Is Women’s Lacrosse An Expensive Sport?

In another recent post, I explored how much it costs to play men’s lacrosse. It’s only fair to also take a look at how much it costs to play women’s lacrosse. Therefore, in this post, we will be doing a similar exercise where we break down how much each piece of equipment costs on average and calculate the total cost. 

The good news for players and parents who are considering women’s lacrosse is it’s much cheaper than men’s lacrosse due to less required equipment. In essence, thanks to the no-contact rule in women’s lacrosse, you will only be needing a lacrosse stick, goggles/headgear, mouthguard and cleats.

Continue reading if you want to see the full breakdown and on average you would need to spend around $330 to play women’s lacrosse. Compared to the $800 price tag of men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse is a very attractive and affordable option from a price standpoint. 

And since prices vary based on different brands and models, I sourced a range of the best and the most popular products from the most expensive to the cheapest and record them in a table for illustration.

How much does a beginner lacrosse stick cost?

Different from men’s lacrosse, women’s lacrosse sticks have a larger pool of options that are suitable for both beginners and elite players. This means regardless of your level of play, women players usually buy a complete stick right out of the box. 

Here are the top 8 women lacrosse sticks and their respective prices:

Many of these heads come from my women’s lacrosse stick guide, check it out here: best women’s lacrosse sticks in 2022.

The cheapest stick comes in at $99.99 and the most expensive stick is priced at $159.99, which puts the average cost of beginner sticks at $118.

The average cost of women’s sticks is strikingly closed to the average cost of men’s, which goes to show when it comes to sticks, the expenses associated with materials and designs of the sticks are largely the same.

How much do goggles cost?

Since players are not allowed to have physical contact in women’s lacrosse, the protective gear is much lighter and less bulky. This in turn drastically reduces the need for big and expensive gear.

Here are the top 6 lacrosse goggles/headgear for women:

Many of these goggles come from my lacrosse goggles guide, check it out here: best women’s lacrosse goggles in 2022.

The cheapest goggles come in at $39.99 and the most expensive headgear is priced at $149.99, which puts the average cost of beginner sticks at $75.

Because I included headgear, it pushed the average cost to a higher price point. But if you are only looking for goggles, the average cost is $60. That’s a pretty reasonable price considering you only need goggles and a stick to start practicing basic stick skills.

How much does mouthguard cost?

Buying a good quality mouthguard is as important as buying any protective gear on the field. It protects your teeth and mouth when unintentional physical contact puts them at the risk of being knocked off. 

In this section, we will take a look at how much on average a good mouthguard costs. Depending on whether you want them customized or not, the price of a mouthguard varies.

The cheapest mouthguard comes in at $22.99 and the most expensive mouthguard is priced at $74.95, which puts the average cost of mouthguards at $37.

This is the cheapest piece of equipment thus far! Because customizable mouthguard is significantly more expensive, it skewed the average cost to the pricer side. If you are comfortable and fine with buying a standard and non-custom, SISU Aero NextGen is enough to get the job done.

How much do cleats cost?

To be able to make aggressive directional changes and movements, lacrosse cleats are a must. They are specifically designed to give you the best traction and comfort, so definitely don’t ignore the importance of having a good pair of lacrosse cleats. 

Below I included a table that includes the top 5 lacrosse cleats you’d consider when preparing for an up-and-coming season
Many of these cleats come from my guide, check it out here: best women’s lacrosse cleats in 2022.

The cheapest cleats come in at $74.99 and the most expensive cleats are priced at $119.99, which puts the average cost of cleats at $99.

There are fewer options in women’s lacrosse cleats and the ones I listed above are pretty much the ones that are available. And women’s lacrosse cleats are cheaper than their counterparts. Another thing about cleats is the most common shoe sizes can run out pretty quickly, so if you are planning to try out for the next season, be ready to snatch those cleats as quickly as possible as they run out fast.

Should you buy used equipment?

For players who are just starting out, buying used is a great option. Especially if you go to slidelineswap, there are a ton of options to choose from that are still in good condition. Don’t skimp on safety tho. 

The idea is when you don’t have a great understanding of what gear or equipment suits you the most, it’s ok to buy a used one to test out the product. Another point to keep in mind is since used equipment already comes with some level of wear and tear you should expect it to last shorter than brand new equipment. 

When buying used equipment, for the most part, you get what you pay for. If the equipment broke, then you can decide to upgrade to a new one when you feel like you are ready to do so.

Conclusion

I hope this post has given you an insightful look into how much it costs to play women’s lacrosse. If you are simply looking to get your child started on learning basic stick skills, it’s not a bad idea to first buy a used stick to fiddle with.

Feel free to write me a comment or question below. I will see you in the next post.