Women's Equipment:
Stick / Eye Protection / Gloves / Jock & Cup / Cleats
Stick
Pictured Above - DeBeer Trinity Women's Stick($40-$50 US)
There are only slightly less women's lacrosse sticks than men's, but the concept is the same, each player prefers a different stick and style of play. The nuances of lacrosse allow for each person, even using the same equipment, to develop a different way of using the stick.
Women's lacrosse sticks seem far more delicate than men's, this is due, in part, to the narrower shaft of the stick. There is no contact in women's lacrosse, therefore the stick doesn't have to be made to withstand the same amount of abuse as a men's stick. The lack of stick checking and body contact also removes the need to cradle the ball in the pocket of the stick, which is why women's sticks do not have pockets that readily cradle the ball.
As with men's sticks, the materials for the construction are similar. Heads are constructed primarily of strong plastic, some are very flexible, others can be very stiff. The shafts are usually metal, although there also fiberglass and composite versions available. Until recently it was still possible to use a "woodie", which was a stick made entirely of wood, in which the shaft, and head were of one single piece. The left wall of the stick was open, almost like a question mark, and the opening and pocket were strung with a tight, synthetic woven wall and pocket. The choice of stick is a personal choice, and price has little to do with the final performance of any given stick. Women's sticks have much more strict guidelines in the makeup and materials of the pocket, which requires the stringer to pay closer attention to what goes into the pocket.
Eye Protection
Above STX 4 Sight + ($55-$70 US)
Due to the danger of lacrosse balls being thrown around, and the sticks often being at head height, eye protection must be worn in women's lacrosse. Eye protection is fairly simple and straightforward, it must protect the face and eyes from impact from the ball, as well as prevent any part of the stick from making contact with a player's eyes. The above model is a good example of the simplicity in design. Along with eye protection, a mouth guard must also be worn. The mouth guard is usually a simple piece of equipment, meant to fit between the teeth when biting down, and to protect the front of the upper teeth as well. The mouth guard not only protects against tooth damage, but also aids in the prevention of concussive head damage.
Gloves
Above Shock Doctor Women's Lacrosse Gloves ($20-$25 US)
Gloves are essential in women's lacrosse. Even with the lack of intentional contact, it's likely that hands will get bumped and hit with the stick or ball. Women's gloves aren't required to guard from the same amount of abuse as men's gloves, and hence are not nearly as cumbersome. Women's gloves need only to prevent damage from simple impacts, and so the padding is much thinner and is sewn in to a simple glove that covers only the front and back of the hand.
Jock/Athletic Supporter
Every sport that can result in impact damage to the groin at least makes a strong argument for the use of a cup, even for women.
Cleats
Above Reebok Wippet Low Women's Lacrosse Cleat ($60-$75 US)
Cleats used for lacrosse can range from lacrosse specific to soccer cleats. The choice of what cleats to use depends entirely on the fields you will be playing at. Many fields nowadays are new turf fields, which allow for a much smaller and less aggressive cleat style. The cleats on the top right are standard cleats, you can see the larger more agressive cleat pattern than turf cleats would have. Regular plastic cleats can be used on turf, but the extra hard plastic, and metal cleats used in baseball should never be used on turf, or on a lacrosse field, metal cleats can hurt. If you play on grass fields even half the time, it's always good to invest in a pair of standard grass cleats such as the ones above, or similar soccer cleats. Turf cleats are functional on grass fields, but grass doesn't have nearly the same traction as turf, and requires a bit more bite, especially in thick, well maintained fields. Larger grass cleats also allow better traction in mud, and clear the clumps more easily than turf shoes. As for cleat ankle height, such as low, mid or full, it's a preference thing. If you like low ankled running shoes, then you'll probably prefer a low cleat. If your ankles turn a lot, then a higher lacing shoe is probably more fitting.
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