November 18, 2011
Cool gift ideas for young lacrosse players
by Whitney Jaffe/
New 'performance socks' from deBeer/Gait are like compression shorts for your feet - and make a great 'socking' stuffer.
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Winter is a cool time to find what’s hot for the holidays and beyond, and there’s no shortage of gift ideas for the special laxer in your life.
In fact, there are now so many choices that it’s almost easier to come up with something lame than great; for you laxers, that means it may be best if you find the right gift yourself, then make sure your loved ones know about it.
Whether it’s the latest T-shirts and shorts designed to unique jewelry, funky socks and eye-catching lax swag, the gift possibilities are endless. And that’s before someone drops serious coin on a new spoon or some steezy high-end pads and helmets.
As a fellow player and the daughter of New England Lacrosse Journal’s editor, I see a lot of what’s out there, and I’m always on the lookout for fun stuff.
Here’s what has caught my eyes for this holiday season (hint, hint, Dad):
Clothing
Clothes don’t make the player, but they do set the mood … and there are plenty of ways to show your attitude.
A real hot ticket for this holiday season is a take on Bob Marley’s “One Love.” Rasta-themed shirts, shorts, hoodies and socks are not only bright in color, but ooze cool factor. Onelovelax.com seems to have the best-looking options — their stuff is really sweet — bringing together the One Love idea with the Jamaican national colors red, yellow, green and black.
Shirts with fun and creative sayings on them never go out of style.
For girls, it might be “Don’t let the skirt fool you” or “Pretty in pink, wicked in uniform.” Girls won’t find any better selection than at Longstreth.com. For boys — and some more cute stuff for the ladies — check Bruczilla.net.
You can’t prep for next summer’s tournaments without the sweetest pair of shades, so look at www.manbrobroman.com, a Web site that also has T-shirts (aimed mostly at men) and high-quality shades at relatively inexpensive prices.
And don’t forget that the best thing about lacrosse clothing is that it also can be a conversation starter. What high school senior — or stud junior or underclassman — doesn’t want to rep the new school they’ll be playing at for the next four years? As a recent commit to Pfeiffer University, I’m super stoked to get Pfeiffer lax gear (Go Falcons!). It’s not the same as getting a T-shirt on a visit; if your favorite players have picked a school, get them the best and coolest lax shirt so they can fly the colors now.
Lastly, let’s not forget about the socking stuffers, and that’s no typo. Lacrosse socks from companies such as Adrenaline Movement are a fun and cool way to show your style. They have a huge selection of colors and styles for guys and girls. If you have grown tired of the colorful socks, then try the new “performance socks” from deBeer/Gait. They’re like compression shorts for your feet; your feet will thank you, especially during and after long tournament days.
Accessories
Players need and want it all for themselves, but this is where you get ideas for your lax mom and dad. Whether its coffee mugs, beach towels, hats to beat the summer sun, or hot sauce to kick up the heat, Lacrossenation.com is a must-see.
If you’re looking for something way out there for mom or dad — like a Christmas-tree ornament, bookmark, pill box or business-card holder with a lacrosse look — go to KyleDesigns.com and search “lacrosse.”
Accessories also add a hint of lacrosse to an everyday outfit, most notably through jewelry. Last year, for example, my father got me a necklace charm with a heart and crossed sticks in the middle; I always wore it game day (had to take it off to play), a nice way to show my love for the game, without being overbearing.
For jewelry and other nasty accessories, I suggest the “gift ideas” section at Lax.com; the site not only has some really saucy bling but also has ties, stickers and training tools. Lacrossespecialties.com is another place to look for really pretty jewelry (for guys, too!).
Lax gear
While every kid loves a fresh spoon, think about training tools instead. A “Lax Wall” — a rebounder or “bounce back” that’s heavy enough to work with lacrosse balls — or something like the CradleMaster (cradlemasterstore.com) could be more beneficial to your game than cool swag (even though it’s extremely important to establish your swag style from a young age).
I’m just saying, think outside the realm of the usual gift ideas, and check out new tools, too; they don’t seem to make the Sure-Throw any more, but it was a training tool that really helped me develop a left hand. They don’t make the weights I once had on an extra stick any more, but they helped me develop strength and power in my shot. There are still companies making weights to be added to a stick, you’ll just have to dig to find them.
When it comes to game gear, consider whether you should let the recipient pick it. There’s no denying that lacrosse sticks are the best gift ever, but only if the player loves not only how the stick looks in the store but also how it plays in their own hands. If you’re not sure you’ve got the right stick, tell your player they have a certain amount of money to spend on a stick, and let them pick it out.
Kids, if you don’t think your parents will do it this way, go to the store, fool around with the sticks and then tell them exactly the handle, head, stringing and everything you want. And if you want new armor or a cool lid, make sure they know the specifics.
Mouthguards
Everyone I know with a custom mouthguard loves it. You breathe easier, you can talk with it in; the better you breathe, the longer and harder you can play.
But parents see their kids lose cheap mouthguards all the time, so they don’t want to buy the expensive ones. So go to your grandparents, if you have to, and show them that big smile that you want to protect, and then send them an ad from Shock Doctor or Gladiator (or give them your dentist’s phone number if you have to); believe me, once you have a custom mouthguard, you’ll work hard never to lose it, because going back to store-bought plastic would make you gag.
Tickets
I’m bummed that the Boston Blazers are gone, but that just gives fans a reason to go to more Boston Cannons games, especially with the team celebrating its first championship. How cool is that! Season tickets already are on sale, and they’ll look good under the tree.
And speaking of celebrating championships, the biggest event in lacrosse is the NCAA men’s championships, and they’ll be at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass., over Memorial Day weekend. You should plan to be there, whether it’s for a day or the whole weekend. It’s the hottest ticket in lacrosse, so getting yours in time for the holidays means you’ll be excited for months about the great seats you’ve got.
Now get busy shopping, everybody, and Merry Laxmas!
This article originally appeared in the November-December 2011 issue of New England Lacrosse Journal.
Whitney Jaffe can be reached at feedback@laxjournal.com
