Does size matter in High School?

[cubswinsoxlose]

I'm 14 and have been playing lacrosse for three years. I'm 4'11'', and 80 pounds. I want to play in high school but im worried about my size. If it helps I'm really good at dodging, and no one can catch me.

[cubswinsoxlose]

Should I still play?

[lebolax44]

lol dont worry much. just eat healthy and right, and work out (lift weights) and do the best you can to bulk up.
work on your stick skills because if youve got a good stick youll be fine.

[cubswinsoxlose]

nice thats good to hear

[Stringer4Lax]

your exactly like a friend of mine, hes 2 inches taller than you but same weight. He has incredible stick skills and can throw off even the largest best defensemen in our league. Just work on dodges Etc. and you'll be fine. He also uses protective pads so he doesnt get snapped in half, if that helps.

[cubswinsoxlose]

Like rib protectors?

[minimiddie19]

ya i'm similiar to you in terms of size and i played at a low jv level league over the summer and as long as you get in there and aren't afraid of getting laid out you'll be fine

[The Doors]

size will matter eventually, but not at this point i dont think unless your coach is very closed minded.

I assume you play attack, so you need to make sure you compensate for your size with speed, skills, dodging, etc..... play to your strengths, since everyone already knows what your weakness is

[lax-crazy]

actualy I think size really really helps, but you can make up for the size with speed, agility, heart, hustle, and stick skills. There are lots of people who don't have a whole lot of size and take lacrosse very far.

[ALEX WIZ]

Your only 14. But you will not play varsity if you are still 4'11" and 80 pounds unless you run a 1.0 second 40 which I find impossible ahha. But your worrying to much, you will get bigger, make up for it in muscle. Hit the weight room and get bigger but don't lose your speed.

[sabreace]

If you are good enough at dodging that the weight difference isn't going to matter, you should be fine.

The only problem I see is that you'll have trouble if you don't get to the ground balls first. However, you could use it to your advantage if you build a high muscle/weight ratio and check really hard- when they underestimate you they might not protect their sticks very well.

[b-boy_laxman]

your exactly like a friend of mine, hes 2 inches taller than you but same weight. He has incredible stick skills and can throw off even the largest best defensemen in our league. Just work on dodges Etc. and you'll be fine. He also uses protective pads so he doesnt get snapped in half, if that helps.

Tell your friend to eat some damn food.

I thought i was small(i am) I play box and im 14 5'2" 110lbs but i still play competitive and im starting corner back for my highschool football team.

The best thing to do is eat allot of food(not junk) and work out, thats what i do and i guess thats why im playing all these sports at this size.

[Lax4life528]

I'm not gonna lie, but size does matter in lacrosse. However, plenty of people I know have overcome that disadvantage and still play now. My advice is to not quit lacrosse and just wait for your body to grow. Talk to your doctor and ask him if you are ready to lift weights.
It would suck if you ended up being 6' 4'' 210 lbs but quit lacrosse because once upon a time you were too small.

[ConanLax]

Size helps thats for sure, but you still have time to grow. Go to your doctor like everyone has been saying, and maybe go see a nutritionist, because 80 lbs at the age of 14 is a bit small. Eat right n Train right and you'll be fine.

[lax-crazy]

I'm not gonna lie, but size does matter in lacrosse. However, plenty of people I know have overcome that disadvantage and still play now. My advice is to not quit lacrosse and just wait for your body to grow. Talk to your doctor and ask him if you are ready to lift weights.
It would suck if you ended up being 6' 4'' 210 lbs but quit lacrosse because once upon a time you were too small.

I can list a very long list of "small" heightwise lacrosse players who are some of the best players on the planet. Size really helps, but it's not everything.

[Enjoi LAX]

You are what you eat. If you want to weight more eat more. Your only 14 you will grow in height and size. My advice is pack on the pounds now before you hit your growth spurt. Because when you grow up you began to look skinnier. Gain weight now so you won't be super skinny when you grow.

I was always a well built kid until about 6th-7th grade, then I started getting taller and skinny. At 16 I am still on the skinny side but I am now filling out. I look at my dad 6' 190 pounds and I know I will be big as an adult. My point is your body will develop at different rates and their isn't much you can do except do the best with with you have. Talk to LiquidMercury16 and ask him about some foods you should eat to gain weight. To answer your question, yes size does matter in highschool but that doesn't mean you can't play. Out play your opponents with speed, hustle, and heart, the rest will come with time.

[jlark92]

Mark Millon had (has) the same problem as you, and look where he is now: one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He's a very small attackman, but is incredibly fast and agile and has amazing dodges. Size just affects what your playing style is, not how good you are.

