Look Good. Play Good?

So after following the road to the NCAA championships via internet, magazines, and good ol’ espnplayer.com (if you dont subscribe to them already…you should. Streaming lax!!), I noticed the annual trend that comes with this tournament; massive wardrobe changes. From the black Duke threads to the neon green accents from space that Syracuse was sporting, it all boiled down to the same thing in my opinion…making a statement.

The Cuse' Championship Neons

Arguments have been going back and forth from day one about who had the best, who took the biggest risk, and who looked flat out SICK. Whatever the argument, the result was the same from these fashion choices; people were talking about it. The first thing the other team notices is always the uniform. During warm-ups it’s always a tendancy to glance over the shoulder and take a look at what the other side has going on. Personally I know that if I were to ever look across the pitch and see the Cuse neons stairing back at me I would have serious second thoughts on whether or not somebody had slipped me some of “grampa’s ol’ couch medicine” before the day. It would get in my head from the word “go”. “If you appear confident…you are thought confident”. Likewise, if you appear like you just walked out of the show room of the Gucci of lacrosse…well, you appear LEGEND.

Lacrosse Unlimited Custom Uniforms

Custom Mock-up Designs from Pro Athletics

So when will this trend carry over the pond to our community? Draped in tradition, most of the teams in the UK sport the same kit year in and year out every time they step on the field. Nothing wrong with this…just a bit mundain. The Welsh National team seem to be toying with some flair with their custom gloves and helmet designs on the change. Teams like Gin and Juice, Beer Pressure, and Vatican Lax were definitely sporting some wicked kit at this year’s BluesFest; and the rumor is that the Uni of Essex will be incorporating Flow Society shorts into thei team kit for the next season.

"Classic" shorts from Flow Society

Head Warpz K18 for Kyle Harrison

Money is always the driving factor behind something like this however and unfortunately the budgets of Div I programs are a just a tad larger than say…Kent University. However, just because a complete wardrobe change might be out of the question for every game in the post season for most UK teams, doesn’t mean we can’t start incorporating a bit of…dare I say…”flow”. Companies like Pro Athletics, Head Wrapz, and Lacrosse Unlimited, and of course Flow Society offer some of the sport’s top products for spicing up a team’s or individual’s kit. I’d love to start seeing some daring stuff out there next season and hear the community embrace it. I can see it on the forums now…”Neon…or not to Neon…Is that Really the Question?”.