Summer ball just wrapped, school starts in a couple of weeks, and fall ball rosters are already going up. That bag sitting in your garage took a beating through June and July, and most of what is in it has not been touched since the last tournament. This back-to-school lacrosse gear checklist walks through what to inspect, what to replace, and what to buy before the first fall practice. Everything on the list is in stock at SportStop.com.
Your Back-to-School Lacrosse Gear Check Starts With Protection
Pull the pads out and put your hands on them. Squeeze the shoulder cap foam and the back-of-hand padding on your gloves. If the foam stays compressed instead of springing back, it is not absorbing anything anymore. Check every strap for stretched elastic and every seam for split stitching.
The STX Stallion 450 Lacrosse Shoulder Pads are a staff pick that cover chest and shoulder without slowing your dodges. The Maverik Max Lacrosse Arm Pads are a staff pick built for middies who take pokes and slashes all game. The Warrior Franchise LT Lacrosse Gloves give you a lighter shell with padding that holds through a full fall season.
Check Your Stick Before the First Whistle
Summer heat and humidity wreck a pocket. Run your hand along the length of your shaft and feel for dents or a rattle where the head meets the throat. Then press a ball into the pocket. If the mesh has gone soft and the ball sits too deep, you are fighting your own stick on releases.
Fresh mesh is the cheapest fix on this list. The ECD Hero 4.0 7D Semi-Soft Lacrosse Mesh Stringing Piece is a staff pick that holds its shape through wet fall practices, and it ships same day from SportStop.com.
Cleats and the Small Stuff Nobody Packs
Flip your cleats over and look at the studs. Rounded tips and worn heel lugs mean you slide on cuts, and fall fields go soft fast. The mouthguard is the other easy miss, since most players are still chewing on the one they wore in July.
The New Balance Freeze V5 White Lacrosse Cleats are a great value with a stud pattern that bites on grass. The SISU NextGen Aero Large Mouthguard is a staff pick thin enough to talk through on the field.
Finish Your Back-to-School Lacrosse Gear List With the Bag
The bag is the piece everyone ignores until a zipper blows out in the parking lot. Check the wheels, the shoulder strap stitching, and whether the stick sleeve still holds two shafts without tearing. Run the zipper the full length of the main compartment a few times and watch for teeth that skip or separate behind the pull.
The Warrior Black Hole Lacrosse Equipment Bag is a staff pick with room for a full protective setup plus cleats.
Get Fall-Ball-Ready at SportStop.com
Knock out these checks this week and you walk into the first practice with gear you trust. Browse the full men's lacrosse protective gear collection at SportStop.com. Free shipping on orders over $99 and same-day shipping when you order by 2:00 PM EST Monday through Friday.
