The Different Parts of Lacrosse Sticks

By: Jerry Buss 

How many parts does the basic lacrosse stick have? It is composed of three parts; a loosely woven or net pocket, aluminum or hardwood handle or shaft and a strong plastic head. The different parts of the stick can be changed out or replaced to give the player flexibility and a greater feel for performance during the game. Depending on the position of the player different sticks apply to different positions. The size, shape and length will very according to the need and requirement for any given particular position. It is also a fact that men's and women's sticks are slightly different, and the difference between each is the utilization of different materials. The Lacrosse stick is a simple game piece. But in the game of Lacrosse it is the main piece.

The lacrosse stick has from the beginning of the game been traditionally made of wood. But sense the introduction of aluminum to the industry. Many modern handles are now commonly made of that material. Other modern products that are used to produce the higher-end models are titanium and graphite alloys. These two materials are becoming very common in the manufacturing of most high-end sports equipment from fishing poles to baseball bats. When learning the sport of a child will usually begin with a plastic lacrosse stick. Plastic sticks are lighter and more durable than their aluminum counterparts, making them easier to use and minimizing the risk of injury. As the child grows proficient in the game he will progress to a more professional stick made of wood or metal.

To learn more about lacrosse sticks you can research more through some trusted website or learn more through lacrosse heads.

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Setting Up Your Summer Training Program: Lacrosse

By Bill Rom

Around the country athletes are now taking part in their Lacrosse seasons. In some cases, they have looked ahead and planned out their summer tournament schedule and figured out how many games they will be able to play before the winter months. Yet perhaps the most important aspect of off-season training is neglected or in most cases poorly organized and improperly executed. Here is a check list of things that a Lacrosse player or team should focus on beginning at the end of a spring season.

Speed of Movement Training

Lacrosse is a sport unlike many others in terms of overall movement. Change of direction is high, as is top speed and of course acceleration. Moving laterally is similar to basketball, the distance covered is similar to soccer and the physicality looks like a blend of hockey and football. Yet how often has your coach or team worked on the different dimensions of training? If you aren't focusing on improving your physical assets on the field you and your team will eventually be outmatched by a team that does.

Energy Systems

Don't think about how well you are in shape as just aerobic training. Your body is a series of different energy systems that all take part in providing you with the energy and power needed to generate movement. If you wish to be explosive you will tap into your creatine-phosphate system, if you need to sprint the length of the field we tap into you anaerobic energy system, and if you are continually running we further tap our aerobic system. Have you taken the time to organize all of this training to maximize your performance on the field? Have you fit the proper energy system training to how often it is used in a game? If all your team does is distance runs or 300 yards shuttles, you aren't training optimally and you aren't improving your game to the greatest extent.

Maximal Strength

All of the other physical qualities that you can develop are all just the liquid that fills your physical "cup". The quality that increases how much fluid you can put in the cup is maximal strength. Now, I am not strictly talking single maximal effort reps, but rather working with weights of at least 85% of your 1 rep max. If you aren't training these strength qualities you are stunting the development of your power, explosiveness, change of direction and even endurance. Maximal strength is the floor for which every other physical trait builds upon. If you don't have it, you're not making as much progress as you think.

Conclusion

Playing and practicing your sports is important, but if you aren't taking the time to build your body up to better participate in these sports you are missing out on possibly the biggest game changes available to any athlete. Take the time to find a program or coach who can guide you through this process, and watch your game get taken to another level.

Bill Rom is the owner and operator of Superior Athletics. He specializes in Performance Training for athletes, as well as advanced training for general populations. You can read more performance articles from Bill, and learn about Superior Athletics, by visiting http://superiorathleticsnewyork.com

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All About Box Lacrosse

By Rob Daniels

Box Lacrosse, also referred to as boxla or boxcrosse is an indoor version of outdoor field lacrosse. The difference between a field lacrosse game and a box lacrosse game is like night-and-day.

