Is It Too Late to Start Playing Lacrosse?

How late is too late for a kid to start playing lacrosse?  Can a kid who might be a sophomore in high school start playing lacrosse with any hopes of being good enough to play varsity in a year or two?  What about a junior?  Too late?  Not really...if they're willing to put in a little time.

Lacrosse is a skill sport that takes time to master throwing, catching, shooting and cradling.  But, if you're a good athlete and really want to play lacrosse, you can definitely do it.  And, after playing a little while, you WILL love the game and will REALLY want to play it!  Of course, starting in 2nd grade is the best option, but if that wasn't an option for you or your kid, they can still play this great game...and become pretty good at it if they're willing to work.

It's really all about touches.  Coach B on his Coach B's Lacrosse Blog explains, "I talked to a coach one time that had success converting baseball and football players to lacrosse as late as the varsity level. He basically figured out how many touches his experienced players had in their life time and came up with an approximate number.  If a kid has been playing lax since 5th grade, it is safe to say he's had 15,000 touches.  His plan - get the new guys to "catch up".

Coach B goes on to say, "30 sessions of wall ball with 500 touches = 15,000.  If you start a player indoor in November with only 2 sessions a week he will have 15,000 by March 1st.  If he gets 3 sessions in a week with 500 touches a day that's 24,000 touches.  500 touches can be done in a relatively short time."

So, if you're new to the sport of lacrosse, or even if you're not, get in your touches!  It will make you a better player, allow you to catch up to those who have been playing longer than you, and help you succeed as a lacrosse player.

Check out Coach B's Lacrosse Blog.