When necessity meets innovation, remarkable things can happen. This was the case for Steve Waagbo ’82, founder of Southern Draw Lacrosse, whose journey from managing complex naval programs at Northrop Grumman to creating lacrosse training equipment is a testament to the power of passion and creativity. What began as a personal project to help his daughter’s lacrosse team quickly evolved into a business, driven by a love for both engineering and the sport itself.
A career forged in engineering
The idea for Southern Draw Lacrosse wasn’t born in a boardroom or during a brainstorming session. Instead, it was a classic case of necessity. Waagbo’s daughter, Kristen Skiera, the head lacrosse coach at Virginia Tech, needed a reliable tool to help her players improve their draw techniques — a critical aspect of the game when play is started after a goal. Recognizing the gap in available training devices, he took matters into his own hands, drawing from his extensive background in engineering and his lifelong passion for designing and creating machines.
Before Southern Draw Lacrosse, Waagbo’s career was rooted in the world of naval engineering. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a degree in civil engineering, he began his professional journey at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, working as a structural engineer on aircraft carriers and other surface ships. His career path eventually led him to Northrop Grumman in Maryland, where he spent the majority of his working years.
At Northrop Grumman, Waagbo transitioned from engineering roles to program management, overseeing naval programs with significant responsibilities. For the last decade of his career, he managed the fabrication of sonar arrays for Virginia Class submarines, working closely with Newport News Shipyard. His experience in these high-stakes projects not only honed his technical skills but also instilled in him a deep appreciation for precision and quality — attributes that would later prove invaluable in the development of Southern Draw Lacrosse.
From engineer to entrepreneur
While Waagbo may not have anticipated a future in manufacturing lacrosse practice devices, the seeds of entrepreneurship were planted early on.
About 20 years ago, he created another lacrosse training device that his children and their friends used to develop their skills. At the time, it was simply a hobby, a way to combine his love for engineering with his children’s interest in lacrosse.
“I made a few of the devices, but I did not really think about starting a business at that time,” Waagbo said.
It wasn’t until his daughter’s needs as a coach arose that the idea of turning this hobby into a business took shape. After developing a wooden prototype of what would become the Southern Draw, he realized the potential it had to help athletes improve their game. Motivated by the positive feedback from his daughter’s team, he decided to refine the design and establish an LLC in Virginia.
The process of creating Southern Draw Lacrosse was not an easy one. Waagbo re-trained himself on AutoCAD, a computer design software program that allows him to create and edit 3D designs, to model and generate the necessary fabrication drawings, and he sourced materials and services from local suppliers. Aluminum came from Hillsville, welding from Roanoke, machinery from Christiansburg, and coating from Pearisburg. He also rented a storage and work facility near Radford to assemble and perform minor machining tasks. The website, too, was a local effort, developed with the help of a Hokie-owned company in Blacksburg.
Lacrosse has been a significant part of Waagbo’s life for over three decades. He began coaching girls’ lacrosse when his daughter Kristen was eight years old, and two years prior, he started coaching his son Justin, also a Virginia Tech alumnus who graduated in 2006, in boys’ lacrosse. His involvement in the sport has been a family affair with both of his children excelling as players.
The culmination of Kristen’s lacrosse journey came three years ago when she was offered the head coaching position at Virginia Tech.
“To say I was pretty excited when the athletic department called her to interview for the open position three years ago would be a huge understatement,” said Waagbo, an avid Hokie. Her first congratulatory message came from Coach Frank Beamer, a moment that remains a highlight for the family.
After retiring, Waagbo and his wife moved to Christiansburg to be closer to their daughter, son-in-law, and two of their four granddaughters. Being back in the New River Valley, where he spent his college years, has been a rewarding experience, especially now that he’s contributing to the sport he loves through Southern Draw Lacrosse.
“Looking ahead, I hope I can generate enough sales to be able to contribute to Virginia Tech lacrosse and to a non-profit dedicated to female athlete mental health,” Waagbo said.
Courtney Sakry, Virginia Tech