Box Lacrosse is predominantly played in Canada during the summer months. Box Lacrosse started in the 1930's as a means to bring revenue to hockey rinks in the off season. Additionally it kept players fit during the summer months.

In Canada box lacrosse is more popular than field lacrosse from which it was derived. The rules of box lacrosse and field lacrosse are very different and of course the surface of play is very different. Box lacrosse is played indoors, in hockey arenas (without the ice) or on indoor soccer fields.

The goal in box lacrosse is smaller than the goal in field lacrosse and the attacking team must take a shot on goal within 30 seconds of gaining possession of the ball. Play in box lacrosse is significantly rougher than in a field lacrosse game. The rules of box lax encourage passing and running which improves a players overall lacrosse skills and athletic ability.

Box lacrosse should not be confused with indoor lacrosse which is a newer version of the indoor game. Indoor lacrosse was intended to be less violent than the other indoor version of the game, box lacrosse, on which it is based. Indoor lacrosse is also played in regions where box lacrosse is not played. Indoor lacrosse was designed to combine the most exciting elements of box and field lacrosse. Box lacrosse is a summer game, while indoor lacrosse is played in the winter.

Professional indoor lacrosse combines the physical play of hockey with the high scoring, fast pace and play-making style of basketball. Indoor lacrosse is played with six men per side, a rougher and faster derivative of the outdoor game. There are more scoring opportunities, and far more big hits, making indoor lacrosse an intense experience for players as well as fans.

The two indoor games have become increasingly similar in recent years with the primary difference being the equipment used in game play. Indoor lacrosse allows only sticks with hollow shafts, while box lacrosse allows solid wooden sticks. Also indoor lacrosse games consist of four quarters of fifteen minutes each, while box lacrosse games consist of three periods of twenty minutes in length.

The age of indoor lacrosse is evident when discussions relating to the first World Indoor Lacrosse Championships arise. The first Championships were held in 2003.

Rob Daniels is a professional writer representing http://www.lacrosse-shop.com and http://www.hockey-games.net some of his favorite sports.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rob_Daniels

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Lacrosse Equipment Gear Checklist

By Spencer Arnold

What gear or equipment do I need to play lacrosse or lax? It used to be a lot simpler to buy lacrosse equipment, but now it is actually a lot more complicated. They have lacrosse equipment for beginners, intermediate level players and advanced players. They have several brands to choose from and a large range in prices. 

So what equipment do I really need to play mens lacrosse?

Men's lacrosse gear checklist: helmet, stick, gloves, mouthpiece, arm pads, shoulder pads, ball, cup, goal, cleats, and rib pads (optional). When looking to buy quality lacrosse equipment make sure you compare durability, quality and costs. Quality gear in lacrosse is durable, lightweight, and offers you a degree of control.

The three most important type of gear needed are a helmet, a stick, and gloves. Men's helmets are composed of aluminum, titanium, or chrome. For some indoor leagues, with five player lacrosse, this is all they require. To give you a visual image, equipment or gear wise, men's lacrosse is comparable to ice hockey and women's lacrosse is comparable to field hockey.

Brine, STX, and Warrior are some of the leading manufactures of quality lacrosse products. The different types of lacrosse gear they offer gives you a wide selection of quality products to choose from. The manufacture everything you need for lacrosse sticks to gloves and protective padding.

Lacrosse is one of the oldest sports in North America, but it has evolved rapidly over the last twenty years. Just has the game has evolved, so has the need to have more protective lacrosse equipment.

Womens lacrosse equipment or gear required:

Goggles,

lightweight gloves,

sticks,

goal, ball,

goalie in full pads,

cleats.

Men and women require different types of lacrosse gear. Both of them require their own type of stick, gloves and head protection. Women wear goggles and men wear helmet equipment. Womens lacrosse sticks have shallower pockets and are smaller. Mens sticks are longer and with deeper pockets. Men's lacrosse gear has more padding and because they have more protective lacrosse equipment, their rules allow more contact.

