New families
New to Lacrosse? Start Here.
Maybe your kid came home from school asking for a stick. Maybe his buddies play and he wants in. Maybe you're standing in a sporting-goods aisle right now staring at a $300 helmet wondering if this is all necessary.
Deep breath. This page covers everything an East Metro parent needs to get a new player on the field — what gear is actually required, what it really costs, whether your kid is "too old" to start (he isn't), and how new players catch up fast.
Late starters
Is It Too Late for My Kid to Start?
No — and lacrosse is unusually forgiving about this. Unlike hockey or baseball, where kids who started at five hold a near-permanent edge, lacrosse skill is overwhelmingly a function of stick time, and stick time can be compressed. A motivated 12- or 13-year-old who puts in fifteen minutes of wall ball a day will pass kids who've "played" casually for years — within a season or two. Some of the best high school players in Minnesota picked up a stick in middle school.
Athleticism transfers, too. Hockey players arrive with the physicality and skating-derived footwork. Basketball players arrive understanding spacing, cuts, and help defense. Soccer players arrive with conditioning and field vision. If your kid plays anything, he's further along than he thinks.
Required gear
The Gear List: What's Actually Required
Helmet — must be a NOCSAE-certified lacrosse helmet (not a hockey or football helmet). Cascade and STX are the two common brands; a certified previous-generation model is fine.
Shoulder pads — must meet the NOCSAE ND200 standard, the chest-protection requirement in boys lacrosse designed to protect against commotio cordis. Look for the SEI/ND200 label on the pad. This is the one item where hand-me-downs can fail you — pads made before the standard may not qualify, so check the label before using an older set.
Arm/elbow pads — lacrosse-specific.
Gloves — lacrosse-specific.
Mouthguard — required at every practice and game; colored, not clear or white.
Protective cup.
Cleats — lacrosse cleats exist, but football or soccer cleats work fine to start.
Stick — a legal short stick for most positions. Talk to a coach before buying a defensive long pole or goalie setup.
Budget
What to Spend (and What Not To)
The sporting-goods store will happily sell you $600 of gear. You don't need it.
- A complete beginner stick runs about $60 and is all a new player needs — high-end heads and shafts reward skills your player doesn't have yet. Spend the difference on wall-ball time; it's free and it's the actual separator.
- Buy the helmet and shoulder pads right (certified, correct fit, ND200 label). These are the two items where standards matter and where we'd never cut corners.
- Gloves, arm pads, cleats: mid-range is fine, sales and previous-year models are fine, sibling hand-me-downs are fine (except pre-ND200 shoulder pads — see above).
- Starter-kit bundles (helmet + pads + gloves + stick) are often the best value for a brand-new player.
Helmets and gloves are also available for purchase directly through the club — an optional convenience if you'd rather skip the store, never a requirement. We'll tell you exactly what's worth it at your player's age and what's marketing. No commission, no partner store, just a straight answer.
The daily habit
The 15-Minute Superpower: Wall Ball
If you remember one thing from this page: a wall, a stick, a ball, fifteen minutes a day. Wall ball is how every good lacrosse player got good — throwing and catching against a brick wall or rebounder, both hands, every day. It costs nothing, needs no partner, and compounds faster than any camp or private lesson. A new player who commits to a daily wall-ball habit will shock his coaches by mid-season. Ask any Tide coach for a starter routine; we hand them out like candy.
Joining the club
What Joining a Club Actually Involves
New families are often surprised how manageable club lacrosse is — especially the way we've built it. East Side Tide runs age-tuned summer seasons out of Woodbury-area fields — younger groups play shorter seasons, older groups go deeper, with the full per-group schedule table on our Parents page → — plus a confirmed three-tournament summer slate for youth teams (two Twin Cities metro weekends and one Milwaukee, WI trip). Practices and games are scheduled to complement — never conflict with — East Metro association and school lacrosse. Costs, dates, and registration live on our registration page →, and everything we ask of parents is written plainly on our Parents page →.
Have a question this page didn't cover? Email info@eastsidetide.com — new-to-the-sport questions are our favorite kind.
Roll with The Tide.
FAQ
New-player questions, answered
What equipment does my son need for lacrosse?
Boys field lacrosse requires a NOCSAE-certified lacrosse helmet, shoulder pads meeting the NOCSAE ND200 chest-protection standard, arm pads, gloves, a colored mouthguard, a protective cup, cleats, and a legal stick. East Side Tide, a youth club program in Woodbury, Minnesota, recommends new East Metro families email the club before buying gear — a complete beginner setup costs far less than most stores suggest.
What are ND200 shoulder pads and does my child need them?
NOCSAE ND200 is the chest-protection standard required for shoulder pads in boys lacrosse, designed to reduce the risk of commotio cordis. Pads carrying the SEI/ND200 label qualify; older hand-me-down pads made before the standard may not. Every East Side Tide player in Woodbury, Minnesota must wear ND200-compliant shoulder pads at practices and games.
Is 12 or 13 too old to start playing lacrosse?
No. Lacrosse skill depends on stick time more than starting age, and late starters routinely catch up within a season or two through daily wall-ball practice. East Side Tide, a development-first club lacrosse program serving Woodbury and the East Metro of Minnesota, is specifically built to develop newer players alongside experienced ones.
What is wall ball in lacrosse?
Wall ball is the practice of throwing and catching a lacrosse ball against a wall or rebounder — the single fastest way to develop stick skills. East Side Tide coaches in Woodbury, MN recommend fifteen minutes daily with both hands; it's free, requires no partner, and transforms new players within a single season. Tide coaches provide starter routines on request.
Can hockey or basketball players pick up lacrosse easily?
Yes — lacrosse borrows heavily from both. Hockey players transfer physicality and footwork; basketball players transfer spacing, cutting, and help-defense concepts; soccer players transfer conditioning and field vision. Many Minnesota lacrosse players, including in East Side Tide's East Metro program, are multi-sport athletes, and the club actively encourages playing other sports.
Ready to roll with The Tide?
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Call or text 651-600-2256