This article appears in the March 2020 edition of US Lacrosse Magazine. Don’t get the mag? Head to USLacrosse.org to subscribe.

Necessity is the mother of invention. Google any combination of “DIY” and “lacrosse,” and you’ll come across a variety of solutions for everyday lacrosse problems. Some of our favorites:

Tree Stump Rebounder

If a tree falls in the woods, does it become a lacrosse prop? Instructables user and lax dad Scott McIndoe fashioned from the remnants of a 125-year-old Douglas fir this perfectly angled rebounder.

“There are lots of commercial rebounders out there, but all of them remove a lot of pace from the ball,” Makendo wrote. “To work on catching fast throws, the best target is one that sends the ball back sharply (i.e., the collision is elastic). For that, you need a hard, flat, angled surface and serious mass.”

Pesky Palms

Lacrosse All Stars contributor Jimmy Ciccone went to a shoe and leather repair store in Ocean City, Md., to fix the deteriorating palms of his lacrosse gloves.

DIY Butt End

Another YouTuber, Tom Ledin of Red Star Lacrosse (39,000 subscribers), showed in a 2011 video how to create a rubber end cap out of a bouncy ball, athletic tape and a can of Plasti Dip.

Goal Blocker

Who could forget Hector the Rejector? While goal blockers and target trainers have evolved since the days of our friend Hector, they can be pricey. Coach Tom of KidsLacrosse.com made one out of a 4-by-6 tarp from the Dollar Store.

Homemade Lacrosse Goal

In a 2010 YouTube video with more than 170,000 views, user roman1766 demonstrated how to make a regulation-size lacrosse goal out of Schedule 40 PVC pipe and fittings. You’ll also get something of a geometry lesson.