The moment a child picks up a lacrosse stick, he or she is entering a marathon, not a 100 meter sprint.
A lacrosse stick should be used to bring joy, happiness, life lessons, history, confidence, respect, and opportunity to children. It shouldn’t be used to bring pain, fear, arrogance, and a lack of personal growth.
When parents and coaches alike approach children’s lacrosse careers as if it’s a sprint, nobody wins. Players lose interest in the game, grow to resent the sport, lack a sense of accomplishment, and constantly feel a fear of missing out.
The days of competing for championships, 3 hour practices, 2-a-days will eventually come. But, not if children are exposed to this mentally at such an early age. Their High School and/or college coaches will demand a tremendous amount of time and energy. But, not if that childhood prospect is completely burned out from the sport by the time they make it to HS. Top coaches and trainers will push players to the limits in order to achieve competitive greatness. Sacrifices will be made. Lessons learned. But, not if children are pushed too far too early in their lives.
It’s our duty as parents and youth coaches to know this is a long road. If playing at the highest level in lacrosse is something your child wants, approach it with the big picture in mind. Let your child learn different aspects of the game one step at a time. Don’t cut corners and your child will get the best possible opportunity to decide if achieving competitive greatness is something they truly want. Ultimately, It’s their decision. Parents and coaches just need to guide, support, teach, and keep things in perspective.
