Paul's mother insisted that Paul stick with lacrosse, and he fell in love with the game. Throughout his elementary and middle school years he continued playing lacrosse.


High school

At
Watkins Mill High School Watkins Mill High School is a public high school located in Gaithersburg, an incorporated city in Montgomery County, Maryland. The school is named after the Watkins family, who owned a mill on the property. The school opened in 1989 at 269,706&n ...
, Rabil secured a spot as a starting player on the varsity team during his freshman year. Attracting interest from several local private high schools, Paul transferred to
DeMatha High School DeMatha Catholic High School is a four-year Catholic high school for boys located in Hyattsville, Maryland, United States. Named after John of Matha, DeMatha is under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and is a member of the Washin ...
in
Hyattsville, Maryland Hyattsville is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. It is an urban suburb of Washington, D.C. The population was 21,187 at the 2020 United States census. History Before Europeans reached the area, the upper Anacostia ...
after participating in a summer tournament with the school's team. During Rabil's three-year tenure at Dematha, he led the team to three Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championships and a record of 49-16. Rabil amassed 288 career total points, including 80 goals and 73 assists in his two final seasons. Rabil was also awarded for his efforts as he was named 2-time All-American, 2-time All-State selection, and the #4 ranked prospect in the high school class of 2004. Following significant attention from lacrosse programs nationwide, Paul ultimately chose to commit to Johns Hopkins University, attributing his decision to the exceptional leadership of Coach Dave Pietramala, as well as the program's legacy of championships and culture.


College career

Rabil began his academic career at
Johns Hopkins University The Johns Hopkins University (often abbreviated as Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Founded in 1876 based on the European research institution model, J ...
in the Fall of 2004. Attending a prestigious university keeping up with the educational course load was an initial struggle for Rabil. Rabil has a condition called
auditory processing disorder Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting the way the brain processes sounds. Individuals with APD usually have normal structure and function of the ear, but cannot process the information they hear in the s ...
, which makes it more difficult for individuals to process auditory information. Despite his struggles in the classroom, Rabil's Johns Hopkins lacrosse career began in the spring of 2005. In 2005, Rabil had a notable freshman season, tallying 37 points on 23 goals and 14 assists. This effort earned Rabil Third Team All-American honors and aided in securing Johns Hopkins the national championship. Rabil continued his successful start in 2006 during his sophomore season, scoring 25 goals and 13 assists. Rabil earned First Team All-American Honors, as well as being a finalist for the 2006
Tewaaraton Award The Tewaaraton Award is an annual award for the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's players, since 2001. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The award is presented by The Tewaaraton Foundation and ...
. Despite Rabil's efforts, Johns Hopkins lost to Syracuse in the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. As an upperclassman, Rabil tallied 27 goals and 26 assists for a total of 53 points in his junior season. Rabil was awarded First Team All-American honors for the second consecutive year, the
McLaughlin Award The Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award — also known as the "Don MacLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) to the NCAA's most outstanding college lacrosse midfielder. ...
, and was a finalist for the Tewaaraton Awards. Rabil led the program to its ninth national title, defeating Duke University 12-11 in the National Championship game. In his senior season, Rabil scored 36 goals and had 14 assists for 50 total points. Rabil earned First Team All-American Honors for the third consecutive season, but missed out on another title as Johns Hopkins lost to Syracuse in the 2008 National Championship game. Ultimately, Paul graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2008 majoring in political science and minoring in entrepreneurship and management.


