The club lacrosse offseason is finally here — the season is over, tryouts are done, and for the first time in what feels like forever there is no tournament this weekend, no 6am wakeup, no cooler to pack. And if you are anything like us, actually being at home, in your own bed and waking up with no tournament hustle and bustle takes some time to get used to.
Here is the honest truth nobody tells you when you sign your kid up for club lacrosse: the offseason is not long, so it is important to settle in and enjoy the downtime.
We had just gotten home late Wednesday night after a 6-day stretch of back-to-back tournaments to end the season. Thursday and Friday were back to work — we had used up multiple vacation days for lacrosse during the summer — and to be honest, Saturday morning, waking up in our own bed with nothing planned, was both ultra relaxing and came with a nagging sense that we SHOULD be doing something. That is natural. When you spend that much time invested in the lax season and it is finally over, there is an adjustment period. After spending the morning relaxing, really doing nothing, it hit us. POOL PARTY. Yup — 40 friends and family invited over the next day. We had missed at least 10 graduation parties, multiple birthday parties and cookouts, and it was time to have some fun and catch up with the friends, neighbors and family we missed all of June and July. It turned out to be a great day.
What to Tell Your Kids
Lacrosse dominated your time and your child’s time for at least the last 60 days. Practices, travel, tournaments — club lacrosse was their June and July. Our kids happen to play fall school sports, so that season is only a few weeks away. When the last tournament is over and we get home, we tell them two things.
Put the sticks away for at least a week. With all the money we invest, and more importantly the love they have for the game, this may seem like an odd thing to tell them. The reality is they need it — they need a break. To be honest, we can’t say they ever make it a full week. They all end up on the rebounder in the backyard, playing catch, or taking some shots on the worn-out goal at some point. But in our view, they are doing it out of love for the game, without any of the pressure they have been dealing with for the last several months.
The second thing we tell them: “go be a kid.” Have sleepovers with your school friends, go to the movies, play some golf — just be kids. Just like we as adults have missed countless functions the last two months being on the road, the kids have missed time with their friends, doing kid stuff.
It has been a few weeks now since the tournaments ended. We can’t count how many movies, ice creams, sleepovers, and pool dates the three of them have been to — and you know what, we love it. We love seeing them be kids. Yes, sometimes with the same kids they play lax with, but also with a whole group of kids who are truly friends they have not seen much of the last few months.
Why the Club Lacrosse Offseason Makes Them Better
This is the part that feels counterintuitive until you have lived it. Time off is not lost time. It is when kids recover, grow, and — most importantly — remember why they love the game in the first place.
There is also the physical side. Young bodies need recovery, and the research on youth sports specialization is not subtle: kids who play one sport year-round get hurt more and burn out faster. The offseason is your built-in insurance against both.
What We Don’t Do
Go on vacation. We know many lax families that do and swear by it. For us, after spending countless nights in hotel beds the last two months — and if we are being honest, a hell of a lot of money — the last thing we want to do is travel in August.
A few weeks into July, on one of the rare nights at home with a few friends over, the topic came up of the group of us renting a beach house for a week. We couldn’t say it fast enough: WE ARE OUT. It got some laughter, but we both agreed — August, to us, is being home, our bed, our backyard. The thought of heading back on the road for a long car ride and several nights in a bed that wasn’t ours was out of the question.
It Starts Back Up Sooner Than You’re Ready For
Why does all of this matter? Because in club lacrosse, the fall season is right around the corner — literally. We just got our fall practice schedule and yup, practices in September. That means for most families you are getting six to eight weeks without the life. So yes, we love club lacrosse and all it gives our kids and our family — but enjoying the short off period is important, and to be honest, we love this time too.
The Bottom Line
The club lacrosse offseason is not a problem to solve. It is a gift — for your kid and, honestly, for you. The families who thrive in this sport for the long haul are not the ones who never stop. They are the ones who know when to.
So give yourself permission to enjoy the quiet. Pack away the cooler. Sleep in on a Saturday. The tournaments will be back before you know it — and everyone will be better for the break.
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