Getting Started in Lacrosse
A little bit about CYLC
- Recreational Program: CYLC has been around for nearly 10 years - we are a rec program that focuses on lacrosse fundamentals for kids in K-8th Grade* (*targeted high school programs are offered as well - but not in the spring).
- Where do we play: We play in the Wake Forest NC area. Depending on the season and fields available, we have played at Harris Creek Elementary, Wake Forest Middle, Heritage High School, and the MWC Sports Complex.
- When do we play: We have 3 main seasons - Fall (Oct-Nov), Spring (Feb-May) and Box (Jun-Jul). We are looking to also add a winter box season based on field availability at The Factory in Wake Forest.
When is the best time to start
Every season offers advantages - so there is no "best" time, but here are some considerations to think about:
- Fall: New players of all ages can't go wrong starting in the fall...but especially older (middle and high school). The focus in the fall is individual skill development like passing, catch, cradling. We still keep things interesting with small scale (4v4 or 7v7) games, it's tough to beat the spring season for pure competitive fun. For the older kids, we focus on developing skills they need to jump right into their Spring programs either with the Revolution or their High School Teams
- Spring: Nothing beats lacrosse in the spring! We start with practices, but quickly move into playing teams in the triangle area. The advantage of spring is that it gives players a chance to put skills to the test against other teams - everything moves quickly and new players can feel overwhelmed. Don't be! Our coaches understand players different skill and experience levels. Everyone can AND WILL get a chance to contribute to the team. We offer programs from K-8th grade with a very competitive middle school program. We don't offer high school lacrosse in the spring since we strongly encourage playing at their local high school.
- Box (Indoor) Lacrosse: This is another great place to get started. This is a low pressure environment where we encourage to have fun inside during the heat of the summer and just keep a lacrosse stick in their hands. For K-8th, we split the sessions between training and games. It is a good learning opportunity for the basics and also a chance to put those skills to use in a super fast paced sport. For the high school players, it is a chance for the experienced players to have fun and tryout some things and for new players to come into a game situation were inexperienced players are still welcome.
What gear do I need?
- The quick answer: Helmet, Shoulder/Chest Pad, Elbow Pads, Mouth Guard, Gloves, Cleats, Cup and a stick
- Stick: This is the most important decision for gear, BUT, you don't need to spend a fortune on a carbon fiber shaft and specialty head! For new players, the STX stick that sells for $40 at Dick's Sporting Goods or most online stores which is also totally fine. Warrior and Maverick also sell well priced starter sticks. We can't stress enough - ask your coach is the pocket is good or please have your new head restrung to a mid pocket with soft mesh. This is the biggest difference between a player have a great time passing and catching and a player that is frustrated that his throws never go where he wants them to. Our own Director and Board Member Anthony Nguyen has his own string business. His email is [email protected]...you can also find his work and direct message him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nc_restrings
- Helmet: This is the most expensive piece of equipment. You can't go wrong with Cascade (they sell them at Dick's and online). We recommend buying the largest size you can where it's not too heavy or wobbly. 11-13 years old is usually the transition point of moving from a youth helmet to a full size helmet. The good news is that is one size fits all!
- Elbow pads: We recommend sticking with midfielder pads if they are just getting into the game as they work in every situation. Once your player settles on a position, you can look to go to the more specific position type pads.
- Shoulder/Chest: Definitely more options here. Please be aware that as of 2022, players must have chest protection that meets the new NOCSAE standard. This won't be a problem if you are buying new gear. Stores (physical and online) will only sell pads that meet the standard. Be cautious if buying used pads - anything more than a year old will likely not meet the standard.
- Shoulder Pads: These are bulkier, but these are great for younger players as they have more robust shoulder protection.
- Shoulder Liner: These lack the bulky shoulder protection and give a broader range of movement, but the will result in your player having interesting bruises. Typically, most kids transition from shoulder pads to shoulder liners in 5th-6th grade.
- Gloves: The younger the player, the less expensive you can go on gloves. Any glove on market will protect hands really well, the difference will be in flexibility and wear and tear. We don't recommend more expensive gloves until players reach higher levels of play.
- Cleats: You can get lacrosse specific cleats, but really any soccer shoe will do. The only difference is that some lacrosse cleats provide some ankle support. At the younger ages, you will see as many soccer cleats as lacrosse cleats. As they get older though, that added ankle protection is helpful
Where can I get gear?
- Dick's Sporting Goods: An official sponsor of Revolution and CYLC. We run multiple special days at Dick's with discounts and can get access to special coupons. They usually have a great indoor selection in the spring, but it can be more difficult to find in store in the fall since that is out of season. We recommend going online if they don't have the gear you are looking for at the store (vs buying something that is more expensive, etc). Dick's also has starter sets that can make life a lot easier (Starter Set).
- LaxUnlimited: The have both an excellent online store and a shop down in Cary. It can be a bit of a drive, but they have lots of expertise at the store if you have any questions. If you need gear quick, they are a great option. They do tend to carry higher end gear, so be prepared to pay a bit more than a starter set from Dick's.
- Lax.com: This is the go to online store for a lot of lacrosse clubs. They maintain a good stock of gear and good prices. They also have very good customer service!
- Lacrosse Monkey: Another strong online store for gear which is worth checking out as their prices can be better than some of the other online stores.
- Play It Again Sports: Used gear is a great option if you want high quality at a lower price. Please be cautious around the shoulder/chest protection that it meets the current standards.
- Sideline Swap: Used gear online. There are some great deals here sometimes
- Amazon: Last, but not to be overlooked. As long as you pay attention to the gear, there are some great finds on Amazon, especially for starter gear.
Anything Else?