Professional career


Major League Lacrosse

Rabil was selected 1st overall by the
Boston Cannons The Boston Cannons are a professional field lacrosse team based in Boston, Massachusetts, that competes in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). The team plays its home games at Harvard Stadium. The team competed in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) fro ...
in the 2008
Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001 Major League Lacrosse season, 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This w ...
Collegiate Draft. In Rabil's Rookie season of 2008, Rabil participated in the
MLL All-Star Game Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game is the all-star game of the MLL. Years 2000s 2001 The inaugural 2001 All-Star Game, was titled the Major League Lacrosse LacrosseStar Game. From 2001–2003, the All-Star Game had the National Division playing ...
after immediately making an impact on the Cannons' offense. In 2009, Rabil added an MLL MVP and MLL Offensive Player of the Year, as well as participating in his second consecutive MLL All-Star Game. In Rabil's third season in 2010, he made his third consecutive All-Star Game, while being named a member of the First Team All-Pro MLL Team. Rabil earned the MLL MVP and MLL Offensive Player of the Year for the second time in his career in 2011, while leading Cannon's to their first MLL championship in franchise history in the 2011 season. In 2012 during Rabil's sixth professional season, he broke the all-time points record at 72 points in a season. In doing this, Paul earned his third overall and second consecutive MLL Offensive Player of the Year. In 2014, Rabil continued his success adding his seventh consecutive All-Star game and sixth consecutive MLL All-Pro First Team Selection. In 2015, Rabil was traded to the
New York Lizards The New York Lizards, originally the Long Island Lizards, were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) team based in Hempstead, New York, located on Long Island. They are original members of the MLL. They lost the league's inaugural game on June 7, 2001 to ...
in a package deal that included Cannon's midfielder Mike Stone for Max Seibal and MLL Collegiate Draft Picks. Rabil finished the remainder of his career in the MLL with the New York Lizards. With the New York Lizards, he won his second and final MLL championship in 2015, where he was named the playoff's MVP. Rabil left the MLL in 2018 to found the Premier Lacrosse League with his brother, Mike.


National Lacrosse League

Rabil also participated in the NLL, after being drafted second overall in the 2008 National Lacrosse League entry draft by
San Jose Stealth The San Jose Stealth were a member of the National Lacrosse League, the professional box lacrosse league of North America from 2004 until 2009. They played at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, which is also the home of the NHL's San Jose Sharks and th ...
. Scoring 16 goals and 18 assists for a total of 34 points, Paul was named to the 2009 All-Rookie Team in his initial season. In 2009, the San Jose Stealth moved to Washington State, becoming the
Washington Stealth The Washington Stealth were a member of the National Lacrosse League, the professional box lacrosse league of North America from the 2010 NLL season through the 2013 NLL season. They were based in Everett (part of the Seattle metropolitan area ...
. In 2010, Rabil scored 11 goals and had 26 assists leading the Washington Stealth to an NLL Championship. In 2012, Rabil was eventually traded to the
Edmonton Rush The Edmonton Rush were a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) that played from the 2006 to 2015 NLL seasons. The team announced on July 20, 2015, that they would be relocating to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for the 2 ...
for Athan Ianucci. However, Rabil wished to move closer to his home in Maryland, therefore, did not report to Edmonton and sat out the rest of the 2012 NLL Season. Rabil was then traded to the
Rochester Knighthawks The Rochester Knighthawks (also known as the K-Hawks) are an American professional box lacrosse team based in Rochester, New York, that competes in the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The team plays its home games at Blue Cross Arena. The Knighth ...
in exchange for Jarret Davice, however, again did not report to training. Soon after, he was traded to the
Philadelphia Wings Philadelphia Wings may refer to any of three distinct professional lacrosse teams: * Philadelphia Wings (1974–1975), a member of the original National Lacrosse League * Philadelphia Wings (1987–2014) The Philadelphia Wings were a member of ...
for Dan Dawson, Paul Dawson, and a first-round draft pick. In 2013, Rabil played his last and final season in the NLL with the Philadelphia Wings scoring 17 goals and having 21 assists for a total of 38 points.


Premier Lacrosse League

Rabil co-founded the PLL in 2018 with his brother Mike Rabil. At the time of inception, the league was funded and backed by an investment group consisting of Joe Tsai Sports,
The Chernin Group TCG Capital Management, LP, doing business as TCG or the Chernin Group, is an American investment advisory firm focused on private equity investments in the media, entertainment, technology, sports and consumer and digital media sectors. History ...
, Arctos Sports Partners, Brett Jefferson Holdings,
The Raine Group The Raine Group, commonly referred to as Raine, is a global merchant bank focused exclusively on industries related to technology, media and telecommunications (TMT). Companies the firm has been involved with significantly include Endeavor, Sof ...
, and other sports investing groups. The Rabil brothers created the league with the hopes of pushing for higher wages and benefits for lacrosse players. At that time, Paul was among the handful of players who could earn a decent income through lacrosse, thanks to his social media following and several endorsement deals. Nonetheless, the Rabil brothers aspired to empower lacrosse players to turn the game into a viable profession and pursue it as a full-time career. The league's first season began on June 1, 2019, with 6 teams taking part in the league. As well as being the founder of the league, Paul Rabil began his playing career in the PLL with
Atlas Lacrosse Club The New York Atlas are a professional field lacrosse team based in Albany, New York, that competes in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). History The Atlas LC was one of the six founding members of the PLL for the 2019 season. The inaugural roster ...
. Paul was traded to the Boston Cannons in 2021 alongside a sixth overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft in exchange for a ninth overall pick in the 2021 Entry Draft, the eighth overall pick in the 2021 College Draft, and a first-round pick in the 2022 College Draft. Rabil finished his final season of play with the Boston Cannon in 2021 as he retired from the PLL after the season. Rabil attributed his retirement as a player to his desire to focus on the business side of the PLL and to continue building the league as well as his numerous other business ventures.


