I'll periodically answer questions from readers about lacrosse sticks and gear. Here we go ...

Question: My son is 10 years old, four to five feet tall, and is signed up to play lacrosse for the first time this spring. He’s quite athletic, (he's played tackle football for three years, basketball for five, baseball for five, skied for seven, and water-skied for two). I don't have any concerns about him playing the game, but I have any clue about acquiring the right equipment. What length of stick is appropriate? In addition to a helmet and shoulder pads, what other equipment should I purchase for him? - Lois

Lois,

He’ll need a standard offense stick -- the short one (defensive sticks are like six feet long). The offense sticks are about 41 inches long but they are sold at the right size so you don’t have to worry about that. At age 10 he does not need a kid’s stick or "mini stick." The league may let you cut the shaft shorter and have its own rules about length but I recommend getting used to the real stick at age 10.

His helmet may be provided by the program. Be careful not to buy one before you know. A lot of lax kids have an old helmet in their closet that was never used ‘cause Mom bought one for them on that first provisional mission, but the first team they played for and every team since had specific helmets and they were provided (sometimes its a rental or deposit situation). If you do buy one before knowing, get white.

Get shoulder pads with some type of upper chest protection and some arm pads that are not too big, as the shoulder pad has an arm section, too. Lots of little kids are "over-padded" and play like it. He’s a football kid so he’ll tell you or adjust if he feels vulnerable or is getting hurt in a spot when checked.

He will need gloves but sometimes they are also provided as a uniform color may be needed. Even if you have to buy them, a team may require blue or green gloves so just ask before spending on the kid’s favorite color. Otherwise, go crazy on color and stuff because soon enough he’ll never get to choose that again. He needs a cup but probably already has one, playing baseball and football. If not, he definitely needs one for lacrosse.

Football cleats are probably fine and the basketball shorts and tanks are what I wore to practice every day. You can go crazy on the Under Armour but you don’t have to. I was raised by a single mom who, fortunately, did not have all of the apparel accessories to consider back in the 80’s. Some of the best lacrosse players I know today still show up at practice with pro teams wearing a tank top or T-shirt and a pair of shorts from any sport.

OK, so now you are ready to outfit him, but here’s the kick-start he needs for success, a tiny bit of advice for him. Find a brick wall that can be walked (or run) to on a daily basis and spend at least a half hour a day throwing the ball against that wall to yourself. It’s called wall work and it is THE difference between good and mediocre players after two years of play. The greats all did at least one hour a day for a lifetime. It’s fun anyway but it is the key to early success. Believe me, playing lacrosse well is so much more fun than playing it kinda well. Have fun and welcome to the game!