Women’s lacrosse helmets, or women’s lacrosse headgear as it is formally known, is causing quite a stir in the lacrosse community, as noted by the New York Times.   At the focus of the debate, is one camp who feels it is ridiculous for players not to have some form of mandated protection that will help reduce the chances for a concussion. The other camp claims that the addition of helmets will make the girls game more violent and therefore, helmet or not, more injuries on the whole. [caption id="attachment_19991" align="aligncenter" width="600"] New Cascade LX Headgear[/caption] LAX.com reviewed the new helmet offerings and specifications that are now in place through A.S.T.M. International.   We also got to touch and feel the new Cascade LX.  As a company we have also managed to view and produce much of the collegiate game film for the best women's teams in the nation.  From this experience, we have seen the pace and speed of the game and believe it is ALREADY so fast and aggressive that we are not sure the introduction of a helmet is actually going to change anything. Our other observation, for advancing youth players, is WHY WOULDN’T you wear one? From most of our observations, injuries can occur when players fall and their head whips to the turf. This could happen in a line drill. The stick to head contact in girls lacrosse is heavily officiated and results in two minute un-releasable penalties that easily alter the outcome of a game. We also don’t see the introduction of a helmet turning 8-14 year old girls into slashing and headhunting demons that will alter the pace of the game at that level. So for incidental contact, turf contact and a host of other reasons, we don’t see how the introduction of more protection for the ladies is bad for the game. A parent’s PRIMARY CONCERN when accessing the safety of an activity there child will be participating in is the potential for injury. When you go to a ski hill, it is completely normal for all the kids to be wearing helmets.   Just because a 9 year old wears a ski helmet, does not mean that they will be doing double back flips all of a sudden because they are protecting their head better than wearing a hat. [caption id="attachment_19981" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Cascade LX Headgear[/caption] At LAX.com, we have always been a proponent of providing players the best possible protection and the highest levels of technology in the game. As the women’s lacrosse headgear debate continues, we still see no harm in introducing more protection for youth players especially, and we certainly appreciate the aggressive pace of play at the top levels. We want to keep kids in lacrosse. We want to grow the game. We think that the arrival of women’s helmets will help prevent injuries and get more kids involved in lacrosse.  As an example of an approved helmet, the Cascade LX is about $150 and comes with integrated protective eyewear in the form of an abbreviated steel face mask. If you have any questions, just reach out to one of our Pro’s at 855-255-5294 or email us at questions@lax.com. Also, be sure to download the LAX.com FREE mobile app. We push our most amazing deals there and you will also gain access to the newest gear as soon as it hits the market. See you on the fields! The Lax.com Pro Staff LAX.com Where Players Get Their Gear