Here is an excellent place for buying lacrosse mesh and lacrosse stringing kits Lacrosse Mesh

This is an excellent place for information on lacrosse shooting and buying lacrosse sticks Lacrosse Shooting

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Spencer_Arnold

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A Good Lacrosse Recruiting Video Will Help Coaches And Scouts Remember You

By Anne Harvester

Many high school students attend lacrosse recruiting camps and tournaments as part of their strategy for receiving a college scholarship. Before you attend one of these events, however, it makes a lot of sense to take your time and put together a great lacrosse recruiting video. In a sense, for an athlete, a lacrosse recruiting video is like a multi-media business card--use it to help college coaching staff and scouts remember who you are and what you can bring to their college lacrosse teams.

It does take a bit of money to participate in lacrosse recruiting camps. There are registration fees for all of them, and if you attend several the costs can mount quickly. You will want to take care that you are getting the most bang for your buck by doing all that you can to prepare for these big college lacrosse recruiting events, and one of the best activities you can work on is putting together a lacrosse recruiting video that shows you at your best.

The lacrosse recruiting video should consist of two main components, the first being you playing in a full game, and the second a collection of game highlights that show you off to your best advantage. There are several ways to get video footage of yourself suitable for college lacrosse recruiting purposes. Your high school coaches often tape your games, and use them to review plays and teach new skills. You can ask them to share some of the footage that they have shot. Another way is to have your parents or parents' friends shoot games or your play at lacrosse recruiting camps. Your parents are often in attendance at your games, and so they may be willing to tape them for you. Digital video cameras are coming down in price and can be purchased or borrowed for such activities. Software that will run on your home pc is now available that makes editing the video fairly easy to do, so you can put together a professional video. You can create a personal webpage and download the video to that, as well as dub the video to DVD.

Before attending lacrosse recruiting camps or other college lacrosse recruiting events, be sure to send an email to all coaches and scouts who are scheduled to be in attendance, and let them know you will be there. At the end of all correspondence to college lacrosse recruiting scouts, always include the link to your video, or send the DVD in the mail to them. Make clear in all correspondence with the video your complete name, jersey number and the position that you play so they can easily identify you.

You want to be ready to do your best and make a great impression when you attend college lacrosse recruiting events and lacrosse recruiting camps and tournaments, and by getting acquainted through video first, it will help scouts and coaches remember you and be looking for you.Articles Resources

Article Source: http://www.edirectory24.com/articles/

About the Author
Lacrosse recruiting camps can be a big part of a player's college plans and Anne Harvester provides a series of tips on making the process more effective.Articles Resources



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Lacrosse Muscles Its Way West

This weekend (May 20, 2009) in Foxboro, Mass., more than 100,000 spectators are expected to pour into Gillette Stadium to see four schools -- Duke, Virginia, Cornell and Syracuse -- square off for the national championship of a sport that, if the numbers are correct, you'll be hearing a lot more about. That sport is lacrosse.

Until recently, lacrosse -- America's other stick and ball sport -- was rarely on TV and only its championship games generated much in the way of media coverage. It was mostly played on the East Coast, and it was often viewed as a game for private-school kids. Some of the game's most electrifying athletes -- Gary and Paul Gait; Casey, Ryan and Michael Powell -- were little known outside core followers. The sole exception may be Jim Brown, the former Cleveland Browns running back who played lacrosse at Syracuse University.

"Lacrosse has taken off because it combines the hitting of football, the speed of basketball, and requires the endurance of soccer," says Kyle Harrison, who led Johns Hopkins to a national championship in 2005 and who won that year's Tewaaraton Trophy as the country's best male player.

These days the sport is showing serious growth. Participation in high school lacrosse has about doubled this decade, to a total of 143,946 boys and girls playing on high school lacrosse teams in the 2007-08 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, which tracks participation by sport. In 2000-01, there were 74,225 high school lacrosse players.

