Rebels Lacrosse — a popular Long Island youth program — informs families it is shutting down
Credit: Getty Images/Michael Steele
The Rebels Lacrosse Club -- a prominent Long Island youth program -- sent an email to families last week that said it was forced to file for bankruptcy and would be shutting down.
Rebels Lacrosse has 21 boys teams and six girls teams on Long Island and has training programs starting at age 3, according to its websites. Rebels Lacrosse and Blatant National, a national youth program that is also shutting down, are both under the Blatant Athletics umbrella.
“This decision is the result of circumstances we never could have imagined,” the email said. “Despite our best efforts to keep the program running and despite years of successful seasons, we have experienced significant financial challenges that have now become insurmountable. We have been advised by counsel that we are required to file for bankruptcy.”
Blatant Lacrosse is owned by Mike Brennan and Joe Potenza. Brennan is also listed as the CEO and owner of Rebels Lacrosse.
“We never had any intention of shutting down our business after 15 years, as we were currently in the middle of our 8th season with Rebels Lacrosse,” Brennan said in a statement to Newsday. “We have received an outpouring of support from former athletes, parents, and those who truly know us best. ... and are truly grateful for that.
“The past several days have been extremely difficult on our Rebels families and players, ourselves, and even moreso on our young families who have always been there to support us.”
The email, obtained by Newsday, did not address if families that have already paid for clinics and upcoming seasons would get their money back.
Frank Hodge, a parent of a Rebels Lacrosse player, said he has already paid his child's tuition in full for the upcoming season.
"We are not a heartless family nor are we trying to kick someone when they are down ... but the fact is we paid tuition in full early and for equipment,” Hodge said via a text to Newsday.
"Where did our money go?" Hodge said. "Am I wrong for wanting to know where my money went or the equipment is I paid for?”
Newsday could not find a record of the bankruptcy filing as of Monday afternoon.
The email said Rebels Lacrosse LLC and Blatant LLC are being represented by Lindenhurst attorney Richard Artura, who did not respond to requests for comment.
Rebels Lacrosse teams participated in tournaments on Long Island and in nearby states this spring and summer, according to its website.
Tuition for the 2025-26 season was listed for as much as $5,500 for some teams in the 2027, 2028 and 2029 classes, according to the Rebels’ LeagueApps site.
The email to families stating Rebels Lacrosse LLC and Blatant LLC’s intention to file for bankruptcy comes just months after Blatant agreed to a $119,000 payment plan to settle a lawsuit brought by a financing company, court papers show.
The financing company, Velocity Capital Group LLC, filed a lawsuit in June in state court in upstate Erie County alleging Blatant defaulted on their July 2024 financing agreement.
A week after Verity filed the lawsuit in June, Blatant agreed to a revised payment plan to pay Verity the $119,000 owed, according to a publicly filed settlement agreement signed by Potenza, one of Blatant's two owners.
That new arrangement called for Blatant to make weekly $2,000 payments for 10 weeks through August, then weekly payments of $6,187 until the remainder of the year.
It’s not clear from the court documents whether Blatant has made those payments.
Newsday's Jim Baumbach contributed to this story.
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
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