Let Them Play: A Simple, Fun Lacrosse Game for Young Beginners
Lacrosse isn’t about chasing scholarships or building highlight reels—at least not when your kid is barely big enough to hold the stick. At this stage, it’s about movement, friendships, and the sheer joy of running wild on a field with a group of other kids. If they don’t love it now, they’ll never stick around long enough to become great. So forget the rigid drills, the nonstop corrections, and the pressure to play "the right way." Let them play, and let them fall in love with the game first.
A Game Built for Fun and Learning
You want kids to get exercise, make friends, and pick up a few life lessons along the way? This is how you do it. Keep it simple:
Two goals, opposite ends of the field.
No goalies.
When a team scores, the defense grabs the ball and takes it the other way—no stoppages, no whistles.
Only one real rule: Stay safe. No checking, no wild swings.
That’s it. No offsides, no over-complicated plays, no adults micromanaging every move. Just kids running, passing, missing, laughing, scoring. And learning, without even realizing it.
Let Kids Learn by Playing
Young kids don’t learn sports through lectures. They learn by moving, experimenting, and yes—failing. Kinesthetic learning means figuring it out on their own, not stopping every two minutes for a lecture about hand placement. Too much coaching? It kills the fun. Let them get their reps in, and they’ll develop coordination, instincts, and confidence all on their own.
Think about how toddlers learn to walk. Nobody stops them after every stumble to adjust their footwork. They fall, get up, and try again. Same thing with lacrosse. Let them play, let them figure it out, and they’ll improve—because they want to, not because they’re being told to.
Building a Love for Lacrosse
If the game feels like a chore, kids will quit before they ever get good. If they love it, they’ll keep coming back. And that’s the only way they’ll ever have a shot at greatness. So forget about teaching them the perfect dodge or the ideal pass right now. Give them an environment where they can just enjoy the game. The skills will come, but only if they want to stick around long enough to learn them.
The Role of Coaches and Parents: Chill Out
If you’re a coach or parent, fight the urge to bark instructions every five seconds. Let the game be the teacher.
Encourage, don’t overcorrect – Praise the hustle, not the perfection.
Let them problem-solve – Missed pass? Bad shot? They’ll figure it out in time.
Keep it light – If they leave the field smiling, you’ve done your job.
Conclusion: Play First, Greatness Later (Maybe)
Lacrosse glory might come later. Or it might not. But here’s one guarantee: If your kid doesn’t love the game now, they won’t be playing long enough for any of that to matter. Start with fun, exercise, and friendships. The stick skills, game IQ, and highlight-worthy plays? Those come later, if at all.
So toss the ball out, let them run, and let them play. That’s how you grow a lifelong love for lacrosse—and maybe, just maybe, a great player too.