And the fervor goes beyond high schools. A 2007 survey by the National Sporting Goods Association found an estimated 1.2 million Americans over age 7 had played lacrosse within the previous year -- an increase of 40% since 1999.

Johns Hopkins is one of the 56 men's Division 1 college lacrosse teams, based on NCAA data from the 2007-08 season. Including Divisions II and III, there are some 239 men's college lacrosse teams nationwide with 8,900 athletes, double the number of participants two decades ago. On the women's side, there are now more than 300 college lacrosse programs across Division I, II and III, according to the NCAA, triple the number seen two decades ago.

It's also growing when compared to other sports. In the 2007-08 school year, 17 colleges added women's lacrosse, more than any other sport. Meanwhile, a dozen men's teams were added in 2007-08, far more than sports like basketball, which added three teams; football, which added two and baseball, which added just one team.

Lacrosse is a fast-paced running and shooting game created by American Indians. Migrating south from Canada in the 19th century, it won followers in the Northeast; New York University fielded the first college team in 1877.

The men's game has 10 players who wear helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads and gloves. There's body contact and stick checking, with the most effective shooters able to weave and dodge around defensemen. The women's game has 12 players who wear protective eye goggles and sometimes gloves. There is no body contact, so the focus is on passing, cutting and running.

A number of factors have contributed to the sport's growth, including an increase in media coverage, the availability of athletic scholarships and the sport's growing appeal at schools west of the Mississippi.

The men's game has 10 players who wear Indeed, the game has steadily migrated as former players and coaches moved West. Lacrosse Magazine says that of the 2,427 men's lacrosse players on D-I rosters in 2009, 118 players came from five key Western states: California (55); Colorado (37); Washington (13); (Arizona (9) and Oregon (4.)

"The game has just exploded in the three years that I've lived in San Diego," says Dave Herman, the varsity boys' lacrosse coach at Francis Parker School in San Diego.

The availability of college scholarships is also a draw. Chuck Cohen, who helped launch a youth league in Orangetown, N.Y., that has grown from 70 boys in grades five through eight to more than 300 boys and girls from first to eighth grades, says, "Many of the D-1 teams are offering college scholarships, and there are tournaments and recruiting camps where college coaches can watch the kids play."


The Web has played a crucial role, says Steve Stenersen, CEO of US Lacrosse, the sport's governing body. "There's tons of stuff on YouTube, as well as coverage on a variety of news and alternative sites."

The media, specifically cable TV networks such as ESPN, have also popularized the sport. "It's always been considered an Eastern sport, but now it's spreading nationwide," says Steve Herbst, executive vice president of CBS College Sports Network, which has carried the sport for six years.

Lacrosse has been welcoming to women. Forty years ago, there wasn't a single girls high school lacrosse team; in the 2007-08 school year, there were over 1,600 high school programs with more than 60,000 players in 23 states. Undoubtedly, many will be watching Northwestern University, based in Evanston, Ill., compete this weekend for its fifth consecutive national women's championship.

As might be expected, the states with the most popular programs are those where the sport has traditionally been popular. New York has the most, followed by New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Maryland. But next on the list is California, with 110 high school teams and over 3,000 women's lacrosse players.

Lacrosse still trails far behind more traditional sports and it remains to be seen whether the sport will ever catch up in popularity. The number of high school lacrosse players, at about 144,000, is just a fraction of the participation seen in football, with 1.1 million high school athletes; basketball and track and field, both with just over a million players, and soccer, with 730,000, as of the 2007-08 school year.

The economy has also had an impact on the sport. Jake Steinfeld, founder of Major League Lacrosse, a professional outdoor lacrosse league that kicked off its ninth season last weekend, says the MLL now counts six teams, down from 10 in 2008. "This is like any other business, you try to understand what's happening with the country and the economy," he said. "Our goal is to stay alive and thrive."

