The Lacrosse, Rugby and Soccer Player Prepares for the Military (a series)

You can group together a few sports and call them “similar” because of the running, cardiovascular endurance, speed and agility involved. For this article, lacrosse, rugby and soccer are similar in those respects. 

However, you may see the lacrosse and rugby players in the weight room more in the offseason, mainly due to the amount of contact in those sports. Here are the strengths and weaknesses these athletes have in preparing to join the military:

Middle-distance running sports: Strengths for the military recruit (intangibles)

Lacrosse, rugby and soccer are growing in popularity, so you often will see more recruits with backgrounds in one or more of those sports. The amount of running during games and practices is ideal for military preparation.

A timed run typically is not an issue for this type of athlete, and picking up any running program for tougher events like three- to five-mile timed runs are picked up quickly without many overuse injuries. These athletes often have experienced these overuse injuries during their years of training and practicing, therefore becoming more resilient to aches and pains associated with running.  

The reason why is the large amount of acceleration and deceleration puts high forces on their legs. Healthy athletes in these sports do well with military training transition.

Mental toughness. There is some mental toughness gained from playing sports where mile sprints and 300-yard shuttle runs back to back are common in workouts. Running 100-meter after 100-meter sprint is common for the soccer, lacrosse and rugby player.

Consider this extreme interval running training that pushes you to be tougher. The solid foundation of muscle stamina, endurance and strength enables rugby and lacrosse players to move quickly into more of the weight-bearing and rucking events in the military.

Competitor/teammate. These sports are great for building team unity. The military is a team, and having that experience is invaluable for the young recruit every year of their military career.

Strengths for the military recruit (tangibles)

Hybrid athlete of skills, strength and muscle stamina. Hand-eye coordination (as well as foot-eye coordination) is exceptional for these athletes. Even though they are not lifting as much as a football player or running as much as a cross-country runner, these athletes have a healthy mix of fast running, middle-distance running, speed, agility and strength (especially in the legs).  These three athletes can gain strength through weights/calisthenics easily. 

Obstacle courses. Because of the amount of speed and agility accomplished by these athletes, they tend to do well with obstacle courses as long as they have good technique for doing rope climbs and have long-lasting grip strength. These athletes will need to work on their grip strength and forearm stamina.

Lacrosse, rugby and soccer weaknesses for the military recruit

Specifics. Depending upon the branch of service of the recruits of these sports, you may have to do longer-distance running and/or rucking (Army/U.S. Marine Corps). You may have to learn how to swim and pass swim tests if in the Navy and Coast Guard and some elements of special ops and the USMC. Some of these skills will depend on offseason practice, or summer jobs as a lifeguard will help tremendously with transitioning into certain military branches.

Regardless of your athletic background, becoming a tactical athlete requires molding your current strengths to the service requirements. You cannot neglect your current weaknesses, though. 

If you are a current athlete in these sports, keep it up. During the offseason, get specific to the branch of service that you are considering. You may need to add in rucking, swimming, more running and perhaps lifting so load-bearing events do not crush you. But for the most part, the lacrosse, rugby and soccer player will bring some of the strengths needed to master military training programs. 

Related video discussion:

Lax, Rugby or Soccer Player Prepares for Special Ops

Previous athletes discussed:

Cross Country Endurance Running Athlete

Swimming Athlete

Powerlifting Football Athlete

CrossFit Athlete

A Wrestler

Stew Smith is a former Navy SEAL and fitness author certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Visit his Fitness eBook store if you’re looking to start a workout program to create a healthy lifestyle. Send your fitness questions to stew@stewsmith.com.

Want to Learn More About Military Life?

Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for fitness and basic training tips, or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox.