5 Things I Learned at My First Lacrosse Game

Just like any sport, lacrosse has a learning curve.  Here are 5 things I quickly learned while at my first lacrosse game.

1. It is really hard to tell who is which player when they are on the field because everyone wears a helmet.  I recommend having a list of the names and numbers handy so you can reference it whenever you need.
2. You know how at a soccer game a player has to chase down the ball when it goes out of bounds?  In lacrosse, they keep extra balls around the edge of the field so no one has to waste a ton of time running after the ball that flew out of bounds.  This makes a lot of sense because those balls can end up far away from the field.
3. Just like every other sport, some of the parents take the game VERY SERIOUSLY.  Just let it happen.  Also, sometimes the over-excited parents can more interesting than the game.
4. In men’s lacrosse, slashing is an illegal stick check to the helmet, arms, body or back.  Sometimes, the line between what is legal and illegal is gray (and intense, very intense).
5. If there isn’t a viewable score board, it isn’t a terrible idea to keep track of the score on your own.  The scores can get up into the high teens sometimes, and you can easily forget which team has how many points.

What other things have you learned while watching lacrosse?

Fear the Lacrosse Ball, not the Game Itself

If you’ve never been to a lacrosse game before, you might think that going to a game would be intimidating. This could not be more wrong! The only thing intimidating about watching the game is how fast the ball is thrown. I would not want to be hit with one of those things no matter how many pads I have on.

There isn’t much to know about attending the games–Purdue’s home games don’t even cost anything!  It is very easy to learn what is going on in lacrosse by simply watching the game. I’ve never played lacrosse, but I still enjoy watching the games.

I asked Purdue University junior Michelle Becker about attending games and she shared this:

Now that the weather is (finally!) nicer, enjoy an afternoon outside and catch the Purdue Men’s Lacrosse team. The Boilermakers are at home this Saturday to take on the University of Iowa Hawkeyes. This Big Ten game starts at 2pm at Lafayette Jefferson High School.

Purdue Lacrosse Player Offers an Inside Look

Lacrosse season is well underway. The Purdue Men’s Lacrosse team is currently 2-4 for the season. The team plays at Illinois State University this upcoming Friday and takes on the University of Iowa at home on Saturday. The team plays all of their home games at Lafayette Jefferson High School in Lafayette.

I sat down with junior Jackson Tibbett (#3) and he gave me an inside look into why he plays lacrosse and his hopes for the future of the sport.

Also, Tibbett demonstrated how he gets ready for a game by putting on his pads and cleats. As a runner, I just have to tie my shoes and then I’m good to go. I thought it was interesting how there’s a step-by-step order of which item to put on first. For example, pulling on your helmet would be very difficult after you have already pit your gloves on.

Making Lacrosse Safer: Our Shared Responsibility

The million dollar question: How can lacrosse become a safer game, which seems to be the natural path, AND remain popular, without losing its identity?

This article further discusses how changing the rules of the game isn’t the answer. Instead, teaching young players how to play (and check) properly is the path that should be taken.

I highly recommend this article. I promise! The author does a great job of discussing the problem of injuries within lacrosse while keeping it simple and humorous. So even if you know nothing about the sport, you can still get something out of it. Plus, a lot of the ideas he brings up can be applied to just about any other sport. (Football and concussions, anyone?)

Lacrosse Vines

Vines are great. The six second videos get to the point–what’s worse than videos that last forever? I like how they get to the point.

Check out some lacrosse plays in vine format (hello, six seconds) on this Twitter account. There are some jaw dropping plays shown. Example: Army vs. Syracuse

What do you think of Vine? Have you seen some other jaw dropping plays?

28 Things You’ll Only Understand If You Play Lacrosse

Who doesn’t love Buzzfeed for mindlessly scrolling through to find interesting things to read? Exactly.

Someone came up with the “28 Things You’ll Only Understand If You Play Lacrosse.” Even if you don’t think you can relate to the 28 reasons, there are plenty of GIFs to look at. Including this one:

Number 15 is one of my favorites (everyone loves a terrible joke):

 

A Crafting Experiment

With the collegiate lacrosse season starting, my friends and I had a girls’ night to make shirts to support the Purdue Men’s Lacrosse team. We may not be the most artistic bunch, but it was still a lot of fun.

We decided to attempt an American flag design with lacrosse sticks for the red stripes and lacrosse balls for the stars. Based of the final results, we all agree that it turned out well.

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Have you ever painted your own shirts? How did they turn out?

Follow Purdue Lacrosse on Twitter

Now that the lacrosse season is starting, be sure to follow Purdue Men’s Lacrosse at @PurdueMensLax. You’ll be able to keep up with all of the latest news about the team.

What’s more important: winning the game or the fight?

The Rochester Knighthawks would say winning the game.  Of course that’s probably because, Stephen Keogh, a player for the Knighthawks, was punched multiple times by New England Black Wolves player Bill O’Brien Sunday night.

The fight is pretty intense–check it out here:

It’s Time…

…to learn about the lacrosse positions.

Okay, that was a little too dramatic. Forgive me. Regardless of your level of interest of lacrosse—from avid follower to newbie—understanding the various positions is crucial. I promise it isn’t too technical.

Attackmen

Who are they? The 3 players that make up the primary offensive weapons looking to feed and score

What do they do? They create most of the offense (and score goals), and generally don’t play defense

Where do you find them? They’re the three players kept on the opposite side of the midline while the ball is at the other end

Skills needed: To be able to run the ball through the opposing team’s defense

Midfielders/Middies

Who are they? The 3 crucial players to a team’s transition offense and defense

What do they do? Play offense and defense—follow the flow of the game and get involved at both ends of the field

Where do you find them? Generally around the midfield (like the name suggests), and also  all over the field

Skills needed: Good stick skills, accurate passing skills, and the stamina to stick with opposing attackers

Defensemen

 “Defense wins championships.”

Who are they? The “line of defense” composed of 3 players that try to make sure the goalie has an easier job

What do they do? Stop the opposing attackmen from creating offense or scoring

Where do you find them? Close to their team’s goal; occasionally, they will be dispatched to cover a dominant opposing midfielder

Skills needed: Good footwork and passing abilities

Goalie

Who are they? The player to protect the goal

What do they do? Stop shots, get the ball out of the defensive end (and then get the ball to the offense as quickly as possible), and direct the defense

Where do you find them? Standing at the opposing team’s goal

Skill needed: Quick reflexes