San Francisco Riptide

Boy's lacrosse is a contact sport so there is a considerable amount of equipment required. Your son will need a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, athletic supporter, mouthpiece, cleats (no metal), and a lacrosse stick. We would also suggest purchasing an equipment bag to store all the equipment. Costs for equipment can range from $300 - $450 if all new equipment is required.

Where to Purchase
There are several retailers that sell lacrosse equipment:

Lombardi Sports  (SF)
Sling It !  (San Rafael & Mountain View)
Sports Basement  (2 locations in SF)

SFLC members receive a 10% discount on all lacrosse equipment and clothing at Lombardi Sports, so remember to ask for it at the register.  Sports Basement offers a 10% discount to a variety of organizations and affiliations, including AAA, so always ask.

Lombardi's and Sling It ! offer a large selection of lacrosse equipment and are great places to buy equipment for new players since it gives players the opportunity to try on the gear, especially helmets and pads. Sling-It ! is a store dedicated to lacrosse only and so has a wide assortment of lacrosse equipment with varying price points.  They have a Starter Package for players that need all new equipment and it is quite affordable, especially for the younger players that may outgrow their equipment quickly. If you do utilize this package, we ask that you get the Starter Package without the stick ($25 savings) and when you order the helmet, make sure it is all white (see below for additional info).

Recommendations
Helmets – There are several manufacturers, including Cascade, Warrior, and Brine. It is important to choose the correct size of the helmet. It should fit firmly on the head and the 4 point chin strap should be adjusted evenly and the chin pad should be firm against the chin providing additional support. After the chin straps are adjusted and buckled, there should be minimal movement of the helmet if the player shakes his head from side to side. Try to get it correct before you leave because many places will charge a restocking fee for returned helmets.  Our players are required to wear White helmets for uniformity and to accomodate our team decals on them and they average about $100.  We will provide the SF Riptide decals to every player at no charge at the start of the season.

Sticks – There is a huge selection of sticks and shafts on the market. The heads cost anywhere from $50-$115 for a “strung” head and another $20-$90 for a shaft. Most of the sticks on the market are for high school players so we would like to offer our recommendations for teams, especially U9 and U11. Please note that there are also “mini” sticks on the market that are not for official play. The right type of stick and stringing is very important so before you purchase a new stick, feel free to contact the appropriate coach.

Heads – We would like all our players to use "Universal" sticks, which are legal for all age groups and often end with an X for Brine / Warrior and U for STX.  For our U9 to U13 players, we would like to see them use wider heads / throats that will enable them to catch the ball easier. This is easier to see when you are at a store and can compare the various styles. Some examples would be the Warrior Blade 2.0, Razor 2.0, and MoJo. STX makes the Proton + and Xcaliber. Brine produces the Motive.

Stringing – We would like all of our players to use “Hard mesh" throughout the entire head without any additional special stringing style. Mesh is basically small diamonds with no vertical leather in the stringing. There are two types of mesh, soft and hard. Soft is as it means, it is very loose and flexible. Hard mesh, sometimes called durable, is much more firm and takes a little more time to break in. It will form a better pocket after several weeks of use, tends to throw better and is also low maintenance.

Shafts – There is an array of shafts on the market. It is usually easiest to buy the same shaft as the manufacturer of the head. Any type of alloy shaft will suffice and titanium shafts for youth lacrosse are overkill.  Please contact your coach before you purchase a defensive shaft.  We have strict rules for defensive shafts at U13 and U11 and you will need your coach's approval before our players are allowed to use it.  A defensive stick should never be taller than the player.

 

Differing from men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse rules are specifically designed to allow less physical contact between players.  As a result, the only protective equipment required for girls is a mouthguard and goggles.  Below is a list of what girls will need to play:

Stick:  Women's style only.  No men's style or mesh pockets.

Goggles

Cleats:  Soccer cleats are okay.  No metal spikes.

Mouthguard

Lacrosse Balls:  Optional for practice at home.

There are several retailers that sell lacrosse equipment:

Lombardi Sports (SF)
Sling It !  (San Rafael & Mountain View)
Sports Basement (2 locations in SF)

SFLC members receive a 10% discount on all lacrosse equipment and clothing at Lombardi Sports, so remember to ask for it at the register. Sports Basement offers a 10% discount to a variety of organizations and affiliations, including AAA, so always ask.