Son just starting.. need equipment advice

[Jan]

Son is 12 & just starting Lacrosse. Badly need advice on equipment & pricing. V pocket/ soft vs. hard mesh, pinch etc... all terms that we have no clue about. People have recommended debeer sticks, X2, Cyber, & Vapor. Also CLH2 helmet. Need advice on protective gear & shoes also. Is Metro Sports any good? Other web sites?

[livinlax24/7]

Well, Equipment wise I use STX, Brine,and Warrior. You will need a helment, shoulder pads, arm pads, gloves, stick, mouth piece, and shoes. Get Brine shoes and padding and stick of your choice. I use a soft mesh but I recommend hard mesh also.

[Fishface]

to start out, i would reccomend a debeer icon complete stick with hard mesh if possible, soft will be ok. i have never heard of metro sports so i cant help you with that. i agree that a clh helmet would be a good start.he can just use some soccer dleats if he has some and if not try picking up some cheap ones or even mid top football cleats.ok, pads. For gloves i would recomend the new warrior hypnos. supposidly very good gloves for cheap.do you know what position he is playing? until i know, i would not recomend any arm pads for know. for shoulder pads, i would say maybe warrior mpg 4.0 sp,i am 13 and have those currently and they hold up pretty well. i am getting new ones but thats another story. if u need any more help, give me a holler.

you can also look here for some good advice.
http://laxnation.com/home/displayarticle.php?category=articles&title=newequip&articleid=252 :bye: :thumbsup:

[faacjb]

My son started playing in fourth grade, and is now in sixth (11 years old). What I did was this: When he started playing, I bought him an inexpensive stx soft mesh stick. These are the easiest to catch with. For pads, my local lax store had a youth package by stx that was affordable, so I bought that. My logic was as follows: 1. he may not even like the sport, so why go overboard on gear? 2. most guys are gear freaks. if he gets hooked on the sport, he will start reading reviews and talking to coaches/friends about gear. no matter what you get him now, he will want something else in a year or 2.
3. what if he decides to become a goalie or a defenseman? (mine became a goalie...) This will necessitate a whole different set up.
Like they say: it's practice, not purchase. Get him started without breaking the bank and see what happens. If he is a super star this spring, tell him Christmas will be great. And be happy he is trying this out: it is the greatest sport on the planet.

[OutBurst]

What position will he be playing? If he is a goalie I can help you out a lot.

[faceitoff]

Helmet: CLH2
Shoulder pads: Brine Spartan SP, STX EXO SP
Rib pads: any.
Arm pads: STX EXO AG, Brine Spartan AG, Brine Avalanche AG (if you can find them!!!)
Gloves: STX Ignitors/I2s, Brine Spartans, Brine Elements
Head: STX X2, Gait Icon
Shaft: any.

[Jan]

I am not sure what position as tryouts haven't started yet but a friend of ours told me that because he is not big he will probably not be in defense. Thanks to everyone for the advice to date. Please keep it coming!

[chsFIRElax15]

all my equipment probably costed around 100 dollars when i started. i wore and still wear some old hockey shoulder pads that i bought from a sports exchange store. every other piece of protective gear is warrior(gloves and arm pads). my advice is stay cheap for now, and if he really likes it get some newer stuff.

[Radioactive Ape]

stx makes a lot of good padding for beginners, as does brine.. like the stx exo, brine spartan, brine trident etc. i would recommend you go with brine for all your pads (shoulder, rib, arm, gloves) because brine is a good reliable company. they make great stuff. one of the moderators on this forum, names Raine, i think will agree with me, as will most people.

for a head i would say an stx x2 or warrior revolution.. both very durable and easy to catch with. get mesh stringing, its great of beginners, because its durable and requires little maintenence. for a shaft, a cheap aluminum shaft should serve you well.

for gloves go with inexpensive brine gloves. brine is THE company to go for with gloves, in my opinion. get like a spartan, trident, maximus or the like for a pair of gloves.

cleat-wise.. i would just go with some cheap football cleats.... they work great for me. you can just get and brand but as with all footwear, try it on to make sure you like it first.

dont forget a cup and jockstrap. just about any will do

last but not least, a helmet... cascade is a great company. superior comfort and great protection.. i would go with their cheapest model, the clh2

oh and a mouthguard, a regular boil 'n bite one you could get would be great. easy, cheap, and effective.

