The Parent’s Guide to Buying Lacrosse Gear for Beginners
So your kid wants to play lacrosse. Great. Now you’re staring at a list of gear you’ve never heard of, trying to figure out what’s actually required, what’s optional, and how much of this you can buy used without your kid showing up to practice looking like they got dressed in a dumpster.
I’ve been there. When my kid first started, I had no idea what any of this stuff was or what sizes to get. Here’s what I figured out.
Start at a Used Sporting Goods Store
When we started out, I took what I’d call the easy route and went straight to Play It Again Sports for used gear. It worked out pretty well, with a few things worth knowing first.
Your local used store actually has to carry lacrosse equipment, and that’s not a given. Lacrosse gear can be hard to find depending on where you live. If your store doesn’t have much, Sideline Swap is a solid online option for used gear. The problem with buying used online when you’re brand new to the sport is you probably don’t even know your kid’s sizes yet.
That’s why the in-store route is worth it if you have access to one. Go in, try on gloves, try on shoulder pads, try on everything. See what fits. Write down the sizes. Once you know what you’re working with, you can decide whether you want to buy new, buy used, go basic and cheap, or land somewhere in the middle.
One thing I’d say pretty strongly: stay away from high-end gear when you’re just starting out. Showing up to a lacrosse field for the first time in top-of-the-line everything is not a good look. Used gear keeps things humble while your kid figures out if they actually love the sport.
My kid wore shoulder pads and arm pads from Play It Again Sports for three solid years. By the end the logo was literally hanging off. They did the job.
Helmets
The helmet is the one place I’d say spend the money.
For elementary school kids, I’d go new or at least lightly used, and stick with a junior size. As a parent, protecting my kid’s head was worth the investment and I didn’t think twice about it.
For middle school and above, you might be able to get away with a decent used helmet, but make sure it’s in good shape and fits right.
Cleats
If your kid already has soccer or football cleats, use those. They work fine for lacrosse. You do not need to buy lacrosse-specific cleats, especially to start.
Baseball cleats are a different story. Those don’t work as well, so skip them.
I’ll also say this: I’ve had terrible luck buying used cleats. We did the same thing we did with pads, bought beat-up used cleats for 30 bucks, and they fell apart in two or three months. Couldn’t even get a full season out of them.
Here’s the thing though. We post deals on cleats at DailyLaxDeals.com all the time, especially for youth sizes. I’ve seen deals that would have been cheaper than what I paid for those worn-out used cleats. Check the site before you buy anything. You might find brand new cleats at a price that makes the used store look bad.
Sticks
For elementary school players, you want a basic beginner stick. You probably won’t find these at used sporting goods stores, but they’re cheap to buy new online and easy to track down.
For middle school and above, get a full-size stick and keep it basic. Something at the STX Stallion level. No frills, no upgrades, nothing fancy. The stick doesn’t make the lacrosse player. The practice makes the lacrosse player.
A few things worth knowing when you’re buying a stick:
Buy a complete stick, not a separate head and shaft. This is especially true if you don’t know how to string a head yet. A stick that needs to be strung before your kid can use it is a bad first purchase.
If your kid wants to try a specialty position like defense or long stick middie, pick up a used long pole from the sporting goods store. Try it. If they like the position, great. If not, bring it back and you’ll get most of your money back. The used gear ecosystem works well for stuff like that.
Shoulder Pads and Chest Protectors
There are two styles: full shoulder pads with actual padding on the shoulders, and minimal chest protectors that are basically just a chest plate. For youth players, I’d go with the full shoulder pad version.
Here’s something important: chest protectors have to be certified to current safety standards. The certification year requirements are set by USA Lacrosse and they update them, so check USALacrosse.com before you buy. Don’t skip this step. A ball hitting an unprotected chest at the wrong angle can actually stop a heart from beating. Get the certified gear.
Everything Else
Cup. Your kid needs one. Don’t buy this used. That’s all I’ll say about that.
Mouth guards. Buy two. Tie one to the helmet and keep the other in the bag. They’re cheap and one will disappear.
Water bottle. Get one with a long straw that you can squeeze to shoot water out, so your kid can drink with their helmet on. DailyLaxDeals.com has deals on these regularly. Trust me, this matters more than it sounds.
Bag. A duffel bag or backpack to haul everything. Nothing fancy needed to start.
Consider a Starter Set
If piecing everything together one item at a time sounds overwhelming, a lot of retailers sell starter sets. Basic sets, intermediate sets, some that include everything from helmet to stick, some that are just the pads if you want to buy a stick separately. It’s a convenient way to get most of it in one shot, and I’ll link to some options worth looking at.
Check With Your Program First
Before you buy anything, reach out to your coach or whoever is running the program and ask if they have any gear to borrow. A lot of rec programs run a gear swap at the start of the season where older kids bring in stuff they’ve outgrown to sell or trade. Ours did, and it was one of the better ways to pick up gear cheap. Worth asking before you spend anything.
A Note on Girls’ Lacrosse
Everything above is about boys’ lacrosse. Girls’ lacrosse is a different setup. Field players need much less equipment, mainly a stick, mouthguard, and goggles. Goalies still need the full setup.
For goggles and protective gear, I’d go new even for beginners. That’s not a place I’d cheap out on as a parent.
For girls’ sticks, check the deal sites first. One thing I’ve noticed building this site is that women’s lacrosse gear goes on sale constantly. You can find a great beginner stick at a significant discount without much effort. Same goes for women’s gloves, which are lighter weight than boys’ gloves and always seem to be marked down somewhere.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need to spend a lot to get started. Buy used where it makes sense, invest in safety where it counts, and check the deals before you pay full price on anything. Your kid is going to outgrow gear fast, so save the premium purchases for when they’re committed to the sport and know what position they want to play.
We post lacrosse gear deals every day, including beginner gear, starter sets, cleats, and more. Check today’s deals at DailyLaxDeals.com before you head to the store.