Advice for Parents

Here are basic tips & advice for parents of beginning lacrosse players. This advice will help you to enjoy the game and to improve your child's lacrosse success. This page is supposed to act as an unofficial lacrosse guide or lacrosse handbook for parents. 

 

• Enjoy yourself! Lacrosse is a fun & exciting sport. It's a million times better than watching spring baseball where your child stands around for most of the game and only gets a few times at bat.
• Try to start your child early (i.e. in first grade lacrosse) because this sports requires strong stick skills.
• Attend your child's games and practices! This is not a baby sitting service where you can drop off your child while you get your Starbuck's coffee. You need to watch your child in order to learn the areas where he needs improvement. Moreover, your child will love it when you are cheering for him versus focusing on your next errand.
• You can't just rely on the coaches to get your child ready. They are dealing with 100 other kids & their demanding parents. You need to go out and practice lacrosse with your child.
• Learn the words and terms used in lacrosse. You will gain a better understanding of the game and... be able to decipher what everyone is yelling from the sidelines! 
• Work on your child's endurance as this game involves lots of running. Participating in off-season sports such as track, basketball, soccer and/or football can help build up your son's endurance for the spring lacrosse season.
• If you are not an athletic superstar and/or have never played lacrosse before, consider using a tennis ball (versus a regular lacrosse ball) when practicing with your child or have them roll the lacrosse ball back to you (so you don't get smashed in the face by a hard lacrosse ball).
• Also have your kids practice with full gear on so they get comfortable passing/catching while wearing their equipment. The lacrosse gear will also protect them for any errant passes (because even a miss-aimed tennis ball hurts... and a lacrosse ball is far harder than a tennis ball).
• Have your child join a summer lacrosse camp and/or fall & winter program in order to work on their skills. At a minimum, your child should participate in a local lacrosse school's final winter session before the regular spring lacrosse season in order to shake off any rust and prep for the upcoming season.
• Wall ball is the quickest... and cheapest way to improve your son's stick skills. Your son will get many more "touches" (i.e. chances at practicing his passing & catching) versus regular clinics or games. 
• Don't worry if your kid isn't an automatic lacrosse star in 1st grade or just started playing lacrosse in 4th grade. Kids mature at different rates. Every year, new lacrosse stars seem to come out of nowhere.
• Be prepared to deal with the issue of coaches kids... as there are many assistant coaches who volunteer to help run lacrosse program and of course, they are looking out for their own kids.
• Also be prepared for lacrosse "ball hogs". While your son is playing the game correctly and looking for the open man, you will see some kids refusing to pass because they just want to score (despite having to go throw a million defenders and thus usually losing the ball). Don't worry because most coaches deal with this "me first" attitude and these kids don't last long in lacrosse if they don't put the team before themselves. However, if this is a major problem during scrimmages, you should consider asking the coaches for a one or two pass rule (where the kids have to make one or two passes before a goal counts) in order to reduce ball hogging.
• By 5th or 6th grade, you will probably have to decide on your kid's primary spring sport as coaches will no longer accept "absences" for other sporting events... especially, if you want your child to make your town's lacrosse travel teams.
• Don't carpet bomb coaches with emails (i.e. Why isn't my kid on the travel team?). Remember most coaches (in the junior levels) are unpaid parent volunteers, have regular jobs and have their own overwhelming family lives. They also have to deal many demanding parents. So please give them a break and think twice before sending off that complaining email. 
• This sport can be expensive due to the equipment (i.e. $200 helmets) and clinics. So shop around for the best price as many lacrosse retail websites run sales and there are occasionally big differences in equipment prices between sites. Also check out our used lacrosse equipment page for lightly used and much cheaper lacrosse gear.
• Attackmen usually favor lighter sticks and defensemen favor stronger sticks (i.e. titanium shafts). To save money, parents of beginners should consider cheaper aluminum shafts until your children are truly committed to playing lacrosse.
• Volunteer as the local lacrosse programs always needs help.  
• Talk to & bond with the other parents on the sidelines. They can provide you with advice and/or help with car pooling to lacrosse games & practices.
• Lacrosse games are usually outside and often lack stadium seating. So don't forget to bring a lightweight "camping" chair, sunscreen, a hat and plenty of water (in order to keep your child hydrated)
• Beginners in lacrosse do not have to be super tall (unlike basketball) or super muscular (unlike football) in order to be very good at lacrosse. Small and average-sized kids can the best on a lacrosse team if they have superior stick skills (gained through hard work and practice) and plenty of hustle. Lacrosse is a great sport where a kid can be a star by outworking the other kids (versus needing to have a superior natural athletic ability).