Getting the right gear for a start up lacrosse program can be a tough
decision. You will need to answer the following questions:
Will you start a boys or girls program or both?
Will you need to start fresh with all the equipment or do you already have
some?
What age level or levels is your program going to be for?
Where are you going to have the games and practices?
How many people do you think are going to join the program?
How much money are you going to have in your budget?
If you are starting at the youth level then you should get a few starter
lacrosse sets such as the STX Ball Set, Soft Lacrosse Set, or the FiddleSTX set.
These sets are great to start with because they do not cost that much and they
do not require that you buy a lot of protective equipment. You can use these
sets safely and they get the ball rolling with the learning of basic lacrosse skills
such as throwing, catching, and cradling.
As you progress in age or capabilities and start using a real ball you will want to get some of the
beginner protective gear sets. These sets are usually limited in color
choice but they offer the ease of complete sets at affordable prices.
These sets will include a shoulder pad, arm guards and gloves. You will
need goalie specific gloves for the goalies and goalie sticks. You will
also need mouth guards, and helmets or eye protection (for girls) at this point.
A good choice would be the cascade helmets, for a youth helmet the CS and for an adult the
CLH2. For girls lacrosse you will need to get eye
protection. Cascade has the Iris and Iris mini which are a very good
choice. There are many choices out there for these but Cascade is one of
the best. When you start getting into the protective equipment the sport
starts getting a little more expensive. You may have to do some fund
raisers or have the players themselves chip in for the equipment.
You will also need to get some real sticks at this point. You can get
some beginner sticks which have a shorter length and are lower priced. But
these sticks do not meet college or NFHS standards so you will only be able to
use these in a youth program. You will want to get beginner sticks like
the STX® Av8 which features easy catching and ball
control specifically made for beginners with limited skills.
As your players start using real equipment you will need real goals. Official
size lacrosse goals measure 6'H x6'Wx7'D. You will have to choose between
portable or permanent goals. There are many portable official size goals
out there including the Rage Cage foldable goal. This goal is great if you
have to travel from field to field to play.
As your players progress they will be able to buy their own sticks and
equipment based on their abilities. For more products check out
www.morleyathletic.com.
For more tips you can check out
www.uslacrosse.org, www.NFHS.org.
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