[THE_1protector]

in high school...size always matters haha

but seriously i dont think so when it comes to lacrosse. one of our best attackman is about 5' 5' i think. he can duck and dodge much faster and better than our other attackman. he is really good at getting inside the defense and preparing for a feed.

[laxmj1992]

Ask a girl that same question

[pvlax02]

yes it plays a role, but dont let it intimidate you. there are always going to be guys bigger then you who can wreck you. workout, do some agility, footwork, and youll be fine

[Laxplaya6918]

size will always matter, any big kid can always over power a defense with size over skill... skill is always a big part and is what makes defines the difference between a good player and a mediocure player. i still think alot of bigger taller players though have an advantage

[Wooks]

lol obviously you're at a disadvantage, I'm not gonna deny that, but I think if you got really fast, could switch directions really fast, and have some awesome passing skills, you'd throw defensemen off pretty badly with your height.

[myles]

Everyone will laugh at you in the showers but other then that you should be good if you just get out there and you arent scared.

[tomtom]

My take on sports is that a person can excel in a sport regardless of size. Size may offer some advantages, some sports more than others, but especially at younger levels(high school included) size is one of the lesser factors affecting an athletes level of play.

You aren't too small for lacrosse. Now go prove me right so I dont look like an idiot!

[BWickLAX10]

I'm 14 and have been playing lacrosse for three years. I'm 4'11'', and 80 pounds. I want to play in high school but im worried about my size. If it helps I'm really good at dodging, and no one can catch me.

Yea dude there's nothin wrong with that. but it would be beneficial if u worked out and got a little heavier. we have a kid on our team that is around 5'2 n doesn't weigh that much but the kid is sick and he can hit.

[Jus7 A Phase]

Size does not matter, at my camp there was a kid that was your size. He was 14 but he played with the 15 16 year old and he owned, he played attack with all the long sticks poking at him and he was one of the best attack men on our team. Dont let things hold you back just got for it.

[Hounds4life]

I'm gonna be a freshman next year and im 5 foot 9 130 lbs. and ive played against kids that are really small and they usually make up for it with their skills. I personally would be more intimidated by a really quick smaller kid with great stick skills then a big guy who cant do much but lay people out and is really slow.

[Ctown311]

I am a freshman and I'm just about 5 6 and 160. Just try and suck it up if you get snapped in half you will be fine haha.

[bucslaxattack]

I had the same problem going heading into my first season (this season). I'm 14, about 5 foot tall and around 100-110 lbs. I've been through like 6 practices now and I play attack so I'm put against out huge defenders, particularly the one who guards me is 5'11 and like 165. I've got around him all of out team "scrimmages" but last practice he laid me out, first big hit of the season, and surprisingly it didn't hurt at all! So get to it, practice a lot, and don't be scared.

[DelVal Lacrosse]

We have a few short light and really damn fast kids on our team. They do good, the speed is where they have the advantage. I've never had a problem with size, I'm 15 and 6'0" and 180lbs. :)

[mvlax7]

Size helps but if you can make up for it with stick skills or speed then it doesn't matter that much.

[Lax4life528]

Everyone will laugh at you in the showers but other then that you should be good if you just get out there and you arent scared.

you guys have to take showers?

[lifeoflax45]

yeah just get good protective pads and go bulk up and work on your stick skills and you'll be fine. good luck

[Rosie411]

In highschool its not so much a matter of size--- you can have a 6'2 220 pound kid on you but if he cant run then hes worthless. Its more a matter of how athletic you are, how hard you can hit, and how fast you can run. These are the kids that seem to have the advantage over kids with good stick skills simply because they're the ones coming up with the groundballs and driving to goal.

[Dominate50]

Alright like some said size helps but it doesnt matter. I'm 5'8 205 and im the one of the smallest guys on the field. To me it doesnt matter though i'm still laying out guys that are 6'2 250. You cant let your size get to you and besides you are still young, you definitely have time to grow. Just eat right and hit the weights.

