Maine Premier Lacrosse

One of the best pieces of advice ever given to me by a coach was The Footwear Difference, which states that: No matter what surface your game is scheduled on, bring footwear that is appropriate for any and all surfaces.

There are several reasons behind this motto. What if you are playing on a natural grass field that is known for being a dry field Turf Shoe

with a lot of dirt spots and you plan on molded cleats being the ideal footwear? You warm up, feet are feeling good, and suddenly the skies become gray and pour down on you, rendering the once Dust Bowl field now the Mud Bowl. It is only a matter of time until the mud is caked on your cleats and you’re trying to ice skate to the goal like Snoopy in a Christmas special.

How about this scenario? Big night playoff game against your rival at their place, which is usually astro turf. You pack your Air Iverson-Dwayne Wade-Kobe-Lebron hoop shoes because they look cool and grip well and provide nice support on a fast surface. On the bus ride over your coach gets a call from the school’s athletic director letting him know that the game has been moved to the old grass field as the lights are not working on the turf field. So now it’s the middle of the 2nd quarter, you can’t stay on your feet every time your man split dodges, and your mom is setting a new land speed record trying to get you your cleats that you were sure you wouldn’t need.

The lesson: venues change and you can never be too prepared with respect to gear. And in the sport called The Fastest Game on Two Feet, footwear may be your most important piece of gear in your arsenal. Pack the extra couple of pounds in your lax bag and leave the ice skating to Snoopy!