With the official start of spring only a couple weeks away, it won’t be long until practices and scrimmages transition from your local gym/fieldhouse out to the field. With that said, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when you and your fellow laxers transition from the indoor to the outdoor game.

The first thing to keep in mind is the change in playing conditions. Temperatures and field conditions are usually fair at best in this part of the country until late April, early May. Transitioning from the climate controlled smooth gym-field house environment to the torn up, frozen field turf or harsh parking lot asphalt will take some time to get used to. It is crucial for laxers to spend the first two months of the year preparing their bodies for the eventual change of environment. Back during my playing days at Division III Utica College (Empire 8 Conference) we used to spend half our training hours doing outdoor conditioning runs and drills. This prepared us for the eventual transition from the gym to the parking lot. Extra emphasis should also be put into strength and flexibility training. You’d be amazed how many pulled hamstrings and quads happen during the first week of outdoor practice.

Being physically prepared for the transition to outdoor lacrosse will come in real handy for all those overthrown passes and missed shots on the cage. It will take some time for laxers to get used to the real field dimensions. Unless your school has installed field turf, you can most likely expect the first week or so of outdoor lacrosse to be slower and sloppier. Our coaches used to spend a lot of time during the first two weeks of outdoor practices focusing on pass and catch drills. Even though at times we’d grow tired of the repetitive drills, in the end it gave us a leg up on our competition.

Another important point of preparation is in regards to equipment. Every laxer should have at least three working sticks. The cold temperatures don’t just cause havoc on the unconditioned bodies, but also have a tendency of causing broken sticks and heads. Don’t be fooled by claims that sticks are unbreakable. I think I set an unofficial team record of breaking three titanium long poles in one spring season. The best remedy for this is to make sure you don’t subject your stick to adverse changes in temperature. Also, it’s a good idea to have to have at least one mesh head to deal with the sloppy field conditions. Mesh pockets tend to be more resilient than traditional ones.

Footwear and clothing considerations are also important to consider when transitioning to the outdoor game. It’s important to dress appropriately. I can’t tell you how many guys I have seen over the years go out on the field in shorts and a tee shirt in minus freezing temperatures. My best advice is to save the tough guy bravado for the games that actually count. As for footwear, it is never appropriate to wear regular athletic sneakers on grass field turf. Save the sneakers for the basketball court. My best advice is to get pair of all-purpose cleats from your local sporting goods store. Also, make sure you have extra pairs of dry socks handy in your equipment bag. You never know when you will need them.

Lacrosse is a game of confidence and being prepared before you take the field is half the battle.

#5 Notre Dame Lacrosse Vs. University of Denver Saturday April 5, 2008 3:00 PM @ Toyota Park

Professional lacrosse is ready to enter its third season in Chicago . Chicagoland high school lacrosse is growing at an incredible rate. Unfortunately, area lacrosse fans have been missing top-level collegiate action.

This spring the Machine is bringing the highest level college lacrosse to Chicago, playing host to Notre Dame and Denver , two of the best programs in the NCAA ranks. The Irish, who were tabbed as high as No. 5 in preseason polls, are set to face off April 5 against Denver, which was rated as high as 20th. The teams will do battle at the home of the Machine, state-of-the-are Toyota Park.

The Irish, who boast seven preseason All-Americans honorees, enter the 2008 season with their sights set on national championship contention. In 2007, Notre Dame fell just short of knocking off eventual-champion Johns Hopkins in NCAA tournament play, falling in an 11-10 overtime thriller. With four players rated among the nation’s top 50 by Inside Lacrosse magazine, the Irish appear to have the guns to go all the way. To get there, however, they have a very tough schedule that includes their Great Western Lacrosse League foes, the Denver Pioneers.

Denver , one of the fastest up-and-coming programs in the country, qualified for the NCAA tournament for the first time ever in 2006. The Pioneers followed that success with a 9-7 record last season and return 16 players from that roster. Only Notre Dame and Ohio State were picked ahead of the Pioneers in Inside Lacrosse’s preseason GWLL rankings.

Notre Dame holds a 9-2 edge in the all-time series between the two teams. Denver , however, has won two of the last three meetings.

Game time is set for 3 p.m. Tickets for the game are available by calling the Chicago Machine ticket line at (312) 255-1540. Advance ticket prices are $5 for youth and $12 per adult. Day-of prices will be $10 per youth and $18 per adult, while all Notre Dame student admissions are $5.

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