[stxbionic42]

Ya these guys mostly have it right imo..

stick- Depending on ability, I'd say x2 and bionic are great beginner choices... some people might hound me for saying bionic but i started off with one my 2nd week and i did fine... It's a great stiff head and will definately last it's while and worth the money... the only problem is it is pretty pinched. For shaft I wouldn't bother spending 20 Dollars on some pos aluminum shaft... they are waste of money when you can spen a little more and get the brine f-15 (or ignite) it is an amazing shaft and i'd definately get it...

pads- I'm not a begginer and I use stx exo pads. I find them very comfortable and i like them. Pads imo are all good depending on the level of play. IM in 8th grade.. The exo's are perfect for my level and i reccomend them to your son. (excuse my typing, it's one handed and i usually suck at typing :) ) So pad wise I'd go anything that feels good and what you feel is a good deal and worth your money.

helmet- I'm in love with my cpx. It is kind of expensive but if your son will be playing for a team or club that will have the same color it will suit you well because it has sizing inserts which allows you to use the helmet as long as you want. I love this helmet. But if you don't want to fork out the dough I'd also look into the gait helmet. Although the look may not be your favorite, the fit is simply amazing. It is like a hockey helmet and is very light.

gloves- why is everyone saying begginer gloves???? I think that gloves for "new" players can be as good as the the parents/money holders want them to be.. if you want quality(sp? im really out of it now...) I'd go with stx products. There are stx gladiators on ebay going for 40 dollars now (buy-it-now) this is an extreme deal on them. They are my favorite gloves. But hey its your wallet... I'd also look into ignitors. (stx) brine also has great products xfactors were my first glove and i really liked them.

I might not be any help right now.. im not feeling that great and just thought I'd give you what I thought were good pads. It's tottaly up to you and also these guys will help you out a ton... my opinion is that sence he's a new player you don't have to get lower end gear.. lot's of the higher end gear has better protection and i just think it's worth the money if you son is serious and wants to make lax a priority.

Theres a thread that's titled "if you have a question about what head or shaft you need look here" i think thats the title... can you guys link it for him? Im tired so im out...

[stegmakk]

First year and not knowing if he will continue, go for cheap stuff...if he continues to play and enjoys it, in about 2 years go for a nice upgrade...
Check with the coach if they supply anything (when I was growing up they would lend out shoulder pads helmets during the year and supply mouthpieces)...
Until then,
Stick: Debeer Icon or STX AV8 (both around $25-30 for complete stick)
Cleats: Cheap football ones should do fine (anything but Nike though)
Pads: inexpensive and good quality - Brine...Make sure your son tries all the pads out first before deciding on what to get from us
Helmet: CLH2 is good and inexpensive compared to others
And as someone else pointed out, don't forget the cup!

[Avs1103]

Stick: Icon or X2
Helmet: CLH2 (i use it and im 16)
Pads: Spartans or exos or mpgs...shoulder and arm
Gloves: Hypnos or the new arenalines

[RockStar]

Gloves will affect the ability to play more than anything else. Do not skimp on these.

If you can, cut corners on the shoulder pads and rib pads and use the extra cash towards better gloves. If you can find STX Ignitors on sale ($80ish), go with these. Dollar for dollar there is no better glove.

Arm pads - here, like with gloves, you don't want to skimp. Decide what level of protection your son's comfortable with, and get a mid-range set of these rather than the cheapies. Plan on $50 to $60 for full attackman guards, and maybe a bit less for the (near useless) elbow pad things they sell for defensemen.

As for a stick - I would suggest the Gait Icon with soft mesh as a great starter stick. Moderate pinch, moderate off-set, easy to catch and throw with. Bonus - they're cheap, and dollar for dollar are far better than any low end stick. Complete stick Icons can be had for $30 to $40 or so. I've seen the head alone for just over $20.

Please note that the tin-can shaft that comes with a complete-stick Icon is little better than useless. You'll want something better, even for low level. Best bargain in a shaft that will last a full year are the Gait/DeBeer Triax 6000s. These can be had for $20 to $30, and again, dollar for dollar it's far better than any other low-end shaft. If you find something better on sale, you might look at that.

