Lax is played across multiple seasons and sometimes, you’re going to have to figure out a way to stay warm out on the field. From early October to the early Spring season (end of February/early March) you’re going to have practices and games where it’s too cold to wear just your shorts and jersey with a tee underneath. There’s a ton of different styles and ways to go about this, so let’s figure out what kind of fall player you are.
Tops
Up top you’ve got a bunch of options. There’s hoodies, crew necks, long sleeve tees, and weather-tech gear. Wearing a hoodie has its advantages and disadvantages. Generally, hoodies can be your warmest option, and can be worn over your pads so you won’t feel too tight on your elbows and shoulders. If you find the right one it can be pretty comfortable. That’s the trick though – finding the right one. Sometimes, hoodies can be too bulky and restrictive, which will affect your range of motion and mobility, and limiting you on the field. There’s also a question of what to do with the hood. Some people choose to put the hood on and put their helmet over the hood, but in our opinion this can be extremely uncomfortable, and also make it harder to hear plays or substitutions being called. But hey, it’ll keep those ears warm. You can also keep the hood loose hanging on your back. The only issue is some people get annoyed with it bouncing while you run, but it isn’t so bad. Crew necks are similar to hoodies, generally having the same material and bulkiness, but most effective warmth, and you won’t have to worry about figuring out what to do with the hood. However, this might leave your neck exposed to get cold, and leave more room for the cold to penetrate your upper body area through the opening around the neck.
Long sleeve tees are more lightweight and can be less restrictive, but most of the time, these have to be worn under arm pads and shoulder pads, which can be not only uncomfortable, but restrictive in those specific areas. Any sort of restriction has the chance to affect your performance. You are also sacrificing warmth with a long sleeve tee. A hoodie or crewneck will do a much better job keeping you warm as you really get deep into the fall/winter seasons. However, when you’re at a turning point and it’s not too cold but you still need that extra layer, the long-sleeve tee is perfect. We’re not going to lie to you though, wearing a long-sleeve tee under your equipment doesn’t look good at all. There’s zero style points with the long-sleeve tee, and you’ll look like a noob out there. But hey, if you’re comfortable and still able to perform at your peak level, all the power to you.
Weather-tech gear is probably the most well-rounded option. The level of comfort offered is unmatched by any other option when it comes to keeping warm. A lot of the time you can’t even feel it while you’re playing. The technology is also designed to retain body heat in the cold gear models, keeping you warm and blocking the cold air from contacting your body. Check out the cold gear weather-tech long sleeves that we sell here. There are few disadvantages to the weather-tech gear. For some larger builds, it may feel too tight causing discomfort. It is also made of polyester, so for those allergic to polyester, you may want to go with a long sleeve cotton tee or sweatshirt. The style here is sleek, and in a white color it can accent any school or club’s colors.
Bottoms
Nowadays players are fortunate to have more options. The look that holds a special place in our hearts is the baggy-sweatpants-tucked-into-the-socks look. When we were playing, we didn’t have all the jogger styles with the tight ankles built in for you. Most of our sweatpants would sag below our heel and sometimes get caught up under our cleats. In the olden days, we had to tuck our sweatpants into our socks. Doing this also kept the cold from touching your legs through the opening at the bottom of your sweats, and kept the
warmth from escaping as well. This is our look of choice, so if you want to have the most steez out there, the old tuck move will do the trick.
More practically, joggers will do the trick. These are the newest style of sweatpants that get tight around the ankle so they stay above the shoe. This helps keep heat inside and keeps cold out, without risking getting tripped up on baggy material. While the bottoms are tightly fitted to the ankle and are a comfortable option, it is not skin tight so joggers may not completely keep out all of the cold – and we all know once you’re cold out on the field there’s no going back. So, where you increase comfort, you may risk losing some warmth.
Where we have weather gear for your top, we also have them for your bottoms. Weather-tech pants will lock in your heat and block out cold, while giving you a second-skin fit for maximized comfort and mobility. With our weather guard pants, you can also customize them with your number to show on your calf, for extra style. Check out our options here.
At the end of the day, there’s always going to be that psychopath on every team that claims the cold isn’t real, and they’ll be wearing shorts and short sleeves throughout the entirety of the fall and winter seasons. Don’t be that guy. Get down to your local LU and check out the cold weather options, and decide what works best for you.