Business ventures

Rabil founded Rabil Ventures in 2016 with his brother, Mike Rabil, and David Acker. Rabil Ventures focuses on providing capital, advisory, and active operating expertise to the companies in which they invest. The company invests in companies across a variety of sizes and industries, focusing on entrepreneurial companies in the sports, financial services, real estate, and health and wellness industries. Headquartered in
San Francisco, California San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, the company currently has 30 companies within its portfolio having managed 38 companies total throughout its life span. Rabil founded Rabil Companies in 2008. Headquartered in
Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...
, the company has around ten employees. Rabil Companies is committed to advancing the sport of lacrosse in an authentic and socially impactful manner. These goals are achieved through three primary strategies: creating exceptional lacrosse experiences for young players that prioritize player development, competition, and thought leadership; reducing barriers to entry, particularly in terms of socioeconomic status and skill level; and producing high-quality content that showcases the organization's story and the individuals who have dedicated themselves to the sport. Rabil Companies involves Rabil's various ventures in order to grow the game of lacrosse. Some of Rabil's notable projects under Rabil Companies include ''The Paul Rabil Experience'' and ''Project Nine'' lacrosse training.


Philanthropic work

Rabil started the Paul Rabil Foundation in 2011 with his brother, Mike, his mother, Jean Anne, and his father, Allan. The foundation was created by Rabil with the purpose of aiding children with learning disabilities, as Paul suffered from
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple con ...
(ADHD) and
auditory processing disorder Auditory processing disorder (APD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting the way the brain processes sounds. Individuals with APD usually have normal structure and function of the ear, but cannot process the information they hear in the s ...
as a child. The Paul Rabil Foundation creates various sports and academic programs to aid children with learning differences to overcome their difficulties inside the classroom. On the academic front, the foundation has contributed scholarships to students with learning differences since 2011. The foundation also focuses on aiding learning through sports and activities. The Paul Rabil Foundation has donated equipment to local public schools, as well as forming lacrosse programs at different schools in New York, Washington, DC, Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Working alongside the PLL's mission to continue to grow the game of lacrosse, Rabil noticed that many neighborhood and public parks typically include basketball courts, baseball fields, and soccer goals. In order to grow the game of lacrosse, Rabil wants to donate goals to different parks in all 50 states, every year. In doing this, Rabil is attempting to mitigate the barriers of entry to play the game of lacrosse and increase overall access to the game.


Filmography

In 2022 Rabil and his brother Mike Rabil, starred in 'Fate of a Sport' a Disney
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
Film documentary, directed by
Michael Doneger Michael Doneger (born July 21, 1986) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor based in Los Angeles, California. Doneger is notable as screenwriter of ''Shelly'' starring Awkwafina and Karen Gillan, lead actor in the 2015 fi ...
, and produced by
Matt Tolmach Matthew Tolmach (born 1964)
and Michael Doneger.


Books

Paul Rabil is the author of the 2024 book ''The Way of the Champion: Pain, Persistence, and the Path Forward'', a guide to embodying a champion's mindset in sports, business and relationships.


Personal life

Rabil was previously married to former lacrosse player, Kelly Berger, from 2014 to 2017. Since 2022, he has been in a relationship with British actress
Vanessa Kirby Vanessa Nuala Kirby (born 18 April 1987 or 1988) is an English actress and producer. She rose to international prominence with her portrayal of Princess Margaret in the Netflix drama series ''The Crown'' (2016–2017), for which she won the Bri ...
.


Statistics

Rabil previously held the record for the world's fastest lacrosse shot at 111 mph. This was later broken by Zak Dorn at a competition in 2014.


PLL


NLL

Reference:


MLL


NCAA


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rabil, Paul Sportspeople from Gaithersburg, Maryland Philadelphia Wings players Lacrosse players from Maryland Washington Stealth players American people of West Asian descent 1985 births Living people People with auditory processing disorder People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Premier Lacrosse League Premier Lacrosse League players DeMatha Catholic High School alumni Johns Hopkins Blue Jays men's lacrosse players