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CrosseWords Archive |
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CrosseWords
by Doc Nelson
March 8, 2009
Thinking Inside the Box
I’d like to take this
opportunity to answer some questions and clear up some misconceptions about the
We are not abandoning
field lacrosse completely. We’ll
participate in
The box – field
debate has raged since 1994, when we were a charter member of the Brine Upstate
Youth Lacrosse League, now the ULA.
Before that year, there was no organized field lacrosse league in CNY,
and no fields in
Playing inside the
Fort rink offers many advantages over field lacrosse. Weather is seldom a problem (though the roof
does leak in heavy rain). We’re
surrounded by walls, and every lacrosse coach and player knows the benefits of
wall ball. The ball stays in bounds; no
more looking in waist-high weeds for underhand shots gone wrong. Everybody is a midfielder, old-school middies
who play offense and defense, and
learn why lacrosse is (or was) the fastest game on two feet. Defensemen won’t learn the game with a stick
twice their height, stumbling over a pole that more closely resembles a
knight’s lance. Defense has to be played
with your feet, not your stick. Attackmen – the slugs
of the lacrosse world – will no longer be able to camp out and score goals
while killing the grass they stand on.
And kids will be able to put the pads on and try playing goal without
fear of injury. What’s not to like about
box lacrosse?
Even better – and
this is hard to understand unless you’ve played in the box – is the speed and
creativity that box lacrosse demands.
With a 30-second shot clock and time restrictions much like basketball,
the game moves! Small goals, big goalies, and, again, the
shot clocks, encourage the slick stickwork and
creativity that Canadian and Native players are known for. Kids learn to play the game fast!
There’s a perception
that box lacrosse is akin to inviting the Russians to play basketball in a
handball court, and throwing away the whistle.
(That’s not an original comparison.
It’s actually a Sports Illustrated
description of professional box lacrosse from the 1970’s). Almost any pro sport looks brutal --
baseball, basketball, hockey, all of ‘em. But kids don’t play the same game the pros
do. Box lacrosse is probably safer than
the field game simply because players are better protected.
Parents need not
worry about equipment and sticks. Almost
all of the equipment used outdoors is suitable for the indoor game. Hard shell arm pads are recommended, and
sneakers instead of cleats, but that’s about it. The
Box lacrosse is also
an excellent game for athletes from other sports. Hockey is most commonly
compared to lacrosse; spectators see the sticks and gloves and helmets, and the
game itself certainly resembles dry-land hockey. It’s a great way to get more use out of all
those soon –to-be-outgrown and expensive pads, especially the goalies, who can use their helmets, upper body pads, and goalie pants
all summer long. (We supply lacrosse leg guards). Old-timers will recall that National Hockey
League clubs sponsored professional lacrosse teams as a way to keep their
players in shape during the summer months.
But while box
lacrosse looks like hockey, the game is played more like basketball. I’ve always been impressed at how well
Canadian lacrosse players play basketball, but it’s because so many of them
grew up with hoops rather than hockey.
It also explains why box lacrosse players are so big! The front line of
There are a lot of
reasons why kids from other sports should play box lacrosse, including field
lacrosse players. The box game offers
faster play, more touches, less specialization, and an improved set of skills.
All of which adds up to more fun and better lacrosse!
Go to www.oswegolacrosse.org
for registration information.