The recession has been felt elsewhere. "We'd hoped to have 50 stores by 2019, now those plans are derailed," says Joe DeSimone, co-owner of Lacrosse Unlimited Inc., based Hauppauge, N.Y., which owns 19 stores in the Northeast. Mr. DeSimone says he generated about $250,000 from his first store in 1990; this year he expects revenue to top $15 million. "Our average sale was probably less than $50 in 1990, today it's probably $110."

Still, fans say the changes are striking. "The three areas that are really booming right now are high school women's, youth boys and youth girls," says Paul Gait, a Syracuse University Hall of Fame lacrosse player who's now president of Albany, N.Y.-based DeBeer Lacrosse, one of the four major equipment makers. But that doesn't necessarily mean business is booming: differences in how the women's and youth games are played means those players tend to spend less on equipment. "For years we were seeing revenue growth of ten percent but now it's more like 5-6% and decreasing each year," Mr. Gait said.

"People like me live by the growth of the sport and none of us are getting rich," he said.

Write to Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg at jeffrey.trachtenberg@wsj.com and Kelly Evans at kelly.evans@wsj.com

Corrections & Amplifications
High school girls' lacrosse teams were not officially sanctioned by state athletic associations 40 years ago. This story incorrectly stated there were no high school girls' lacrosse teams 40 years ago.




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Some History of Lacrosse

Author: Jerald Shin Shapiro

Despite the prior uncivilized form of lacrosse, the people, who saw the impending of the sport to be more of leisure fixture, were optimistic that it will soon be a worldwide hit. The French was the first to contain the recreational glory of lacrosse and were considered the forefathers of the sport.

In the 1970s, the aperture of the International Lacrosse Federation started a global welcome of lacrosse and made a big denote in sports diligence of many nations counting Australia.

That same optimism of the French discoverers was no different to a boy's think of one day singing lacrosse in a land where it has not been played. And the rest, they say, is Australian lacrosse annals.

One summer afternoon of 1875 at the height of Victorian gold haste in Australia, Lambton Mount, son of a migrated gold miner, elegant a whole willing of football with disquiet and boredom. The tally between Carlton and Melbourne turned out to be dull for Mount and recalled his childhood memories of singing lacrosse to be more pleasurable.

Australian lacrosse story has it that in 1876, Mount sent a letter of call to an Australian newspaper to advertise his tactics of importing lacrosse firewood from Canada. This ignited the beginning of Australian lacrosse and the eventual formation of the Melbourne Lacrosse Club. The following time was crucial to the Australian lacrosse narration. Within a span of three being, four organizations were produced and tallying to 120 players. The Victorian Lacrosse Association in July 1879 governed the rules of the participating teams.

The lacrosse fever broadened southwards in 1885 and therefore happening the South Australian Lacrosse Association (now called Lacrosse SA) in 1888. In Western Australia, the sport of lacrosse was first played in 1890. A significant part of the Australian lacrosse account was in 1899 when coastal teams engaged in an exhibition diversion. It was then accepted by many as a repeated sport and doodle crowds up to 10,000.

A swift move of change occurred in the Australian lacrosse chronicle after the two World Wars. Lacrosse almost died out due to unavailability of sport apparatus and increased prices of outlay. Many, however, were persistent and were able to reinforce it in a few days. Today, places like Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide are supporting the lacrosse sport with highest standards in competition.

Australian lacrosse history reveals the women also played a crucial task in the sport's triumph in the territory. The year 1962 signaled the inauguration of the Australian Women's Lacrosse Council or AWLC. The organization designed to promote lacrosse in women and standardized rules and specifications.

In 2004, an all-men lacrosse tournament called the Australian Lacrosse League (ALL) was launched. ALL is contested by three states: Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. The eventual goal of ALL to have all states participating in the league is yet to be accomplished.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/some-history-of-lacrosse-701680.html

About the Author

Find tips about history of lacrosse and lacrosse drills at the Lacrosse Rules website.

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