There are controversies in every human pastime. The sport of Lacrosse is no exception.
No, this article is not going to launch into a discussion about sketchy stringing practices or new ball regulations. This article will explore another sensitive subject: reversible practice jerseys.
Pinnies or pennies?
Which term does your coach use? And what do your fellow teammates call those flimsy little mini-shirts you put on over your practice or game uniforms?
There have been numerous arguments and discussions, both offline and online, about this very topic. According to this website's unscientific poll, "pinnies" is the more popular, accepted term, but pennies is also commonly used in some areas. This same thread linked above offers dictionary entries that appear to support the use of either term.
Your choices in reversible practice jerseys.
Practice jerseys, pinnies, or pennies are basically little crop-top, sleeveless shirts that have one color on the outside but can be turned inside out and worn with the inside color showing. In other words, they're reversible. The basic pinnies come in a solid color on one side and white on the other. Teams usually try to order practice jerseys with one side made of team colors.
The jerseys come in handy for practice, when a quick change of the team members' pinnies can make it easy to distinguish players of opposing practice teams by their contrasting colors. They're also helpful for teams with small budgets, since they can be printed with team logos and player numbers and used over plain lacrosse wear on game days.
With new printing techniques such as sublimation - which allows for amazing color reproduction of images on fabric - teams can order fancy custom pinnies or they can save their real pennies by ordering their practice jerseys in stock colors. Stock does not mean boring, however. Pinnies now come in neon colors, Hawaiian prints and college team designs.
A bit more about pinnies.
Most teams will supply your practice jerseys. Your team may be one of those teams that only uses them during practice for scrimmages and drills and they will stay with the team's equipment.
Your team may have custom pinnies made for you. Learn how to care for your practice jerseys if you are responsible for laundering them. Most are made of synthetic fabrics and are easy to clean, but check manufacturer's instructions.
If you have an oddly shaped body, you may want to order your own pinnies. It's annoying to have a too-wide pinnie slide off your shoulder and restrict your arm during a match. Or to have a too-tight pinnie keep you from making your trick shot. A lacrosse supply store can put you in touch with an alteration shop that can custom fit your pinnie to your shape.
No matter what you call those reversible practice jerseys, you have many styles and colors from which to choose. You might even splurge and buy your entire team a set of neon orange pinnies. Or pennies. Visit your local lacrosse shop, like Breakaway Lacrosse, to explore all the options and to get all your other lacrosse equipment.
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