Surprising Benefits of Lacrosse For Soccer Players

Spring sports are here and lacrosse is a popular option for kids to play. In our area, many kids play lacrosse in the spring and soccer in the fall.

If you play competitive soccer for a club, can you play both? What are the benefits of splitting the seasons?

This is what I’ll answer in this article.

Should I Play Soccer and Lacrosse?

This is a tricky question to answer since I don’t know your personal situation. But, here’s my take…

Yes – if you love both sports and your schedule allows it. You can play soccer in the fall and soccer AND lacrosse in the spring. I’ve known many kids who have done this. But, they usually pick one sport per season after 8th grade since it becomes too much to manage.

You shouldn’t play both sports if you don’t like either of them. Why waste your precious time doing something you don’t enjoy?

Now, let’s dig into some benefits of playing lacrosse.

How Does Lacrosse Physically Help in Soccer?

Not only is lacrosse an exciting and fast-paced game, but it also offers a range of health benefits.

Cardiovascular Improvement

Lacrosse involves a lot of running and sprinting, which can help improve your cardiovascular health.

Lacrosse is like soccer in ways. Many players will have to cover a lot of distance. There are also stop-and-go situations which makes it important for players to be in good shape.

At the end of the day playing lacrosse can help soccer players stay fit after the winter weight stacks up.

Agility and Flexibility

Lacrosse requires a lot of quick movements, such as sprinting, dodging, and changing direction.

These movements can help improve your agility and flexibility, making you a more well-rounded athlete.

Moreso than soccer, lacrosse requires players to bend and twist a lot. These movements can benefit soccer players in a big way.

Muscle Development

Playing lacrosse can help you build lean muscle mass throughout your entire body.

The sport involves a lot of running, jumping, and throwing, all of which can help strengthen your muscles.

Additionally, you’ll get more power from the legs up. Everything from the core to the shoulders will help soccer players become more physically fit to endure the bumps and bruises.

What Skills Does Lacrosse Help Soccer Players?

One of the main reasons why younger soccer players are encouraged to play lacrosse is for the skill transfer and athleticism that can be gained.

Here are some ways lacrosse can benefit soccer players.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Lacrosse requires a high level of hand-eye coordination, which translates well to soccer.

The ability to control the ball with your feet in soccer is similar to controlling the ball with a stick in lacrosse.

It sounds kind of weird but by playing lacrosse, you can improve your foot-eye coordination, which will make you a better soccer player.

Strategic Thinking

Lacrosse is a strategic sport that requires players to think quickly on their feet.

This skill can be transferred to soccer, where players need to make split-second decisions on the field.

By playing lacrosse, you can improve your strategic thinking and decision-making abilities. This alone will make you a better soccer player as you get into the high school ages.

Teamwork and Communication

Teamwork and good communication skills are essential in soccer. Players need to work together to be competitive in games.

In sports like lacrosse and soccer, one person can’t really take over the game. There needs to be a team around that dominant player.

In sports such as basketball and football, one or two players can impact the result of the game. 32 points or 5 TDs can make a difference.

Injury Prevention and Recovery

By playing multiple sports, young athletes can prevent certain injuries from happening.

When you play another sport, you’ll be using different muscle groups which can help strengthen other areas of your body.

I’m a big believer in playing multiple sports up until an age where you can go all in one (if you decide to). This usually happens around 8th grade.

Final Verdict

It’s possible to play fall soccer and play soccer and lacrosse in the spring.

If you love them equally this makes for a fun season. However, if you dread lacrosse or soccer, you’ll find yourself dreading it every day with your busy schedule.

In my opinion, the more sports a young athlete can do at an earlier age, the better. Many American sports will translate into different skill sets.

For example, my son played basketball in the winter for many years. I think it helped him become a better passer and more agile in soccer.

I hope that helps you understand the many benefits lacrosse has on soccer players!