For many young children, playing lacrosse is more than just a fun way to spend their weekends. It’s also a valuable learning experience that teaches them about working as part of a team, taking leadership roles and putting in the hard work to achieve their goals. The physical demands of the sport also help develop their strength and stamina, while helping them to build a healthy body and stay active.
For those kids who compete on travel teams, the commitment can be even greater. They often have to rearrange their schedules, make sacrifices and adapt to a more demanding athletic environment. They spend the spring and summer playing for both their school and their club, and participating in weekend tournaments in searing heat. All of this can be very demanding for a 13 or 14 year old, and many burn out by the end of the season.
The game of lacrosse is very fast paced and requires lots of hand-eye coordination, agility, and speed. Players must be able to read the game quickly and make decisions on the fly. The sport also requires good balance and a good understanding of the rules of the game. Keeping these things in mind, it’s no wonder why youth coaches stress the importance of safety on the field.
In boys’ lacrosse, there is some physical contact – similar to what you might see in ice hockey, though much less – with strictly-enforced limits by age. In contrast, girls’ lacrosse is a completely different game that is primarily non-contact, and no stick checking is allowed.
But a big problem with kids’ lacrosse is that there is not enough emphasis placed on strength training, especially in the older age groups. This is a huge mistake, because if young players don’t train properly and get stronger, they will be at a disadvantage when they hit high school.
Strength training is essential for improving the power that lacrosse players can generate on the field. Stronger players are faster and more agile, and they are able to tackle harder, longer and more intense plays without falling apart. Unfortunately, too few youth players take advantage of the power-building opportunities available to them.
The Darien Youth Lacrosse (DYLax) program is a model for other towns who want to create their own programs, but it didn’t happen overnight. The founders of DYLax, Jeff Brameier and Lisa Lindley, were both former college athletes and had full time jobs. Yet they were able to attract quality coaches and develop a top-notch program that is now copied by towns across the northeast. It is a testament to the passion and dedication of the community, as well as the talent of the players themselves, that this success has been possible.
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