As we approach the month of April, we know that youth and high school spring lacrosse seasons are now underway, or will be shortly, in almost all regions of the country. In some cases, athletes have prepared throughout the offseason in order to perform their best once they get on the field.

But as an athlete, have you also given thought about the types of foods that will fuel your body throughout the season, and the possible impact of those nutritional choices on your performance? 

As a two-time All-American player, collegiate national champion, and member of the U.S. Women’s Training Team, Haley Warden has battled against a lot of tough opponents in her lacrosse career. Perhaps none more taxing, however, than the diagnosis of a concussion. 

Unfortunately, Warden has experienced concussion a few times, although never on the field. He most recent concussion occurred from a minor car accident last year.

“I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as I tried to get back into training, I felt slow,” Warden said. “I didn’t feel like myself.”

NOCSAE, the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, is an independent and nonprofit standards development body with the mission to enhance athletic safety through scientific research and the creation of performance standards for athletic equipment. 

Lacrosse players understand that having a unified and collaborative team is one of the keys to on-field success, and four medical professionals recently explained how that same team approach can be a strong asset in off-field healthcare for athletes. 

Good teammates look out for each other. 

That’s the premise behind the Team Up Speak Up (TUSU) campaign, in which players will notify a coach or athletic trainer if they suspect a teammate might have a concussion. 

USA Lacrosse has partnered with the Concussion Legacy Foundation to help promote a healthy team environment in which players are encouraged to speak up on behalf of a teammate who may be injured.

The following article is part of a content partnership with TrueSport, a positive youth sports movement powered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). TrueSport has partnered with more than 20 sport NGBs to promote a positive culture of youth sport with expert content and programming.

Since 2015, all high school students in Maryland have been required to learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and how to use an AED (automated external defibrillator) in order to graduate. It’s a state requirement, passed into law by Martin O’Malley, who was the governor at the time.

The following article is part of a content partnership with TrueSport, a positive youth sports movement powered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). TrueSport has partnered with more than 20 sport NGBs to promote a positive culture of youth sport with expert content and programming.

USA Lacrosse is excited for the 2022 lacrosse season and is dedicated to player, coach, and official’s safety, both on and off the field. We encourage organizations to follow strategies that help keep everyone healthy throughout the season. 

USA Lacrosse continues to strongly encourage vaccination against COVID-19 for eligible individuals and recommends using appropriate ways to reduce the risk of transmission. These include wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth when in public, hand washing, and social distancing whenever possible. 

SPARKS, Md. — In an effort to help keep youth players as safe as possible, all new and renewing coach members of USA Lacrosse will be required to complete an online course as part of the organization's abuse prevention training program. The new requirement goes into effect on July 1, 2022. Criminal background checks, completed every two years, have already been a requirement for USA Lacrosse coach members since 2018.