Health & Safety

As spring arrives, lacrosse players of all ages are anxious to return to the field of play. But doing so safely remains utmost for all participants. Dr. Richard Hinton, a member of the USL Sports Science & Safety Committee and sports medicine medical director for MedStar Health, provides some recommendations.

Plant-based meat products have become ultra-popular in recent years, with many of the standard fast food places now offering a vegan meat option. Unfortunately, not every plant-based patty is going to be a healthy substitute. Here’s what you should look for when considering which faux meat to give your young athletes.

US Lacrosse health and medical experts recently provided guidance to help the lacrosse community navigate a safe return to the field for the spring season.

Game On Mouthguards, the only mouthguard to have earned the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Seal of Acceptance, has been named as the “Official Mouthguard” of US Lacrosse and the U.S. National Team program as part of a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership.

While it may be easy to assume that young athletes need supplements to recover and perform at their best, all supplements come with some amount of risk because their ingredients aren’t confirmed by the FDA. The riskiest supplements are those marketed for muscle building, energy, and weight loss, so parents should be particularly diligent to make sure their athletes aren’t using these products.

The NFHS has eliminated its tiered “Potential Infection Risk by Sport” that classified sports as HIGH, MODERATE, or LOW risk for COVID-19 transmission. 

US Lacrosse’s guideline does not mandate the wearing of protective masks or helmet shields while playing lacrosse, although it does allow for either or both to be worn at the discretion of the athlete or local region requirements.

Food can be one of the many tools you use to help keep your young athletes healthy, and it doesn’t have to be hard with these basic tips on eating for immune health.

Dr. Shane Caswell of George Mason University and Dr. Andrew Lincoln of MedStar Health Research Institute will join moderator Caitlin Kelley of US Lacrosse to discuss their findings and answer live questions.

Who determines that a certain type of protective equipment should meet a performance standard? And how is that standard developed? These were some of the questions addressed by panelists on the equipment session at LaxCon 2021.