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As much as we love lacrosse, there is no denying that coming to the sport for the first time is daunting with all the equipment you need to play.
Luckily, there are lacrosse starter kits that simplify the experience of filling out your gear bag.
A starter kit is an equipment set that almost always includes the necessary pads (shoulder, arm and gloves) and sometimes comes with a helmet and/or complete stick as well.
A starter kit tends to be cheaper than buying equipment individually and takes out the initial confusion of figuring out which gear to buy when just starting out.
This guide will break down the best youth lacrosse starter kits for you or your young player to take that exciting first step into the sport.
Best Youth Lacrosse Starter Kits
As explained above, all lacrosse starter kits are not the same. The type and amount of gear included in each set differs.
Your best option will primarily depend on what you need and how much you are willing to spend. Some teams may provide you with a helmet or gloves, or you may be one of those lucky folks with a friend or sibling that’s passing along some gear.
To play in most leagues, you will need a helmet, shoulder pads, arm guards, gloves, and a stick. There are a variety of youth lacrosse gear sets below that include different combinations of that essential gear.
Best lacrosse starter sets:
1) Maverik Charger EKG Youth Starter Set (6 Options)
What's Included
- Helmet: Cascade CS-R or CPV-R depending on set
- Stick: Maverik Charger
- Shoulder Pads: Maverik Charger EKG
- Arm Guards: Maverik Charger
- Gloves: Maverik Charger
This isn’t just one set, rather six different sets with different combinations of equipment depending on what you need.
Aside from the helmets, all of the equipment is from Maverik's popular youth Charger line.
The two full sets include everything you need to start out: a complete stick, helmet, and all the pads. The only difference is one comes with the CPV-R helmet and one comes with the CS-R helmet. These are both solid youth helmets, though we have the CPV-R rated slightly higher.
The rest of the sets include different combinations of the above equipment. If you need a helmet but no stick, there are sets that include that and vice-versa. There is also a set with just pads if you don't need either.
Overall, the Maverik Charger line is a great starter set for any young lacrosse player. The gear is protective and comes at an affordable price.
The stick included in many of the sets is also a good starting option for youth players.
Also, the shoulder pads meet the NOCSAE ND200 standard that will be required for all shoulder pads starting in 2022. This standard is meant to protect against commotio cordis—or cardiac arrest resulting in impact to the area over the heart.
Pros
- Various sets based on your needs
- Inexpensive options
- Multiple youth sizes available
- All shoulder pads meet NOCSAE ND200 Standard
Cons
- Size availability differs across the sets
- All equipment designed only for youth lacrosse
Buying Options
2) STX Boys Lacrosse Junior Starter Set
What's Included
- Stick: STX Stallion 200 A/M Complete
- Shoulder Pads: STX Stallion 200+
- Arm Guards: STX Stallion 200
- Gloves: STX Stallion 200 Gloves
Even in the starter kit game, STX lives up to its name and spares nothing in terms of quality. The Junior Starter Set is perfect for an older aspiring player (up through Junior High) to start out with.
The kit includes a great complete stick made up of the Stallion 200 head with an STX 6000 series alloy handle. This is the kind of stick that you can continue to use and will last beyond your youth leagues, into high school thanks to its durability.
The protective gear—including the Stallion 200 shoulder pads, arm pads, and gloves—meets regulatory standards making this a safe option for younger players that will last as they grow.
Given the quality, this set is extremely affordable and gives you the best bang for your buck. I highly recommend this for a slightly older or bigger child entering the game.
Pros
- Best complete stick on the list
- High quality pads modeled after the Stallion 500 series
- Affordable set especially for the quality
- Stick meets HS regulations
- Recent equipment model (released January 2020)
Cons
- Padding of gloves reduces mobility
3) STX Stallion 75 Boys Lacrosse Youth Starter Set
What's Included
- Stick: Stallion 200 Youth Complete
- Shoulder Pads: Stallion 75
- Arm Guards: Stallion 75
- Gloves: Stallion 75
This is a smaller version of the STX Junior Set listed above, with sizes meant for the youngest players just starting out in the game.
The kit includes a Stallion 200 Youth Complete Stick. Its smaller body allows for greater control in a younger player’s hands, helping them develop the comfort and confidence in their fundamentals that will pay dividends as they grow.
The protective gear—including Stallion 75 series shoulder pads, arm pads, and gloves—meets protective standards and provides maximum coverage to a smaller player.
Although the stick that comes with this set isn’t legal for high school play, the equipment set, in general, is a great entry point to the game and relatively affordable.
It also is a great way to gain exposure to STX gear—one of the most respected brands in the game.
Pros
- Smaller stick for better control
- High quality protective gear
- Affordable set for the quality
- Recent equipment model (released January 2020)
Cons
- Smaller stick does not meet HS rules
4) Maverik LX Women's Lacrosse Starter Package
What's Included
- Stick: Maverik Vertigo Complete Stick
- Bag: Maverik Backpack w/ Stick Holder
- Headgear: Cascade LX Headgear
The first girls' lacrosse starter set on our list is the Maverik LX Women's Lacrosse Starter Package.
What sets this set apart from other options is that it comes with Cascade's LX Headgear—a hybrid between girls' lacrosse goggles and a full helmet that provides more protection.
If you are worried about your daughter getting hit in the face while learning to play, this headgear is a great solution. Even though it is bulkier than goggles, it is actually pretty lightweight and comfortable.
Aside from the headgear, this set comes with the Maverik Vertigo Complete Stick and a backpack with a stick holder.
The Vertigo stick is designed for youth players but has enough advanced features that it can be used for intermediate play too.
Overall, this is a great, protective set that beginners can use while learning to play and for years to come.
