Lacrosse is an outdoor American (mostly) sport, based in contact and team. The sport requires a lacrosse stick and ball which have to be thrown in the respective team’s net.
Mostly, the sport is played in warmer weather but some practices or matches require the teams to play in the winters as well.
As per the required season, there is suitable Lacrosse Apparel available for the players to take advantage of and play their best in, at the field.
In this particular post, we will be discussing the clothes needed to play the sport and how to make sure its winter appropriate too!
For Summers
In most parts of the country, Lacrosse is mainly played in summers or spring. For both the occasions, the players need apparel that will not hinder their performance and bring in ease at the field.
For summers, the following pattern is usually applicable for players:
-Short Sleeved Tee
As obvious, a short-sleeved tee is usually preferred by the players during summers. That too, from a light, breezy and breathable fabric.
Reason being: the summer heat and the extra exercise on the field, which constitutes of running around A LOT.
With such vigorous attempts of running in a huge field whether indoors or outdoors, can easily burn up a person causing them to sweat profusely and the body temperature to rise significantly.
With a short-sleeved tee, players have the advantage of avoiding extreme heat-up and feel the wind providing some relief against the heat; hence playing, freely.
-Gym Shorts
With Lacrosse being a contact sport, it is considered common sense for players to wear full cotton trousers or pants or anything else. But again, with it being an extreme sport, heating up is inevitable and if a player doesn’t have access to the air or wind, he/she might get rashes from sweat or be too hot to play!
With gym shorts, the possibility of each becomes relatively low. Players can run with maximum mobility and freely, thus not affecting their performance and combating the intense summer heat without much damage.
-Compression Shorts
Compression shorts is another option to take use of.
These are usually tight and are used to enhance mobility despite being compressed!
Usually players wear compression shorts underneath their normal shorts because it provides additional support to the thighs and groin. This, in turn reduces movement and prevents discomfort preferably during physical exercise.
It is also known to aid in increasing blood circulation to the muscles ensuring a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients. But mainly, with compression shorts, there is a sense of comfort for players in a physical sport and it also helps in temperature control.
So, if there is an injury involved, the recovery is much faster and risks involved are lesser compared to simple normal shorts.
-Jockstrap
A Jockstrap is essentially important to avoid any lethal injuries to the groin area.
Let’s just say, with the amount of contact required during lacrosse, as a player, you will highly regret not investing in one!
-Mid-Calf Socks
Finally, the socks are supposed to be mid-calf to protect the feet and leg.
At the same time, avoid blisters in case if you’re wearing low-cut socks.
For Winters
Now above all was the necessary gear needed for summers but what about winters? Nobody expects the players to parade around in shorts when the weather is harsh and the winds are equally unforgiving!
The truth is, during winters players usually rely on their body heat because their physical activity allows the body to heat up quickly but still sometimes, the weather can be extreme so what is the necessary solution for this?
Let’s find out:
-Full-sleeved Shirt
The number one option is to ditch the short-sleeved one for full-sleeved tee. This can help in providing warmth and not decrease mobility underneath all that heavy equipment like pads and other such things.
The material should be tight fitted so as to not create hindrance or discomfort during the game.
-SweatShirt
Sweatshirts are usually avoided because they can get too hot even in the cold weather because of the physical strains.
However, the weather can be very harsh and players sometimes cannot rely on full-sleeves only. That’s where sweatshirts come in but not the comfy baggy ones.
No, you need form fitted ones which will not disrupt your protective gear or render you useless during a game.
-Sweatpants
Normally, the goalies are supposed to wear sweatpants in a lacrosse game to prevent many injuries but during winters, other players wear them along with thermals or leggings to avoid the cold and wind nipping their bodies.
These provide warmth and enough comfort to run around in the field.
But these and the sweatshirts should be used only in extreme conditions because both has the tendency to overheat very quickly!
-Leggings
Leggings can help in providing warmth and not decrease mobility during a winter lacrosse game.
-Gloves
Now gloves are something a lacrosse player wears regardless of the weather. They are protective and help in avoiding severe injuries.
In the cold, protective gloves can sometimes not provide the warmth required to increase mobility in fingers.
So, thin winter gloves or latex gloves are advised to be worn beneath the protective ones to heat the hands enough for them to move freely.
-Wool Socks
Just like everything else, socks have various types too. In winters, ditch the normal sock for woolen ones and you’ll notice a considerable difference!
Conclusion: Lacrosse Apparel
A sport like lacrosse is tough. There are lots of physical maneuvers involved. There are lots of equipment to wear regardless of the clothes adorned, whether its summer or winter.
But making minute changes to your sports apparel can help you a lot in field. By following the suggestions for summers, you can ensure a performance without unnecessarily heating up your body and ruining the game; while following the winter suggestions can make sure a healthy game is played irrespective of the cold.