A local supplier is Midwest Lacrosse. Midwest is on Bethel Road in the Olentangy Plaza (just West of route 315). You can also buy equipment on-line at many stores such as; www.lacrossemonkey.com, www.lax.com.

Stick - Required - There are 2 to choose from. Attack and midfielders use a short stick that is 40-42" long. Defensemen use a long stick that normally 72" in length. Attack/midfielder heads are also shaped differently, with defense sticks being a little more rigid. Sticks can range in costs from $40 to well over $150. You can get a decent short stick for $55-60. See The Lacrosse Stick below.

Gloves - Required - Lacrosse gloves, not hockey gloves. Purchase new starting from around $50 and up to over $200. You can find good gloves from $75-100. Look for ones with mesh palms as they breathe better and last longer. They come in different sizes so try them on to make sure they are comfortable from day one.

Shoulder Pads - Required - Hockey pads may be substituted by is not less expensive. Purchase a good pair for $40 - $100. State of the art pads can be found for above $100. Fit, protection, and comfort count…get a set that protect and are comfortable from day one.

Elbow/Arm Pads - Required - Purchase from $30 -$60. Mid-range guards are $40-$50.

Rib Pads - Optional - Purchase from $25 - $60.

Heart Guard - Optional - Most new shoulder pads have protection for heart

Cleats - Soccer or football cleats with rounded non-metal studs are good. Nothing metal or sharp and no baseball cleats

MESH: There are three basic types of mesh for heads. Soft-mesh: easier to catch, slower on shots, shorter life. Hard-mesh: Requires some break-in time, best all -weather performance, low maintenance. Traditional-mesh: Arguably the best when "tuned" correctly, leather changes shape as it gets wet and dries, therefore requires higher maintenance. Also consider Monster Mesh or SixDiamond, they are hard mesh with larger holes. This reduces air resistance and retains less water and weight when wet. There is now traditional style mesh with synthetic thongs, rather than the leather ones. This remedies some of the negative aspects of "regular" traditional.

SHAFT: "Complete sticks" are often sold with a lesser-grade aluminum shaft. These shafts have a value of from $30-50 (attack/middie). They tend to bend and dent more easily, especially the longer defensive shafts. Many view the alloy type shafts to be the best value. These shafts can range in cost from $40-$80. They are only marginally lighter (lighter is good), but around 10X stronger, and therefore more durable. Defenders, carrying the extra length may benefit from one of the more exotic alloy (titanium) shafts that are ultra light. But beware, some of the ultra light shafts have very thin walls and are less durable than the mid-grade alloys. Ribbed and rounded triangular shafts are also available. Mostly it is preference, but some believe the ribbed may add some strength. Most lacrosse specialty stores (non-department store) will give you a discount if you buy a head and shaft together, or allow you to upgrade a "complete" stick with a better shaft for the difference in price.

Sticks in General: A good player with a poor stick outperforms a marginal player with a great stick. Stick performance is more about how the mesh is "tuned" or set-up than what materials are used. Your performance will be influenced more by how much time you spend with your stick, than how much you spend on it!!