One of the most common questions people have when getting into lacrosse is what time of year is it played?
Lacrosse is usually described as a spring sport. In the majority of the states in America, Lacrosse is played during the spring.
The NCAA, the national collegiate athletic association, categorizes both male and female lacrosse as spring sports (Thiel, 2013).
Many lacrosse players play other sports, and keeping the season in a defined part of the year works well for flexibility to engage in other pastimes.
Lacrosse has always been a spring sport, and although the starting date changes in different states, it is usually played in some part of the spring.
The starting dates are often influenced by local conditions, such as average temperature, snow, and a few other factors.
Pre-season lacrosse training normally takes place in the few months leading up to Spring (Source).
I’m going to take a look at some of the different start times you can expect in different states, the benefits of playing lacrosse in spring, and the influence of weather and conditions on the sport.
When Is Lacrosse Played
To take a few example states in isolation…
Practices in Georgia begin around the middle of January and by February they start playing games.
Some states like Illinois have moves lacrosse from. spring to summer sport with the season starting from May 3 to June 26th.
Other states such as Maine have moved spring sports to March with the games set to start on April 15th.
Every state differs, but this is just a good overview for you. You can check out the dates of the lacrosse season in your state (or country), by taking a look at local lacrosse club or league websites.
Spring Season Weather
When we talk about playing lacrosse in the spring season, another important aspect to understand is the weather.
The rain is important here as it is a major obstacle for sports.
The rainfall in March, April, and May is great news for plants but sadly, playing lacrosse becomes very tricky. The ground is wet, making slipping more plausible.
Sometimes players need to be more cautious with their footwork or they could get injured. This is just something to keep in mind, and spring conditions do influence how lacrosse matches are often played.
Lightning is just as problematic as rain. The weather is unpredictable and playing lacrosse off-season can help you be more resilient towards the weather.
It can help you be more aware of your surroundings and be more careful while playing since the rainy weather teaches you to have a firmer hold on the ground.
What Are the Benefits of Playing Lacrosse in Spring?
The good thing about lacrosse being a spring sport is that even if you play another sport in a different season, Lacrosse becomes the perfect off-season game to stay in shape.
It not only helps you stay in shape but also helps you develop teamwork and improve.
Let’s go into detail and talk about why playing lacrosse might be a great off-season game for you if you play another game in a different season.
1. It Builds Your Skills
Playing lacrosse can increase your skills for your main sport. It keeps you in shape and helps you with teamwork.
Playing will give you a new experience and a new challenge. The motions that are used in lacrosse usually match with other games and playing one will strengthen the other.
2. Playing Multiple Sports Is Better For a Long Term Career
The NFHS, ESPN, and professional athletes encourage young students to play multiple sports during their career and Lacrosse is the perfect off-season game.
Lacrosse can help with coordination and endurance. Lacrosse can help with the overall improvement in the athletes’ endurance.
3. Why Should People Who Play Football and Soccer Play Lacrosse?
Football and lacrosse are related because in both sports people need to have speed.
Playing lacrosse in spring will help you enhance agility, communication, be tougher and improve hand-eye coordination and footwork.
Both your hands and feet will get extremely good because of the excessive catching and passing in lacrosse.
Similarly, soccer and lacrosse share a lot of similar aspects such as creating space for passing and being on the offense.
Both of the sports also focus heavily on running. If you decide to choose lacrosse as an off-season game then it will help you strengthen your muscles and help with your running.
Lacrosse is a great game to choose no matter what position you play. You will get to play with the ball and improve overall.
4. Helps Build Teamwork
Lacrosse promotes teamwork like no other sport. The players need to play as a team to be able to score.
Over time, the players develop deep bonds and that helps them play better. Lacrosse is a great way to build teamwork for any game.
Choosing to play lacrosse in the spring can help students develop more and help them learn how to create bonds with teammates of their main game as well.
When the weather is nice outside, it usually puts everyone in a good enough mood to bond and build a rapport with each other. Why not take full advantage of that?
5. It Provides a Full-Body Workout
If you are tired of playing the same game or you want to keep practicing during the off-game season but you do not want to do boring exercises then lacrosse is a great option.
It provides the players with a full-body workout.
The players can continue to develop and exercise but they do not have to do tedious exercises; the different ways they bend develops their core muscles and strengthens their overall balance.
6. Develops Endurance
Lacrosse is a fast-paced game. It focuses on agility and endurance, which are equally important in the game.
Working for strength and speed, the players naturally build endurance. This is another reason for choosing to play lacrosse during the spring.
Lacrosse pushes the body to the limits and creates endurance that is also immensely important in other games.
7. Improves Discipline
Any organized sport needs discipline.
Lacrosse similarly creates discipline in the players putting them through rigorous training. It is an exceptional way to keep your routine going, while it allows you to stay in shape and maintain the same energy while you are off-season.
The Changes in the Fall and Spring Seasons
The fall season is usually the season of football and spring brings a spotlight to lacrosse.
Football is more popular than lacrosse and because they had two different seasons, both of them had necessary viewership.
Sadly, lacrosse viewership might decrease if football is played in the spring.
“It significantly reduces visibility for college lacrosse,” ESPN’s Anish Shroff said, “Visibility becomes a real issue for lacrosse, especially for the peak months of April and May.”
There is a possibility that this might happen.
Top Facts For Lacrosse As A Spring Sport
1. Lacrosse is called a spring sport because it is played during the spring season and the NCAA categorizes lacrosse as a spring sport. Even though it’s a spring sport, some states also consider it a summer sport.
2. There are many advantages of playing lacrosse in the spring.
3. If you play another game such as soccer in the on-season, lacrosse might be a great option for you to play off-season.
4. It can help you with a multitude of things
5. It will build endurance, keep you organized and keep your motivation up.
6. It can also help you with your coordination and teamwork.
7. Playing lacrosse in turn will strengthen your skills in your main game.
8. The major challenge is rain and playing in rain poses a threat. Players can potentially injure themselves while playing in the rain.
9. This is great when the players transfer the experience of playing in unpredictable weather to their main sport. It will help them be more aware of their surroundings and escape potential injuries.
References
Thiel, G. N. (2013). Lacrosse as a High-School Sport. Journal of the American Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation , 26-28.