If there is anything else you would like information on, please let us know and we can update our site
- Recreational Program: CYLC has been around for nearly 10 years - we are a rec program that focuses on lacrosse fundamentals for kids in K-8th Grade* (*targeted high school programs are offered as well - but not in the spring).
- Where do we play: We play in the Wake Forest NC area. Depending on the season and fields available, we have played at Harris Creek Elementary, Wake Forest Middle, Heritage High School, and the MWC Sports Complex.
- When do we play: We have 3 main seasons - Fall (Oct-Nov), Spring (Feb-May) and Box (Jun-Jul). We are looking to also add a winter box season based on field availability at The Factory in Wake Forest.
When is the best time to start
Every season offers advantages - so there is no "best" time, but here are some considerations to think about:
- Fall: New players of all ages can't go wrong starting in the fall...but especially older (middle and high school). The focus in the fall is individual skill development like passing, catch, cradling. We still keep things interesting with small scale (4v4 or 7v7) games, it's tough to beat the spring season for pure competitive fun. For the older kids, we focus on developing skills they need to jump right into their Spring programs either with the Revolution or their High School Teams
- Spring: Nothing beats lacrosse in the spring! We start with practices, but quickly move into playing teams in the triangle area. The advantage of spring is that it gives players a chance to put skills to the test against other teams - everything moves quickly and new players can feel overwhelmed. Don't be! Our coaches understand players different skill and experience levels. Everyone can AND WILL get a chance to contribute to the team. We offer programs from K-8th grade with a very competitive middle school program. We don't offer high school lacrosse in the spring since we strongly encourage playing at their local high school.
- Box (Indoor) Lacrosse: This is another great place to get started. This is a low pressure environment where we encourage to have fun inside during the heat of the summer and just keep a lacrosse stick in their hands. For K-8th, we split the sessions between training and games. It is a good learning opportunity for the basics and also a chance to put those skills to use in a super fast paced sport. For the high school players, it is a chance for the experienced players to have fun and tryout some things and for new players to come into a game situation were inexperienced players are still welcome.
What gear do I need?
- The quick answer: Helmet, Shoulder/Chest Pad, Elbow Pads, Mouth Guard, Gloves, Cleats, Cup and a stick
- Stick: This is the most important decision for gear, BUT, you don't need to spend a fortune on a carbon fiber shaft and specialty head! For new players, the STX stick that sells for $40 at Dick's Sporting Goods or most online stores which is also totally fine. Warrior and Maverick also sell well priced starter sticks. We can't stress enough - ask your coach is the pocket is good or please have your new head restrung to a mid pocket with soft mesh. This is the biggest difference between a player have a great time passing and catching and a player that is frustrated that his throws never go where he wants them to. Our own Director and Board Member Anthony Nguyen has his own string business. His email is [email protected]...you can also find his work and direct message him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nc_restrings
- Helmet: This is the most expensive piece of equipment. You can't go wrong with Cascade (they sell them at Dick's and online). We recommend buying the largest size you can where it's not too heavy or wobbly. 11-13 years old is usually the transition point of moving from a youth helmet to a full size helmet. The good news is that is one size fits all!
- Elbow pads: We recommend sticking with midfielder pads if they are just getting into the game as they work in every situation. Once your player settles on a position, you can look to go to the more specific position type pads.
- Shoulder/Chest: Definitely more options here. Please be aware that as of 2022, players must have chest protection that meets the new NOCSAE standard. This won't be a problem if you are buying new gear. Stores (physical and online) will only sell pads that meet the standard. Be cautious if buying used pads - anything more than a year old will likely not meet the standard.
- Shoulder Pads: These are bulkier, but these are great for younger players as they have more robust shoulder protection.
- Shoulder Liner: These lack the bulky shoulder protection and give a broader range of movement, but the will result in your player having interesting bruises. Typically, most kids transition from shoulder pads to shoulder liners in 5th-6th grade.
- Gloves: The younger the player, the less expensive you can go on gloves. Any glove on market will protect hands really well, the difference will be in flexibility and wear and tear. We don't recommend more expensive gloves until players reach higher levels of play.
- Cleats: You can get lacrosse specific cleats, but really any soccer shoe will do. The only difference is that some lacrosse cleats provide some ankle support. At the younger ages, you will see as many soccer cleats as lacrosse cleats. As they get older though, that added ankle protection is helpful
Where can I get gear?
- Dick's Sporting Goods: An official sponsor of Revolution and CYLC. We run multiple special days at Dick's with discounts and can get access to special coupons. They usually have a great indoor selection in the spring, but it can be more difficult to find in store in the fall since that is out of season. We recommend going online if they don't have the gear you are looking for at the store (vs buying something that is more expensive, etc). Dick's also has starter sets that can make life a lot easier (Starter Set).
- LaxUnlimited: The have both an excellent online store and a shop down in Cary. It can be a bit of a drive, but they have lots of expertise at the store if you have any questions. If you need gear quick, they are a great option. They do tend to carry higher end gear, so be prepared to pay a bit more than a starter set from Dick's.
- Lax.com: This is the go to online store for a lot of lacrosse clubs. They maintain a good stock of gear and good prices. They also have very good customer service!
- Lacrosse Monkey: Another strong online store for gear which is worth checking out as their prices can be better than some of the other online stores.
- Play It Again Sports: Used gear is a great option if you want high quality at a lower price. Please be cautious around the shoulder/chest protection that it meets the current standards.
- Sideline Swap: Used gear online. There are some great deals here sometimes
- Amazon: Last, but not to be overlooked. As long as you pay attention to the gear, there are some great finds on Amazon, especially for starter gear.
Anything Else?
If there is anything else you would like information on, please let us know and we can update our site