Lacrosse is rapidly climbing the ladder of popularity for sports with every day that passes. Since it is almost lacrosse season here at Mission Hills and it’s still a fairly new sport, many don’t realize how many differences there are between the way girls and boys are required to play lacrosse. Some of those differences include the type of stick, gear, and amount of physical contact.
“The pockets on the boys’ stick are bigger than a girls’ lacrosse stick. It makes a huge difference when it comes to throwing, shooting, and cradling,” said freshman girls lacrosse player Janessa Hildebrand.
The pocket on the head of the stick is what allows you to be able to cradle the ball across the field. If the pocket of the stick is too deep and the ball is below the sidewall, it is considered illegal. Boys have three different types of sticks: attack and middle, defense, and goalie. Girls don’t have as much of a variety; they have the one stick all the players use, which can still vary in size and the goalie stick.
“I wear a helmet, chest pad, gloves, and elbow pads in a typical game,” said freshman boys lacrosse player Jude Poyuzina.
Gear is a big part of lacrosse because it is what is supposed to keep you safe in-game. As Poyuzina said, boys wear helmets, chest pads, gloves, and elbow pads. In girls lacrosse, they typically only wear goggles, mouth guards, and sometimes gloves.
“The rules for physical contact are very specific. As a defensive player, your stick has to be held vertically and there are only certain ways you can check people or else it can be considered illegal, ” said junior girls lacrosse player Maddy Donlon.
As mentioned, physical contact is very limited for girls in comparison to what a boy is allowed to do in a typical game. Boys are permitted to do body checks to another player if they have the ball, and they are even encouraged to do it. Girls are allowed to do stick checks, which is when you are trying to knock the ball out of the opponent’s stick. Most of the differences between the versions of lacrosse are because of the difference of physical contact that is allowed.
Despite the differences between boys and girls lacrosse, it is still such an exciting and exhilarating sport and overall experience for everyone. Be sure to watch our very own Grizzlies play lacrosse this season!
