Before any lacrosse game or practice, it is important that you do a proper warmup in order to prevent any injury or sluggishness.
Today I want to give you a complete breakdown of the best lacrosse warmup in order to get you physically and mentally ready to play the sport of lacrosse. TIP: take pride in your warmup. It can be the difference between being good and great. Let’s get into it!
Stretching Warmup
The first part of any lacrosse warmup should start with stretching. I remember I used to overlook stretching when I played lacrosse, but I could have prevented dozens of ankle twists or muscle strains if I would have been more focused on stretching.
Most trainers I have spoken to advise doing a dynamic warmup where you move as you stretch as opposed to static stretching where you stand still.
Every lacrosse team that I have been a part of does dynamic warmups, but just in case yours does not, here is a great dynamic warm up routine for lacrosse players:
Open the Gate/Close the Gate: This exercise is wonderful for stretching out your hip flexors. To do this exercise, imagine there’s a gate in front of you. Step over the gate with one leg while keeping your other foot on the ground. Then do a reverse motion.
Chop Your Feet: As a lacrosse player, you will do many explosive movements throughout a game, so I like chopping my feet to start feeling that explosion. Try to take as many steps as possible while being on your toes.
Frankensteins: Straighten your legs and kick them as high as you can. You will definitely feel this one in your hamstrings.
Lacrosse Warmup:
After you have stretched, it is important to “warm up” your lacrosse skills before going right into drills.
Before practice or a game, try to go hit the wall for 5 minutes to make sure that your stick is completely dialed in. You want to make sure you are hitting the same spot on the wall and feeling good about your accuracy.
After wall ball, find time to pass with a partner. I personally like passing with the same teammate before every practice and game. Ask them to throw a few bad passes to you, as you want to simulate what would happen in a game.
By this point, you should be feeling loose and ready to go for the final step of the warmup.
Mental Warmup:
Most lacrosse players have the physical warmup down well, but one area many players lack is the mental side of things. If you can start mastering the mental game now, you will be a completely different lacrosse player.
Before I play lacrosse, I like to practice visualization. This is when you picture in your mind what will happen before it actually does.
In lacrosse, you can visualize what it will be like to throw a ball, or dodge against a certain defender, or make a pass. It does not have to be complicated, but I would recommend you take 2-3 minutes to get yourself in the proper mental state to play lacrosse.
Remember, playing lacrosse is a privilege. We are all so lucky to be able to play this game, and we should be honored whenever we have the opportunity to put on our pads and play.
Lacrosse Warmup Tips:
The most important aspect of a lacrosse warmup is to make sure you are feeling comfortable and ready. Find out what works for you and stick to it. Maybe visualization isn’t your thing, but you love wall ball. Maybe you like to static stretch before a game because it makes you feel more flexible.
Happy playing!