[QBYattackmen15]

Mark Millon had (has) the same problem as you, and look where he is now: one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He's a very small attackman, but is incredibly fast and agile and has amazing dodges. Size just affects what your playing style is, not how good you are.

got it before me on the Mark Millon thing, once i saw this thats what i thought of. and BTW, you know how IL has the quotes of TLF posts in its mag? that last small sentence could be posted on the top in big block letters, "Size just affects what your playing style is, not how good you are." Very good statement right their, im 5'4" and im 140. if you ask some peoel, thats a slightly higher then average weight for my height. that what i think you should do, do what i do, bulk up and get as strong as you can so you can compensate some for your size, sure i get laid out occasionaly, but its not a big deal if when i get the chance i can burn that same defender. i had the same problem as you, i came into high school, nervous about my size and playing in HS. and what did i get? nothing. barely even got to play. but what i did was i got my confidence up by going to my coachs house and me and him had a little one-on-one. now im starting as one of the top stick handlers on the team and playing varsity tournaments and playing well in them. and i havnt grown an inch since last year. so what im saying is, dont worry about your size, just have the confidence to go and get what you need to get done. If you wnat you can PM me and i can give you some insight from what i do and did to get my confidence and overcome my size.

[laxmiddy92]

yea im a pretty good size kid for a sophmore if tryouts go well ill be the tallest and probably biggest middy because im 6'1 187 pounds

[Rosie411]

best example is john lade he was a d-pole from randolph and made the U-19 team and was a top recruit. Is playing for villanova where he is starting as a freshmen.... the kid is so good that he has to be taken out of drills so the offense can run their plays.... theres a thread about him somewhere i think its in the general forum hes like 5'9

[HVlaxa7]

if you are really good size doesnt matter too much but if you arent too good.......beef up buddy

[Attackalltheway]

You should be fine if your quick and got good stick skills just get a solid eating every 3 hours down plus lifting weights and you should bulk up some.

[Jakelax]

got it before me on the Mark Millon thing, once i saw this thats what i thought of. and BTW, you know how IL has the quotes of TLF posts in its mag? that last small sentence could be posted on the top in big block letters, "Size just affects what your playing style is, not how good you are." Very good statement right their, im 5'4" and im 140. if you ask some peoel, thats a slightly higher then average weight for my height. that what i think you should do, do what i do, bulk up and get as strong as you can so you can compensate some for your size, sure i get laid out occasionaly, but its not a big deal if when i get the chance i can burn that same defender. i had the same problem as you, i came into high school, nervous about my size and playing in HS. and what did i get? nothing. barely even got to play. but what i did was i got my confidence up by going to my coachs house and me and him had a little one-on-one. now im starting as one of the top stick handlers on the team and playing varsity tournaments and playing well in them. and i havnt grown an inch since last year. so what im saying is, dont worry about your size, just have the confidence to go and get what you need to get done. If you wnat you can PM me and i can give you some insight from what i do and did to get my confidence and overcome my size.

dude, im the exact same size and weight as you, and have a similar story... creepy

[Dub C lacrosse]

Your asking if you should still play lacrosse because your short? Thats not a question. Keep playing and dont stop playing. Dont let size get in the way of your abilities.

[GatorsLax]

on the JV team I coach, we've got a kid who's in the same situation you are. he's obviously not going to run people over with a bull dodge, but the other day in practice he faked one of our biggest poles right onto his butt. if you run hard and work on the stick skills, you'll be fine.

I was slightly undersized in HS and for MCLA, but it shouldn't KEEP you from playing.

[laxmiddy92]

hey your going to get thrown around a bit it happens one of our smallest got thrown a bit 2 but hes tough and you need to get up quick and never let the defense in your head

[Funsize]

bro im 5ft 2' and i play middie and DEFENSIVE middie too. it doesnt matter, i was the smallest kid going into freshman year and now in my sophmore year im on the varsity squad and START on man-down d-middie. just play tough and when you get crushd, get up and stay focused. its the worst if your small AND a *****. plus, some of the best PROs are the small ones

[Coach MacLax]

The only size that matters is the size of your heart, the size of your lacrosse IQ, and the size of your will to excel.

[Mayday14]

It all depends, size doesn't your stronger, and even if he's stronger you can out-skill them. If you're trying to hit someone who twice your size, okay that's dumb, but just work-out, run, and do agility tests

[lawrencelax18]

size doesnt matter in any age group all that matters is hustle, work ethic and how you use your size. if your small use your speed and agility. if your big use your size and power.
classic quote:
it's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.

[penfield lax#6]

just wait youll probly grow but if not just work on stick handiling and speed

[SoCald]

my friend is a 5'3 sophmore and probably 120 pounds, maybe less, starting varsity attack and 3rd highest scorer on varsity. first person got invited to a 205 camp, and 2nd got barely higher then him.

[lacrosseking2]

we had an 8th grader on my JV team he was 4'10 and weighed the same as you and he was one of our top players.
Also i am 5'9 and weigh 142, im in 9th grade, and i am one of the top players on my Varsity team.
size will never matter, lacrosse is a fines sport that allows contact. as long as you have skill your gonna be great. and speed is way more important then strength in every position.