The game of lacrosse is way down on the sports hierarchy. There is a professional league, but it does not come with national television contracts and huge player salaries. Instead, it is a sport that basically peaks at the college level and is largely centered in New England and the middle Atlantic states. While its popularity is definitely surging, it is not a game played by everyone. However, anyone who has ever seen a game or two of lacrosse realizes that the athletes do not have to take a back seat to any of the competitors in the more popular sports. It is perhaps the most cardiologically challenging sport of them all and it also requires superb hand-eye coordination and a huge dose of aggression. Players use long fiberglass poles with catching/throwing nets attached to move an eight-ounce hard rubber ball toward a goal. It is not a collision sport--at least it is not supposed to be--but it is a heavy contact sport. Players wear shoulder pads under their uniform shirt in order to protect their upper body. The design of these shoulder pads varies from player to player and position to position. Some shoulder pads cover the shoulders and the collarbones, while others basically are body armor for the upper torso. Improvement in construction have allowed lacrosse players to get more protection from lighter materials and therefore offer more protection
What to Look for
Lacrosse players and coaches agree that the upgrades in lacrosse gear have been beneficial to the game. Generally speaking, aggressiveness translates to winning in lacrosse and eliminating the fear factor allows players to go for the ball and make a play instead of fearing injury risk. Wearing shoulder pads that protect much of the upper torso (and the entire upper body in some cases) puts the focus on the skills needed to play the game. The improvement in the protective nature of the gear also comes in concert with improvement in ventilation and wicking material that allows a player to stay cool and dry. Full upper body protection can be expensive--pads often cost $100 or more--but it makes playing the game a much less anxiety-filled activity.
Common Pitfalls
Today's pads give players confidence that they can play their chosen sport without getting hurt. That is not true. The chances of staying healthy and avoiding injury are much better than they were in previous generations but that does not mean that players are not going to get hurt. Lacrosse sticks can impose dramatic force when a players is following through on a pass and the lacrosse ball can be sent along at very high speeds. This is also a game with plenty of body contact and injury impact can be lessened but it cannot be eliminated.
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