Today, lacrosse is a tough game played by men in protective gear. They hold a long stick with a net at the end, which is used to throw and catch a small ball. The intention is to throw the ball into the netted goal at the opposite end of the field without touching it with your hands. While one person is trying to pass the ball to teammates to get the ball into the goal, players on the other team are trying to confiscate the ball to carry it over and throw it into their goal on the other side of the field. What many people don't realize is that men's lacrosse has an interesting history that goes back to the Native American Indians. Keep reading to learn more information:
Native American Indians
Stickball is the original name for lacrosse, which was played by Native American tribes long before European settlers set foot on the continent. The first known group of Indians to play stickball, the Algonquian tribe, lived in the St. Lawrence Valley area. Soon, other Indian tribes in the Northeast United States and around the western Great Lakes region began to play the game.
Stickball was considered to be a major event to the American Indians, which was surrounded by rituals and often lasted for several days. It was played for recreation and religious reasons, as well as a method for toughening up young warriors. As the popularity of stickball continued to grow among the Indian nation, the game was also used to settle disputes. But this sometimes lead to a fight at the end of the game.
Here are some more interesting facts:
Canada
In 1834, the Caughnawaga Indians saw a demonstration of lacrosse in Montreal. They loved it! It didn't take long for this fun game to sweep across Canada. In 1856 the Montreal Lacrosse Club was organized. In 1860, a dentist named Dr. William George Beers, created the first set of official rules, switched to a rubber ball, and redesigned the stick. In 1867, Parliament adopted lacrosse as the national game of Canada. Shortly after, the National Lacrosse Association, now called the Canadian Lacrosse Association, was established as the governing body of the sport.
The Rest Of The World
In the 1630s, a French Jesuit missionary named Jean de Brebeuf was working in the St. Lawrence valley and saw Indians playing stickball. In 1636, Brebeuf wrote about a particular game being played by the Huron Indians, and he named it lacrosse based on the French generic name for "a curved stick," which is crosse. This was the first time a European had seen the game.
In 1867, Canada played exhibition games in England. But it was in 1876 when Queen Victoria commented on a lacrosse game, saying that it "is very pretty to watch." Then, in 1883, a Canadian lacrosse touring team and a team of Iroquois natives went to Scotland, and the game gained even more popularity in Europe. In 1904, lacrosse was played for the first time in the Summer Olympics.
If this article has sparked your interest in the game of lacrosse, it's time to give it a try. Visit one of your local lacrosse stores to buy all the gear you need to play the game, including pads and a stick. Then gather a few friends and practice together. Or, find a local lacrosse group to join. Playing lacrosse is a lot of fun for people of all ages.
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