Northstar Box
Northstar Box Lax Mission:
Northstar Box Lacrosse was founded with a desire to compete at the highest level while teaching skills, concepts, commitment, and a love of the game. We seek out top competition because adversity is the best vehicle to teach lifelong lessons on and off the field.
Our staff is committed to teaching the game the right way. We believe that the team that plays the smarter game will always have a chance to win, regardless of the pure skill/athleticism that they’re faced with.
We value inclusivity. Players who commit to our process are valued and earn roles. Top players work with less experienced players and older players are empowered to lead and teach younger levels; all of which betters the program, the teams, and all individuals associated. We believe that in the right environment, sports can teach some of the most important life lessons, on and off the field.
Relationships are a major catalyst for growth and success. If players are connected to their coaches, teammates, and other players in the program, they will go to war alongside them and strive to be successful with and for them.
We don’t always need the best players, we need the right people.
Why Box Lax?
Development: Box lacrosse maximizes live reps at practice/in game.
Rules are based on keeping the game moving: Shot clock, quick restarts, smaller/enclosed space, and less whistles keeps the action going and forces players to anticipate/play ahead of the whistle.
Practices are less specialized: All players need to be competent everywhere, which means that Defenders get offensive reps, while Forwards also play defense. Stick work drills are centered around shots on a live goalie.
Each player/goalie gets more live shots in one practice than some players get in an entire field season.
Competition: Because it is a smaller sport, it is easier to play against the top athletes in the world.
For Field Lacrosse, everyone has to go to the East Coast to hopefully be matched up against the best clubs. Box Lacrosse is so consolidated that if you go to the right tournament, you will play against the best box teams.
The Midwest Classic Tournament that we attend is a life-changing event for our young athletes. Seeing where you stack up against the best can be a truly humbling experience. You cannot walk out of there the same athlete you walked in as. Whether that’s from seeing what’s possible as a Lacrosse player or because you recognize that you need to do more, it’s a defining moment as a player.
It’s so much fun and One of the best deals for lacrosse training around.
What is box?
Although it shares a name with field, box lacrosse is a completely different sport which develops universal lacrosse skills better than other forms of training.
Played in a thawed out hockey rink, with a 30-second shot clock, smaller nets, bigger goalies, and extra pads because cross-checking and moving picks are legal.
box lacrosse players learn accuracy, toughness, soft hands, aggressiveness, creativity, situational awareness, communication, physicality, and so many other skills that get solidified through minimal in-game down time and more live reps than other formats.
Don’t take our word for it:
4X NCAA Championship Coach Dom Starsia, University of Virginia: "When you watch Canadian kids score, when you see their skill level around the cage, you wonder to yourself, 'Jeez, are we teaching kids [in the U.S.] the wrong things?"
6X NCAA Championship Coach Bill Tierney, former University of Denver and Princeton Head Coach: "If I had my choice, I would have every player under the age of 12 play box lacrosse exclusively or at least a majority of the time. The number of touches of the ball and the ability to develop better stick skills in a game of box lacrosse far surpasses what happens on a field. Learning how to pass and catch in traffic, understanding how to shoot, and developing a sense of physicality are all positive traits developed by the box game.”
Andy Shay, Yale Head Coach: "Box lacrosse (played normally in Canada) is played in thawed ice rinks over the summer. The smaller spaces and smaller goals lend to hyper advancement of skills and scoring ability. The results in our college game are not only undeniable, they are borderline astounding."