Benefits of Box Lacrosse

It is said that Box Lacrosse was developed in Canada in the 1920’s and 1930’s.  A common idea is that it was a way to use the unused hockey rinks of Canada during the summer.  No matter how it started, the game has evolved to a game that not only is fast and exciting, but also has proven to develop both skills and IQ and to promote creativity.  All of these qualities are now being seen in both the College and Professional levels of field lacrosse.  Princeton/Denver Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Tierney is quoted as saying “Box is a better game than field.  It just is.”

List of Benefits:

Due to the confined space and the smaller field size, players are forced to have better stick skills and to make quicker decisions.

Ball never going out of bounds leads to a faster pace of the game.

Smaller nets and bigger goalies require much more accurate shooting.

Confined space requires much more off ball acumen and teamwork than the openness of a field.

Much more offensive flow, along with the confined space, promotes creativity.

Many of the top players in both College and Professional lacrosse either started by playing box (most Canadians started this way) or began playing the game later in life and have brought those skills to the field.   Players like….

Lyle Thompson

Zach Currier

Tom Schreiber

Jeff Teat

Joey Spallina

Casey Powell

…..have all developed or refined their World Class skills in a box.

Top NCAA coaches have also said that they feel that every player should play in a box until age 12.  That would be a very hard sell to the current clientele of the game, but there is no doubt that every player should experience it and open their eyes to the possibilities.