Lacrosse Injuries: A Long Island Parent’s Guide

Lacrosse Season on Long Island

A Sideline Reality Every Long Island Parent Knows

Lacrosse season on Long Island means one thing every parent already knows: sidelines packed with coolers, folding chairs, and a lot of nervous watching. Between the travel teams, the school programs, and the club circuit that runs almost year-round here, Long Island kids play a lot of lacrosse — and lacrosse is a fast, physical, stick-and-body-contact sport. Injuries happen.

What This Guide Covers

Whether your child just took a hard check, rolled an ankle cutting toward the goal, or has been complaining that their shoulder “just feels off” for a few weeks, this guide walks through what we see most often in young lacrosse players, which signs mean it’s time to get evaluated, and how our team at All Island Chiropractic & Physical Therapy Care helps Long Island athletes recover and get back on the field.

Why Lacrosse Puts Long Island Kids at Risk

A Demanding Sport for Growing Bodies

Lacrosse combines the running and cutting demands of soccer, the collisions of football, and the repetitive overhead motion of baseball — all in one sport. A few things make it particularly tough on developing bodies:

Contact at Every Level

Body checking, stick checks, and collisions are part of the game, even in youth and middle school divisions.

Growing Bodies, Adult-Level Schedules

Many Long Island kids play school lacrosse in the spring and club or travel lacrosse for much of the rest of the year, leaving little true recovery time for growth plates, tendons, and joints that are still developing.

Turf and Hard-Packed Fields

A lot of local games and practices are played on turf, which is harder on joints than grass and can increase impact forces on the knees, ankles, and low back.

Repetitive One-Sided Motion

Cradling, shooting, and checking almost always favor one side of the body, which can lead to muscle imbalances and overuse injuries over a long season.

Awareness Is the Goal

None of that means lacrosse is unsafe — it just means it’s worth knowing what to watch for.

The Most Common Lacrosse Injuries We See

Concussions and Head Injuries

Lacrosse has one of the higher concussion rates among youth contact sports, from stick checks, collisions, and falls. Any hit to the head — or a hard hit to the body that snaps the head — should be taken seriously, even if your child insists they’re “fine.”

Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder stingers, AC joint sprains, and even dislocations are common after a hard check or a fall onto an outstretched arm. Shooters and midfielders who play a lot of minutes can also develop shoulder tendonitis from the repetitive overhead motion of shooting and checking.

Wrist and Hand Injuries

Stick checks to the hands and wrists are a routine part of the game, and they can cause anything from deep bruising to fractures, especially in younger players still building the coordination to protect their hands.

Knee Injuries

Quick cuts, sudden stops, and collisions put real stress on the knee. ACL and MCL sprains or tears are among the more serious injuries we see in lacrosse players, particularly in players who pivot and change direction at speed.

Ankle Sprains

Uneven turf, awkward landings, and quick direction changes make ankle sprains one of the most frequent lacrosse injuries at every age level.

Overuse Injuries in Youth Athletes

Not every injury comes from a single hit. Low back pain, hip tightness, and shoulder tendonitis often build up gradually over a long season of practices, games, and one-sided repetitive motion — especially for kids playing on more than one team at a time.

Warning Signs Every Lacrosse Parent Should Know

Signs That Mean It’s Time to Get Checked Out

Some injuries need same-day attention. Others are easy to brush off as “just part of the game” but shouldn’t be. Watch for:

• Any loss of consciousness, confusion, dizziness, or headache after a hit to the head
• Visible swelling, deformity, or inability to bear weight on an ankle or knee
• Pain that doesn’t improve — or gets worse — after a few days of rest
• Numbness, tingling, or weakness in an arm or leg
• A shoulder or joint that looks out of place or that your child can’t move normally
• Pain that changes how your child walks, runs, or holds their stick
• Recurring “tweaks” in the same spot, game after game

When to Pull Your Child From Play

If your child has any of the head injury signs above, they should be pulled from play immediately and not returned to the field the same day.

What to Do on the Sideline When Your Child Gets Hurt

The First Few Minutes Matter

You don’t need to diagnose anything on the sideline — that’s our job. But a few basic steps in the first few minutes make a real difference:

• Stop play right away for any suspected head injury, and don’t let your child talk their way back onto the field.
• Ice, don’t heat, a fresh sprain, strain, or bruise for the first 24–48 hours.
• Avoid weight-bearing on an ankle or knee that’s swelling or unstable until it’s been checked out.
• Keep the joint still if a shoulder or joint looks out of place, and get evaluated before assuming it “popped back in on its own.”
• Write down what happened — how the injury occurred, what symptoms showed up, and when — it helps whoever evaluates your child afterward.

How We Treat Lacrosse Injuries at All Island Chiropractic & Physical Therapy Care

A Different Approach for Young Athletes

Youth and high school athletes need a different approach than adult patients — growing joints, open growth plates, and the goal of getting back to a sport safely all factor into how we build a treatment plan. Dr. Craig Selzer is certified in Active Release Techniques and has spent years treating athletic injuries in Long Island athletes.

What a Care Plan May Include

Depending on the injury, a typical care plan may include:

• Chiropractic care to restore proper joint mobility and alignment after a collision or fall
• Active Release Techniques (ART) to address tight, overworked, or injured soft tissue
• Physical therapy to rebuild strength, stability, and range of motion before a safe return to play
• Pain management strategies for lingering soreness or overuse pain that’s been building all season
• Guidance for parents and coaches on rest, recovery, and warning signs to watch for as your athlete returns to the field

Two Convenient Long Island Locations

We treat patients at both our Bay Shore and Wading River offices, so most Long Island families can find a convenient location and schedule.

Getting Back on the Field Safely

Why Rushing Back Too Soon Backfires

One of the most common mistakes with youth sports injuries is rushing back too soon. A joint or muscle that feels “good enough” isn’t always fully healed underneath, and returning too early is one of the biggest risk factors for re-injury. Our goal isn’t just to get your athlete out of pain — it’s to make sure their body can actually handle the demands of the game again before they step back on the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

My child says their shoulder or knee “feels fine” now — do they still need to be checked out?

Not always, but persistent soreness, a limp, favoring one side, or pain that comes and goes during the season is worth having looked at. Catching a small issue early is usually faster and easier to resolve than waiting until it becomes a bigger problem.

Do you treat growth plate injuries in young athletes?

Yes. Our approach is adjusted for growing bodies, and we take open growth plates into account when building a care plan for younger lacrosse players.

Is chiropractic care safe for kids and teenagers?

Yes. Chiropractic care for young athletes is adapted to their age, size, and stage of development, and is a common part of youth sports injury recovery.

Does insurance cover treatment for a sports injury?

Most major insurance plans cover chiropractic and physical therapy for sports injuries, and our team will help verify your benefits before your first visit.

How soon after an injury should we come in?

Sooner is generally better. Early evaluation helps prevent a minor issue from turning into a longer-term one, and it gives your athlete the best shot at a full, timely recovery.

Don’t Let a Lacrosse Injury Sideline Your Season

We’re Here to Help Long Island’s Young Athletes

From concussions to ankle sprains to the nagging shoulder pain that’s been hanging around all season, our team at All Island Chiropractic & Physical Therapy Care is here to help Long Island’s young athletes recover and get back to the game safely.