Pros
- Versatile stick designed for youth players
- Comes w/ more protective headgear instead of goggles
Cons
- A bit more expensive than other options
5) STX Lacrosse Exult 200 Starter Set (Girls)
What's Included
- Stick: STX Exult 200 Youth Complete Stick w/ Crux Mesh Pocket
- Stick bag: STX Essential Stick Bag
- Goggles: STX 4Sight+ Goggle
STX makes our list of the best starter sets again—this time for the girls’ game.
The Exult Starter Set is a perfect introductory kit to the game for your young child and includes everything needed to get started playing girls lacrosse.
The STX Exult 200 complete stick meets competitive standards with a length of 43 inches. It is specifically designed to be ultra-lightweight for easy ball handling for your first-time player.
The STX 4Sight+ goggle is high quality with a sweat-resistant design that also meets ASTM F3077 requirements for women’s lacrosse goggles.
To bring it all together, STX throws in a bag that your child can continue to use even after they grow beyond the stick and goggles.
Pros
- Stick designed for easy handling
- Well-strung head
- Great customer reviews
Cons
- Lower quality shaft compared to other STX models
Lacrosse Starter Kit Buying Guide
Now that you know the best starter kits on the market, you may be wondering which one to pick for you or your child. Well, we have you covered with some things to consider when choosing which gear set to go with.
1) What Equipment You Need
Always keep in mind what lacrosse gear for kids is essential to making it out onto the field: a helmet, shoulder pads, arm guards, gloves, and a stick for boys and goggles and a girls stick for the ladies. If you don’t have any of these items, you won’t be playing in most leagues.
If you are joining a new team, keep in mind that they may provide you with some of this gear. Most competitive teams will provide a helmet and potentially gloves for your use as part of their uniform. Before buying an equipment set, check with your team to see what (if anything) is provided.
Depending upon what you’re provided, you may want to adjust your kit choice for what you still need from the essentials in order to play.
2) Fit
We cannot overstate the importance of finding the correct, comfortable fit for your young player’s equipment. A proper pad and helmet fit promotes the mobility and—more importantly—safety of your child.
Most of the products listed in this post include a size guide so that you can find the best fit for your child. We suggest going with a different set if your desired kit does not include the appropriate size.
3) Stick
Most of the sets listed above include a complete stick, however, all are not equal in quality or skill level. Some sticks on this list feature a shorter, lighter build that helps with easier ball handling for beginners. Other options include sturdier handles and high school-legal heads that are durable enough to survive higher, more physical tiers of competitive lacrosse.
The difference between the STX Junior and Youth sets highlights the difference between kits. The Junior kit comes with an STX 6000 series handle that is easily the highest quality shaft on this list and a head with a narrower face that caters to more advanced players. The Youth set’s Stallion 50 is a shorter beginner stick with a lighter frame that would not hold up (or be legal) at the high school level.
It can help to read reviews of the complete stick, or even the individual head and shaft included, to get a better idea of the quality of it and who each is good for.
4) Weight
As you are exposed more and more to the game, you will develop a comfort level and preference when it comes to something like the weight of your equipment. As with all things, the lighter the weight, the more vulnerable it or you are to breaking.
Lighter sticks give the user more control, but the right check or fall could easily send you back to the market for a new shaft or head. Heavier sticks, on the other hand, may be hard for youth players to control, possibly limiting their development.
It’s important that you strike an appropriate balance depending upon your age, size, position, and style of play.
For example, defensive players often prefer heavier sticks so they can check other players without having to worry about them breaking. A midfielder may want to go light on his shaft with a sturdier head to withstand the pressure of face-offs or the inevitable ground ball scrum between the boxes. An attackman may value an all-around lighter stick for quick releases at the crease.
5) Customer Reviews
Read customer reviews (like we’ve done to create this guide) to get a better idea of the quality of the sets you are considering.
Who better to learn from than the people who already bought the product? Reviews can be invaluable in finding information that may not be included in the product listing.
Things like fit, comfort, and safety all often are mentioned in customer reviews. Does the stick break easily? Do the gloves fit a little tightly? Do the arm guards often slide down?
If any issues like these arise, it’s likely that someone wrote about them in the customer reviews.
6) Budget
This article started by stating how daunting the entry to lacrosse can be. Beyond the gear confusion, the cost is definitely another shock to many new lax parents.
For a younger player starting out, it is best to budget for your child according to their initial interest in the sport. If this is just a trial run, maybe it’s better to go with a cheaper kit.
However, always keep in mind that the cheaper the set, the shorter the life expectancy of your equipment. It may cost you more, in the long run, to have to upgrade or replace your cheaper gear as you continue your lacrosse journey.
How We Rate Lacrosse Starter Sets
We take our ratings seriously and only recommend products that we would use ourselves.
To come up with our ratings for each product, we test the product ourselves whenever possible, review product specifications (weight, materials used, etc.), and read customer reviews/talk to lacrosse players we know that use the product.
For lacrosse starter sets, we consider the quality of each individual piece included in the set. Since these sets mostly include lacrosse gear for kids and younger children, we place an emphasis on how protective the equipment is.
If you ever have any feedback for any of the products listed on this page or have a recommended addition, please contact us and let us know!
Other Products to Consider
There are many great lacrosse products that can help improve your or your child's game. Here are some guides that go over our top picks:
- Best Youth & Beginner Lacrosse Sticks
- Best Lacrosse Backpacks
- Best Lacrosse Gloves
- Best Lacrosse Arm Pads
- Best Lacrosse Shoulder Pads
- Best Lacrosse Rib Pads
- Where to Buy Cheap Lacrosse Balls
- Best Lacrosse Goals
- Best Portable Lacrosse Goals
- Best Lacrosse Rebounders
- Best Complete Lacrosse Sticks
- Best Lacrosse Heads
- Best Lacrosse Shafts
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