Zach Barden and Kaden Quirk have been best buddies since they met in kindergarten at the Hadley School in Swampscott about a decade ago. Exceptional lacrosse players, they share a love of all sports and have been teammates on the field of play for much of their life, mostly for St. Mary’s.
The two high school juniors are also teammates off the field, having started Brand Boston Apparel, a sports-themed clothing company, this fall.
They recently dropped their first design, a Big Papi-inspired T-shirt called “This is Our City.”
“We have a website that is up and running along with a solid social media following,” said Quirk. Their Instagram page has more than 500 followers.
It all began during a birthday weekend in August — Barden and Quirk were born within days of each other — when the families stayed in the city to watch a lacrosse game coached by Quirk’s dad Sean. (Sean Quirk was head coach of the Endicott College’s men’s lacrosse team from 1998 to 2015, and now serves as Endicott’s associate athletic director and is head coach of the Major League Lacrosse Boston Cannons.)
“We were at the Marriott in Quincy, and we tossed out the idea of starting a clothing line,” said Kaden Quirk. Since Boston is a sports hotbed, they quickly decided T-shirts, sweats, winter gear and the like would have a ready market. “If you’re from Boston, you’re a sports fan,” said Barden.
Their first design, a black T-shirt emblazoned with the words “This is Our City” on a yellow background, is available at www.brandboston.bigcartel.com. It was manufactured by Custom Ink, but the duo is now exploring options for future designs. Students throughout the North Shore can be seen wearing the popular shirt.
Quirk, who had been starting goalkeeper for the Spartans since eighth grade, transferred to St. John’s Prep this fall. He lives in Nahant with his parents, Sean and Luz, and younger sister Payton. Mom and sis are also active in athletics.
Barden remains a standout goal scorer for St. Mary’s lacrosse team, and excelled as linebacker and running back for the football squad until he suffered a torn labrum in a week six game against Arlington Catholic. Barden lives in Swampscott with his parents, Michele and Gary, and older sister Maggie, a soccer player for Springfield College.
Quirk, who has accepted an early offer to play lacrosse at St. John’s University in Minnesota, plans to study business there. Barden hopes to play lacrosse and/or football in college and study either business or criminal justice.
Quirk and Barden both said they didn’t seek financial help from their families. “We want it to be our thing,” said Barden. “We want to build the brand ourselves,” added Quirk.
