Required Equipment
Helmet: White is preferred by the club, a green "W" will be provided. If you are going to buy a helmet for your youth player, please try your hardest for white. GELL, the league the youth players participate in is cracking down on helmets. Grey, black, or team colors are acceptable. Please contact the club if you have any questions. With different models, they typically come in an adjustable youth size and adjustable adult size. A proper fit is most important. For a new player who has never worn a helmet before it might be uncomfortable. We suggest having them wear it around the house before attending an event or practice where they have to wear it. The chin strap can also take some getting used to.
Mouthpiece: Personal preference. Available in all sizes and shapes. A tethered one allows it to be secured to the face mask (we see lots of left mouth pieces on the turf) but tend to be wider and cumbersome when trying to drink. A slimmer non tethered one may allow for easier communication and hydration. Almost all of them are moldable to your child's mouth.
Shoulder Pads: 2022 NOCSAE ND2000 compliant. The rules changed in 2022, so if purchasing a used set of shoulder pads, please check they are compliant. Ones prior to the 2022 NOCSAE ND2000 ruling are not allowed.
Elbow Pads: Personal preference. Available in multiple sizes. A nice snug fit so they don't slide down your player's arms. For the younger players, they may want more of the arm covered than less.
Gloves: Personal preference. Available in multiple sizes.
Boys Athletic Cup: Personal preference. The boxer brief with incorporated cup tend to be the most comfortable.
Stick: K-4th grade only uses shorty sticks with boy's lacrosse head, starting in 5th grade, Defenders and Long Stick Midfielders (LSMs) can use a long pole with boy's lacrosse head while Midfielders and Attackmen will still use shorties. Shaft's are made of various materials, either aluminum or composite being the two most common. Any beginner shaft will work with a beginner lacrosse stick head. As your player progresses, lacrosse stick heads become more specialized. Defensive heads will be harder and slightly wider, face-off heads will be more flexible. Midfield and Attack heads will be somewhere in the middle. How the pocket is strung will also become more personalized whether your player wants a higher, lower, or mid pocket. In the pacific northwest, you'll probably need the lacrosse head restrung about once a year. For beginners, one thing to consider is the amount of whip a stick (mesh pocket) has. Less whip may help learning how to pass easier.
Lacrosse equipment can get expensive fast. As kids progress through their careers the gear will get more specialized to their position. For beginners, any beginner stick will do. All equipment can be found either in person or online at Play It Again Sports, Dick's Sporting Goods, Lacrosse Wolf (Bellevue), Facebook Market Place, Craigslist, or other online retail lacrosse sporting goods store.
The USA Lacrosse website is a great resource if you have any questions about equipment requirements. Keyword search "Equipment."
www.usalacrosse.com/equipment
If you have ANY questions about what equipment to get or where to get it, please contact the registrar at [email protected].