Why Is Lacrosse the Best Sport in the World?

The speed of soccer, the hands of basketball and the stick skills of hockey, all in one game. Here are six reasons lacrosse is the best sport you can play.

Most outdoor sports use a ball, but each has its own rules, style and feel. Lacrosse is different. It blends three games into one: the running endurance of soccer, the hand-eye coordination of basketball for passing and catching, and the formations and stick handling of hockey. And that's not the only reason it's the best sport.

You get the benefits and experience of several sports in one. It's also the oldest sport in North America, with deep Indigenous roots, and it's still one of the fastest-growing team sports in North America.

Plenty of athletes who starred in other sports grew up playing lacrosse, like Pat Spencer, who went from Loyola lacrosse star to the NBA, Chris Hogan, who played in the NFL, and Jordan Faison, who has played both football and lacrosse at Notre Dame. Paul Rabil has talked about what the game builds in people, too (watch here). There's a reason lacrosse is called the Creator's Game.

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Overview: why lacrosse is the best sport

Here are six reasons that should convince you to pick up a stick and give it a try:

1. It builds muscle strength because it uses so many different movements.
2. It has fewer serious injuries than other major contact sports.
3. It's great for your heart, with constant running and sprinting.
4. It sharpens your decision-making, because the game moves so fast.
5. It builds discipline through tough training.
6. It relieves stress and boosts your mental health through goals, wins and the bond with your teammates.

Lacrosse improves muscle strength

Doctors and trainers often recommend sports for building muscle strength. But a lot of sports only work a specific group of muscles.

Lacrosse isn't just legs or just hands. You use almost every major muscle group. Your shoulders and rotator cuff work when you cradle, and your quads and hamstrings power your shooting and dodging.

Because you're moving in so many different ways, you're less likely to overuse one set of muscles, which cuts down the risk of strains and injuries.

Lacrosse also works as cross-training, improving your overall muscle balance and coordination. It builds lower-body strength so you can generate power from different angles. That's one of the big reasons lacrosse is the best sport for building strength and endurance.

Here are the main movements, the muscles they use and the benefits.

Lacrosse is safer than other contact sports

Contact sports are great for building balance, reflexes and the ability to read a play before you react. You develop instincts for staying on your feet and protecting yourself when you take a hit. But they also come with injury risk.

Most sports injuries aren't life-threatening, but they can still keep you off the field. The good news is that serious injuries are less common in lacrosse than in some other contact sports. Canadian injury surveillance data (CHIRPP), as cited by Ontario lacrosse programs, shows lacrosse with fewer injuries than hockey, rugby and football, and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine tracks high school lacrosse injury rates that come in well below football.

Unlike football, lacrosse has strict rules about checking and hitting, and women's lacrosse doesn't allow body checking at all. Players also wear helmets, gloves and pads to cut down on impact injuries, and fitting a helmet properly is one of the best ways to protect against concussions.

If you're looking for a sport for your kid, lacrosse is a great choice with less risk of serious injury than many contact sports. For more, check out this research on lacrosse injuries.

Read more: How to play lacrosse

Lacrosse is good for cardiovascular health

Lacrosse means constant running, and that builds a stronger heart. All that footwork boosts your endurance and conditioning, and regular exercise like this lowers your risk factors for heart disease.

Sprinting also gets your heart pumping more blood through your body, delivering more oxygen to your muscles and organs.

Over time, that improves your stamina and conditioning, so you're less likely to get winded climbing stairs or running long distances.

Read more: How long is a lacrosse game?

Lacrosse improves decision-making skills

Lacrosse is a team sport, and it punishes selfish, impulsive plays. As the saying goes, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." That teamwork is another reason lacrosse is the best sport.

The game is all about strategy and calculated risks, and the results of your decisions show up right away: a goal or a miss. So players learn to anticipate their opponent's moves, read the flow of the game and react.

For example, a smart middie won't charge blindly into a double team. You decide in a split second whether to dodge, pass or shoot, knowing your choice could mean a goal or a turnover. That builds real thinking skills: reading the situation, making a plan and acting with a clear head.

Read more: Rules of lacrosse

Lacrosse builds discipline through tough training

Lacrosse takes a lot of physical and mental discipline. From the first day of practice, players learn the importance of consistency, showing up on time and giving full effort. Tough training builds habits that last well beyond the field.

On my first day of practice, my coach told us not to miss a single practice, because "showing up is half the battle."

We had to be on the field by 5 a.m. every morning, rain or shine. Anybody who's done early-morning spring practice in upstate New York knows what that feels like. That routine built a foundation of discipline that's helped me in all parts of life.

That's why lacrosse is the best sport for building disciplined, active habits. It teaches you to show up on time, whether it's an early class or a job interview, and to stay consistent instead of putting things off.

Coach's note: The best way to find out if your kid loves lacrosse is to put a stick in their hands and find a wall. A youth stick and a few balls cost less than a season of most travel sports, and you'll know in a week.

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Read more: Lacrosse positions

Lacrosse offers stress relief and mental well-being

Lacrosse is one of the best sports for relieving stress and boosting your mental health. The intensity of the game releases endorphins, your body's natural mood boosters, which help lower anxiety and stress.

The focus and strategy the game demands also give you a mental escape. You have to act fast but think clearly, not on impulse, and that helps you stay calm and level-headed.

The best bonds are made on the field.

Some people box to blow off steam. Lacrosse burns off stress in a way that leaves you calmer, and it lets you set your worries aside and lose yourself in the game for a while.

The teamwork and friendships that come with it build a strong sense of belonging and support. As a lacrosse player, I can tell you the best bonds are made on the field.

A good lacrosse locker room is a supportive place where you can share your struggles and your wins, and that builds resilience and helps your mental health.

Read more: What is offside in lacrosse?

People also ask

Compared to many contact sports, lacrosse gives you more benefits with less risk of serious injury. It sharpens your decision-making and reading of situations, builds strength and conditioning, and helps your mental health. The habits you build on the field stick with you long after your last game.