For a player, or parent new to lacrosse, purchasing that first set of gear can be rather daunting. Below is a list of the necessary equipment and some information to help you better understand what is needed when purchasing equipment. When purchasing personal equipment, it is preferred if the gear you purchase matches our team colors. Black, white, grey, with green accents. Men's and women's equipment is different, so this page is organized accordingly.

Required Women's Equipment: 

1. Women's specific stick
2. Women's specific helmet
3. Mouth guard
4. Cleats  

STICKS: You must have a women's specific head and shaft that meet USA Lacrosse guidelines for youth lacrosse.  Stick technology has not changed in years.  Buying this year's new stick will only get you a higher sticker price.  Check clearance sites and find last years' expensive sticks on sale.  Summer is a good time to find great deals.

HEMETS: TVYLA mandates that our women practice and play wearing a women's specific NOCSE rated lacrosse helmet.  If you purchase your own helmet, please purchase a black helmet to match the team's uniform in order to comply with NHFS uniform rules.  With a helmet of another color you will run the risk of a referee not allowing them to play with a mismatched helmet.

MOUTH GUARD:  See below for advice on mouth guards.

GLOVES (optional):  Gloves are recommended but not necessary.  Gloves provide minor protection from incidental stick checks and for added grip on a stick.  Please stick to team colors.

CLEATS: Any field sport cleat will work.  There are cleats specific to lacrosse, but soccer cleats work just fine, as well.  If you already have a pair, no need to buy another.

Required Men's Equipment

1. Men's specific stick
2. Men's specific helmet
3. Mouth guard
4. Shoulder pads
5. Arm pads
6. Gloves
7. Athletic supporter/cup
8. Goalies - TVYLA owns goalie specific equipment that is available for all teams
   1. Throat guard for helmet
   2. Chest protector
   3. Additional pelvic protection/goalie specific cup is very highly recommended. 

HELMETS: Nearly any lacrosse specific helmet will work fine. For TVYLA players, it is necessary that when purchasing a new helmet, you make sure it is black. As lacrosse in our region matures, local governing bodies will become more strict on adherence to NFHS uniform rules. Helmets may have white or green accents, but the body must be black. While purchasing used gear is encouraged and a great way to save a few bucks, this is not the place. You never know what kind of shape a used helmet is in and what kind of blows it has already absorbed. Please contact us before purchasing a new helmet. TVYLA periodically places group orders to take advantage of team pricing.

MOUTH GUARDS: Old school mouth guards are cheap, but only work to mitigate dental injuries. Some of the newer mouth guards are also designed to mitigate concussions. These are certainly worth the extra dollars. Every player is required to wear a mouth guard at all times during play, be it in a game, or in practice. We recommend you consult your family dentist to best fit your child with a mouth guard.  There are several models available on the market that can be fitted at home and provide excellent protection for around $20.  Most dentists make custom ones, but they can be costly. Mouth guards must be of a bright color so officials can easily see if one is being used.  Worn out, or chewed up mouth guards do not work and will not be permitted.

SHOULDER PADS and ARM PADS: Unlike in football, lacrosse shoulder pads and arm pads are not intended to soften blows from body checks. They are intended to blunt potentially painful stick checks. Look for comfort and cost. There is no reason to pay full price for the latest/greatest product here. Shoulder pads must be NOCSE certified.  This is a relatively recent requirement that improves safety from the ball to the heart area.

GLOVES: Again, a comfort item. Higher end gloves do provide some better dexterity and may help a more advanced (High School Varsity level) player. But, again, this year's glove is no better than last year's and the one on sale is the better choice. (Please try and stick to team colors.)

RIB PADS: While not required, rib pads can be nice for attackmen and middies who find themselves attacking the goal on a frequent basis. There is no need for rib pads for youth players U12 and younger. 

CLEATS: Lacrosse cleats are very similar to football cleats.  Soccer style cleats also work very well. If you already own a pair that fits, no need to buy more.

STICKS:  This is broken up into three components. A second back-up stick is not required, but strongly encouraged.

        HEADS: The most important thing here, is that you have a LEGAL head. There are three types: NCAA approved, NFHS approved, and Universal ones that are BOTH NCAA and NFHS approved. You have to have a head that is NFHS approved. If it is only NCAA approved, you cannot play with it in this league. Any cracked or broken head is illegal and cannot be used.

Most heads are fine to play with. Less expensive heads are wider throughout the throat making it easier to catch for beginner players, but they are far more difficult to string an effective pocket into. More expensive sticks have a tighter throat that helps keep the ball in the pocket when being checked and allow for a better strung pocket. An expensive head on clearance should be ideal.  Again, this year's head is no different from last year's head. Find a head on sale.

       SHAFTS: To start, there are three sizes: Attack (40")("short stick"), Defense (60")("long pole"), and goalie (somewhere in between). For beginners, grab an attack shaft.  One must have proficient stick skills with a short stick before attempting to play with a defense long pole. Premature use of a longer stick will impede the development of stick skills and positional play. The use of long poles is not allowable until 5/6 grade and is not encouraged until 7/8 grade. 

Most lacrosse shafts made in the last 20 years are very comparable in weight and durability.  Shafts rarely break, no matter the make or model. More expensive shafts tend to be lighter, but the difference between the cheapest and most expensive is an ounce or two.  The lightest and cheapest shaft you can find is what you should be purchasing. For defensemen (aka long poles), weight is is more of a factor. A lighter stick is easier to throw around when checking. However, for the development of a youth player, a few extra ounces is not a bad thing.  

      POCKETS: The pocket in the stick of a lacrosse player is by far the most important piece of equipment they own. A player can use a poor pocket, but will certainly develop poor technique to go with it, and their play will eventually be handicapped. There are few factory strung pockets on the market that are worth playing with. For this reason, purchasing unstrung head and having a coach or high school player string it for you is preferable.