LACROSSE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS:

Lacrosse equipment costs can be considerable; however, it is 805 Lacrosse's goal to make the game accessible to all players who would like to participate. 805 Lacrosse offers low-cost rentals, equipment exchanges, and other methods to make sure your child has access to the necessary equipment. In addition, it's important to recognize that although elite collegiate players may spend several hundred dollars on a single stick, there are plenty of lower cost options available to youth players. Equipment packages are available for purchase online, with boys running anywhere from $100 (no helmet included) to $300 (higher quality equipment and includes helmet), and girls under $100. 

Girls equipment purchases are much simpler since all that is needed are a stick and goggles, and for the goggles there's typically only one or two sizes to choose from. Purchasing boys' equipment can require much more research as there is more equipment needed, and each one requires some amount of proper size selection. 

SEE OUR "LINKS TO ONLINE STORES" FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT EQUIPMENT PACKAGE OPTIONS

For those parents unfamiliar with the sport, purchasing lacrosse equipment can be a bewildering journey. There’s a lot of different stuff out there and the prices can be jaw-dropping. We put this guide together to help you cut through the chaos and give you some basic pointers on what you need and what you don’t need.


BOYS LACROSSE EQUIPMENT PURCHASING TIPS

WHERE TO PURCHASE: the local retailers in SLO County and northern Santa Barbara County, like Dick’s Sporting Goods and Big 5, generally don’t carry much lacrosse equipment. When they do have equipment, the selection is usually minimal, and the price is likely higher than what you could get online. We are all for supporting local stores, but if you’re purchasing a full set of equipment, you’re likely going to be better off purchasing online. If you travel much, there are dedicated lacrosse stores in Southern California and the Bay Area that you could visit. Prices are likely a little higher there than online as well, but they have significant inventory and selection, and you would have the advantage of trying everything on prior to purchasing.

BAY AREA STORES (Our Stores - Sling It! Lacrosse (slingitlacrosse.com))

NORTHERN LA: Lacrosse Unlimited Store Locator | Lacrosse Unlimited

GENERAL TIPS: online vendors will often have starter kits or package deals. Those are perfect for younger and beginner players. Packages typically include shoulder pads, gloves, and elbow pads. Some packages also include a helmet and possibly even a stick.

Great Deals on Equipment Packages at SportStop
 
Lacrosse Equipment Packages | DICK'S Sporting Goods (dickssportinggoods.com)

SportStop and Dick’s online store currently have the best deal that we could find. Dick's is  offering a selection of 3 different brands with reasonably priced equipment kits (gloves, shoulder pads, elbow pads). Not surprisingly, we’ve had the best luck with the STX equipment, which is the most expensive of the 3, but still pretty reasonable. The quality of the Maverik gear is definitely not as good, and their equipment tends to run small in size. The Nike stuff would be fine for younger players (9, 10, 11).

 STICKS: There are a lot of sticks out there, and some are extremely expensive. For a younger player, spending more for a custom stick or a super lightweight shaft will have almost zero impact on their playing ability. For youth players, you don’t need to spend several hundred dollars on a stick. Also, be sure to understand exactly what you are purchasing – some sticks will come unstrung (just the plastic head), and some will just be the head without the shaft. For a first stick, you will need a “complete” stick which comes strung and includes an alloy shaft. Once someone has played for a while, they may not need any more shafts and can just order a strung head (shafts are generally interchangeable).

As a player gets older, they can even start stringing their own heads. It’s a bit tedious and I definitely wouldn’t recommend it for most of our youth players, but it’s usually a much cheaper option. There are volumes of stringing guides on YouTube these days, and as players improve and move closer to the high school ranks, they will often learn how to string their own stick – or at a minimum – learn how to replace broken strings and repair their existing sticks.

Unless your son is very young (9 and younger), we would avoid purchasing any sticks with descriptors like “JR” or “mini”. Those are smaller sticks that are designed for the very youngest players and are only legal for the 10U age group. From our experience even those younger 9- and 10-year-old kids can handle a regular sized stick, so skip the JRs and minis.

Here are a few recommended beginner and intermediate complete sticks:

StringKing 2 Complete (approx. $100): Complete 2 Int. · The Most Consistent Complete Lacrosse Stick | Complete 2 Int (stringking.com)

Warrior EVO Warp (around $90): Warrior Evo Warp Next Complete Attack Lacrosse Stick | DICK'S Sporting Goods (dickssportinggoods.com)

The Warp utilizes a different pocket technology than the standard mesh pocket. Not all players love it, but it’s got one huge advantage over mesh pockets – there are no strings, so there’s nothing to break (or at least a lot less to break). And they also tend to throw much more consistently than the mesh pockets. Personally, I think they work really well for younger players (12 and under), and it comes with the bonus that mom and dad won’t have to try and fix a broken sidewall string or a broken shooting string.

Maverik Critik ($60 - $80): Maverik Critik Alloy Complete Stick | Lowest Price Guaranteed (lax.com)

If you don’t want to pay nearly a hundred bucks for a stick, STX, Nike, and Warrior all have beginner’s sticks for $60 or less (e.g., STX Stallion 200; Nike Vapor; Warrior Evo Next should all work). The biggest drawback is that the mesh pockets are inconsistent and sometimes they are too saggy/too deep, which can make it difficult to throw consistently and can cause frustration to players trying to learn the basic skills of the game. If you’re going to purchase one of the less expensive sticks, look for those that list having semi-hard mesh or hard mesh as opposed to soft mesh.

HELMETS: 805 Lacrosse primarily uses the Cascade CPV-R. These are adjustable helmets that we have found to be very protective and long-lasting. Most kids will fit into the S/M size, and there’s also a M/L for those with bigger heads. A CPV-R should last a player three seasons or more as long as they don’t outgrow it. We have both the S/M and the M/L in our inventory, so you’re always welcome to contact us and come try both on prior to purchasing, to see which one fits best and also will allow room to grow.

The Cascade helmets can usually be color customized for no extra cost. If you want to match the 805 Lacrosse color scheme we have white shells, green visor, and green chins.

Cascade CPV-R (approx. $140): Cascade CPV-R Lacrosse Helmet Customizable | Lacrosse Unlimited

SHOULDER PADS: Any brand and model should work. However, there was a rule change at the beginning of 2022 that required shoulder pads to be more protective of the heart and prevent the extremely rare, but potentially fatal, condition of commotio cordis. DO NOT PURCHASE USED SHOULDER PADS BECAUSE THEY WILL LIKELY NOT BE NOCSAE CERTIFIED AND MAY NOT MEET THE NEW 2022 SAFETY RULE.

GLOVES & ELBOW PADS/ARM PADS: Most brands and models will work fine for beginners. As when purchasing anything, higher priced items are typically going to be higher quality, and in the case of lacrosse gear be more protective. For 10U and 12U players, if the equipment fits well, it should work fine. As players move up in the ranks, especially into the high school level, better quality gloves are needed to absorb the much more powerful stick checks, but for beginning youth players any gloves and elbow pads that are part of an equipment package should work fine.