Pitter Patter, Play Box, Have Fun & Let’s Get Atter!!

Play lacrosse the way the top players in the world do to get better. Origins Lacrosse will be offering a fantastic opportunity for any player that wants to take their game to the next level!

By now everyone knows that box makes you better!

If you watch any lacrosse game on TV these days, you heard an announcer comment on how playing box lacrosse is so beneficial. Now it is your turn to do what the top players in the country have been doing for years!

Why Box

What is Box Lacrosse?

What is Box Lacrosse? Box Lacrosse is the indoor version of the game in lacrosse. This version of lacrosse is incredibly popular with the men’s game specifically in Canada. With the growing trend of Canadian players being recruited to NCAA programs- more men’s college coaches now having their American players participating in box training. The strategy of Box Lacrosse is similar to that of basketball, with all five runners involved in the offense and the defense. Added to the appeal are the speed and excitement created by a 30 second shot clock. The combination of action and reaction makes Box as much fun to play as it is to watch.

Compact Space Because Box Lacrosse is played on a smaller field, space is significantly reduced. This ultimately speeds up the game and forces our players to make quicker decisions. Ball handling skills are critical as there are limited moments to make accurate, crisp passes. Playing box lacrosse is the best way to build stick skills (for players at every position– attack, midfield, defense & goalie). It also teaches players to play better defense and to play with their feet!

Boards and Glass A box lacrosse field is surrounded by boards and/or glass on all on sides. The ball is always kept in play, which leads to more touches, reps and practice.

Shooting Accuracy Box Lacrosse is played using a smaller goal. This goal only has four corners with netting. Shooting the ball into one of these four corners is only way to score in game. If you miss one of the four corners, the ball will simply pass through the cage, bounce off the wall and ball is still live. This is an incredible tool on teaching players how to shoot accurately and become better finishers.

Lax IQ What separates the best lacrosse players from the rest, is understanding the two-man game. One of the staples of box lacrosse is the pick and roll both on and off ball. Players will work on these concepts over and over which will teach an extremely high level of reading the defense.

Top 10 Reasons To Play Box

10. FASTER PLAY | The speed is way faster than anything you would see outdoors. It makes playing outside seem like going in slow motion

9. STICK HANDLING | Playing in closer spaces means your stick skills have to be tighter and quicker. Your stick handling improves because there is no room for error, quite literally.

8. TRANSITION | Ball moves from defense to offense with increased speed. Players learn quickly to breakout and move the ball up the field.

7. DEFENSIVE BODY POSITION | No D-Poles means that defensive players have to use good body position to be successful.

6. OFF-BALL MOVEMENT | Playing in such a tight area means it is that much harder to get open. Running through people to go to goal just doesn’t work. Players learn to cut, pick and keep in constant motion.

5. GOALIES SEE MORE RUBBER | Shots come hard and fast. Goalies see more shots in a shorter period of time. There hands and reaction time become much quicker.

4. SHOOTING ACCURACY | Gary Gait is among many who have gone on record about the shooting accuracy that comes from playing box lacrosse.

3. REACTION TIME | Almost every point made deals with faster speeds. A byproduct of playing faster is you have to react faster. That means faster to a ground ball, faster in transition, faster to play the ball, faster to shoot the ball. You name it, your reaction to it get faster.

2. PLAYER SAFETY | When it comes to pre-season training, the goal is to get better for the Spring season, not get hurt. Many indoor facilities boast full fields, which ultimately are surrounded by some sort of netting. As one of the area’s top orthopedic doctors pointed out, the box is a safer playing surface. There is nothing to get tripped up on and in to.

1. PROVEN SUCCESS | You can list as many of the benefits as you want, but the proof is in the success that box players have. Look at the most successful players over the last decade. The majority play box in the off season. Thompson Brothers, Brodie Merrill, Casey Powell, the Gait brothers. No matter who you identify with, the common thread is that they have or still do play box lacrosse.If you watch any NCAA game on TV these days, you heard an announcer comment on how playing box lacrosse is so beneficial. Now it is your turn to do what the top players in the country have been doing for years!

What The Top Minds Say

I absolutely loved playing box lacrosse. I’ve admired so much of what it stands for in its concepts, etiquette and tradition. It’s not easy by any means, but it gave me an opportunity to challenge myself in another way. My advice to anyone considering playing box is to look around, be tough and have a ton of fun.
— Casey Powell

When training, it’s all about touches for me. To give American players an opportunity to play in tight quarters is critical. To be honest, Canadians have passed the American players in the stick skill department. Just look at the landscape of college lacrosse and the leading offensive scorers to confirm this opinion. More importantly, indoor lacrosse is a blast! At the end of the day, it should be about having fun first.
— Paul Carcaterra, ESPN Analyst and Syracuse University All-American Midfielder

Every Kid Should Play Box Lacrosse
– John Desko, Head Coach Syracuse University

If I was US Lacrosse, I wouldn’t let any kids play field until they were 10 or 12,” he said. “Until box lacrosse grows in the United States, it’ll continue to be this way.
– Bill Tierney, University of Denver Head Coach

Being a part of the finesse and physicality of box lacrosse has been a great experience for me. I feel that I have learned and improved as an overall lacrosse player. Learning to adapt in tight space while reading defenders and offensive players has been the biggest improvement in my game.
– Paul Rabil, NLL & MLL All-Star, NCAA All-American

When you watch Canadian kids [Box Lacrosse Players] score, when you see their skill level around the cage, you wonder to yourself, ‘Jeez, are we teaching kids [in the U.S.] the wrong things?– Dom Starsia University of Virginia Head Coach

One of the biggest benefits of playing box for a young lacrosse player is in the development of lacrosse IQ. Because everyone plays with a short stick [in box lacrosse], you have to focus on being a complete lacrosse player versus specializing as an attackman or d-man. That is how your IQ grows and skills improve.
– University of Hartford Head Coach Peter Lawrence

If box lacrosse were played by kids in the U.S. In the fall the way it is played in Canada, it would completely change the complexion of the game in terms of the quality of play and the balance of power. The trend of competitive balance at the DI level would be expedited. Now, the game is growing faster than ever, but one doesn’t see improvement in players from certain regions as expected with such large growth. Box Lacrosse would change all of that. You don’t have to be a good coach to make kids be better players in the box. Like a great drill, it just happens.
– Jamie Munro, former Head Coach of University of Denver Men’s Lacrosse

American field players would really help themselves if they were exposed to a steady stream of box experience. Box lacrosse is an extremely valuable background for a young player, we need to incorporate more of the indoor skills in to the field game. It is almost a requirement to have a top player with indoor experience on your roster right now.
– Dom Starsia, University of Virginia Head Coach

I knew that if I wanted to be one of the best players in the world, I would have to dedicate myself to both the indoor and the outdoor game. Playing indoor lacrosse has been a great thing for my career.
– Casey Powell, MLL/NLL All-Star

I believe that box lacrosse gives young people many more opportunities to excel in our game. If I had my choice, I would have every player under the age of twelve play box lacrosse exclusively or at least a majority of the time. The number of touches of the ball and the ability to develop better stick skills in a game of box lacrosse, far surpasses what happens to young people on a 110 x 60 yard field. Learning how to pass and catch in traffic, understanding how to shoot, and developing a sense of physicality are all positive traits developed by the box game.
– Bill Tierney, US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Denver University Head Coach, Princeton 7x National Champion, Team USA 1998

Where To Get Your Box Gear