Is Lacrosse A Rich Sport? (Can It Be Cheap)

Lacrosse is often perceived as a preppy rich boy’s sport with fancy hair and daddy’s cars. Whether that is the reality, you will find out in this article.

Generally, lacrosse is a rich sport. Lacrosse equipment, the cost to play, and club membership fees are expensive and limit the players for those who have money. However, lacrosse is also played in high schools and colleges, where monetary assistance is often available, making it accessible for everyone.

Still, even when schools can give aid in the form of equipment and so on, the sport isn’t from the cheapest end.

The highest cost of lacrosse comes when you are a club member. Club membership fees are very expensive and are often paid annually. The fees often start from $1000, but can and often will be considerably more depending on the specific club, area, and attended tournaments.

Let’s learn more about all the reasons why lacrosse is considered a rich people’s sport.

Why Is Lacrosse A Rich Sport?

Even when lacrosse is a rich sport, it isn’t as elite and niche as it once was. However, it definitely can be, so let’s learn why.

1. Equipment

There is much more required equipment when comparing lacrosse to other sports such as soccer and basketball. A quality lacrosse stick costs $150 to $300 or more, and that’s not everything you need. A protective helmet in men’s lacrosse, shoulder pads, gloves, and more are needed.

Lacrosse resembles ice hockey when it comes to the equipment, excluding the ice skates.

You can get the equipment cheaper if you give it a little more effort. You can always buy used equipment that looks nearly new but is considerably cheaper, or you can buy from less expensive brands.

2. Club Membership

When you invest in a good set of equipment, they can last for many years. However, club membership fees are often paid annually and almost always exceed the full equipment costs.

Generally, lacrosse club membership fees start from $1000 and can be much more expensive than that. Elite lacrosse clubs want to feel elite and remain selective, so the costs are often high.

However, the membership fee can be cheap depending on the area and the lacrosse club itself. For example, there is a free youth lacrosse club in California that kids can join if they don’t get behind in school and do certain community projects, such as organizing fundraisers for the team.

In addition, most schools provide scholarships, so if you’re good enough, you can play lacrosse practically for free.

3. Reputation

Last but not least, lacrosse has a rich reputation that certainly affects the price. There are many reasons why lacrosse is expensive, but the rich reputation makes people pay more, and the manufacturers and clubs ask more.

For example, long Island Lax is famous for its rich and elite reputation and super-wealthy people. Even when lacrosse does have such hotbeds, it isn’t as noticeable in today’s world.

Lacrosse is slowly becoming mainstream, as it has spread out to public schools, cities, and new lacrosse clubs have been formed that aren’t expensive. So even when lacrosse is a rich sport, it isn’t as rich anymore, and people can find a way to play it without massive fortune.

Is Lacrosse an Elite Sport?

Lacrosse is a sport with a rich reputation. However, elite sport is a step up from just rich people’s sport. So, is lacrosse an elite sport?

In short, lacrosse can be an elite sport, but it isn’t necessarily so. Lacrosse does have private membership clubs that can cost a substantial amount of money, making it just for the elite. However, lacrosse is accessible to the non-elite by joining a hobbyist club and purchasing cheaper equipment.

For a long time, lacrosse has been thought to be the sport of wealthy white men, which is still the case in many areas. However, lacrosse is becoming more popular in less wealthy areas, meaning that it isn’t for just the elite anymore.

For the people that want to be part of an elite lacrosse club, those aren’t going anywhere, and that will always be an option which is good if that’s wanted!

What Sports Does the Rich Play?

Lacrosse isn’t the only sport that is favored by the rich. In fact, a handful of sports are clearly for the rich because they cost so much or just come with a rich taste.

The most popular sports for the rich include polo, golf, water skiing, downhill snow skiing, formula 1, horse racing, tennis, and lacrosse.

I am not rich, but I might suspect that the attraction to these sports is that they aren’t accessible to everyone, and you get to practice the sport in more unusual places.

For example, downhill snow skinning is usually done in the mountains such as the Alps, giving extraordinary views and great temperatures for skiing. You get to work with very expensive horses in polo, which is quite unusual. The same can be said for Formula 1.

Some sports are impossible without money, such as formula one and polo. However, lacrosse and tennis can be done with less money and can be accessible for everyone by purchasing cheaper equipment and taking advantage of free courts and cheaper membership clubs.