Make My Lacrosse Stick Special

            Today I’m going to make my lacrosse stick special.  Lacrosse originated as a Native American ritual (game) that some tribes played on the east coast of the United States to prepare for battle.  Warriors would decorate their bodies in preparation for the blood sport.  Over the years, as the game has evolved, the practice of decoration, or making special, has not left the game.  Players decorate the heads (the top of the stick where the ball sits) with colored stringing or dye them various colors.   Both types of decoration are an expression of the style of game that the individual player plays.  Let’s go dye my stick.

            Like I said, the stick expresses the style of the player; as an attack-man (an offensive player) the style of my game was flashy, I always went for the stylish move to score a goal.  I no longer play (so this stick was dyed a few years ago), but I found this act of “making special” interesting because of its anthropological connection to the native groups near where I grew up in New York, and the continuation of the traditional practice of expressing yourself in the game.  Considering the style I played; my stick was pretty flashy. 

            First you need some supplies.  I’m using a small trashcan to contain the water and dye (red and blue, after dyed it turns to this ugly, flashy purplish color) that I’m using to make my stick special.  I boil some water.  While waiting for the water to boil, I take a hot glue gun and lay out some newspaper so I don’t make a mess.  I slowly streak the hot glue over the lacrosse head horizontally, working from the base up to the top.  I do this so that white streaks will appear after the dying is complete.  I let the glue dry and by that time the water is at a soft boil.  (NOTE: Don’t leave the head on the newspaper to dry, use a wire hanger and don’t hang it over something important leave it outside or in the garage over some newspaper).  I dump the water into the trashcan and add the blue dye.  Then I take the lacrosse head and place it into the water and dye for about five minutes (the longer or shorter you leave it in will affect the color, shorter = lighter color, longer = darker color).  I check it at three minutes and take it out after five.  I take out the head and let it dry for a 4-6 hours.  Then I take the head once more and repeat the gluing procedure while I boil the water in preparation for the red dye.  This will give the head blue and white horizontal streaks across its purple overtone.  As the glue dries the water is once again at a soft boil.  I put the water into the trashcan and add the red dye.  I place the head into the water and wait for five minutes, again checking it at 3 minutes to make sure the color is where I want it.  After five minutes of soaking in the dye, I remove the head and let it dry for another 4-6 hours (clearly this is either an all day or two day procedure).  After the head is dry, I take a butter knife and scrape the hot glue off, revealing the blue and white streaks.  Then I string up the stick using white stringing (the head is flashy enough on its own). 

Un-dyed Lacrosse Head

My Dyed Lacrosse Head

Another view of it