Helmet - you can pay a tonne of money for these, so be careful. At this stage, protection is more important than looks. Get something that protects, fits comfortably, and has decent sightlines through the facemask. Gait helmet at ~$100ish might be your best buy for field lacrosse in the US....here we prefer to just use $40 hockey helmets fitted with aftermarket facemasks.

Shoulder pads, rib pads - go cheap. I'd count on $40 for each. Spend much more and you're getting hosed, they barely affect your ability to play.

[laxer41]

I just recently started and this is what I find to be perfect...
For My stick, I got a brine nitrous(very good stick) complete stick for 50$ on sale at galyans. Brine triton or spartan or something shoulder pads. around 40 $ pretty comfy. Stx arm pads 20$. Cascade Cpx helmet for 40$ on a 90$ off sale... Beat that price. Just shop around and look for deals.

[Jan]

Where on earth did you get a cpx for $40? I went to a local store & got the most comfortable and flexible equipment I could find.. the advantage being that my son could try the stuff on : Brine Trident gloves and chest/shoulder protection & Gait arm pads. The whole set cost $81. I was on the verge of getting a Cascade CLH2 helmet but I think I should ask the coach... he may want all whites/blacks etc. At $105 its not cheap & I don't want to get the wrong thing. I bought an AV8 with an AL6000 stick for myself... so I could practice with him. The consensus on this thread is between a Gait Icon (5 votes) & X2 (4 votes), but honorable mentions for Nitrous, AV8, Bionic & Revolution. I haven't heard anyone mention the Cyber, which I read somewhere else was also decent. I plan to use soccer cleats but may go for Brine. Unfortunately, the only used equipment place near us went out of business, so everything has to be new. :banghead:

[audax]

$20 soccer cleats will do fine. Kids do grow, so you'll have to get him some larger cleats later on.

[NewMilDefense28]

im basically going to have to agree with audax especailly if hes young, cleats are cleats for beginers, also i would go with a junior equipment package, just the basics, warrior as put out a decent couple in the past, it will probably include elbow,shoulder,glove,and possibly helmet

[Tex71]

you can get a good starting equpment thing from comlax for like $100 i think all of the stuff is good for a beginner. it worked out good for me

[imipono]

texlax.com has some pretty decent package deals, gait/stx/warrior..I think a full set w/helmet, pads and stick for about $200 or less. I've had good experiences with them and they can helpanswer some questions...
http://www.texlax.com/index.cfm/MenuItemID/336.htm

[Avs1103]

Jan...i actually just got an X2 for myself and its great....not putting down the icon but i have never used it, but i heard it is also good...I think the X2 will last longer bc it seems to be stronger and is a head u will be able to use at any level of play and at any position he wants to play excluding goalie obviously...My vote is the X2

[GCHSLax04]

Go with an X2 for a head, the thing will last and as he gets better if he desires more pinch, you can pinch it and will still be a pretty beastly head.

[vroom125]

I have the X2 and i love it.
You can use it for all positions (except goalie).
Amazing head for great price.

[spencerportlax5]

Get him good equipment. Don't go all out, but buy him good stuff and then he won't need anything for a while. If he is just starting, I would go with a wider head because it will be easier to catch and less frustrating. I would go with a nicer shaft, like an F-15. You won't need another shaft for a while. And it is much cheaper to buy the head, shaft, pads, and helmet separately. CLH2 is sick. It has a custom fitting device in it so it adjusts when your kid's head grows. I would go with slide-on armpads. Other than that, go to the store and let your kid try on stuff. Tell him to get what he is comfortable in. If he gets what he likes and what fits him, he won't want or need anything else.

pz

[glax13]

helmet- the cpx is awsome but is a black hole for money so go with the clh2
gloves- i started out with tridents and they were okay
shoulder pads- i use exos (stx) and they hold up very nicly
arm pads- anythins that is slip on and that is comfortable
shaft- i would go with the f-15 (ignite) but do not get a powergrip they will rip the palms out of your gloves
head- i have had an x2 for three years and i swear it is the best head i ever picked up you might want to get soft mesh though because unlike the hard mesh is gives way to the ball when it goes in the pocket
cleats- any old football cleats work for me