Lacrosse Past and Present
The history of Lacrosse started with the North American Indian tribes. As early as the 1400s, the Iroquois, Huron, Algonquin and other Native Peoples were playing the game. In it’s infancy lacrosse, or baggataway as it was named at the time, was a game that was partly a spiritual journey and at the same time served as some of the training for tribal warriors.
The game has always needed very a high level of athletic ability. In early games, just moving up and down the field was a great task. The goals could be as far as several hundred yards to half a mile apart and there were no sidelines restricting the field. Games could last as long as two to three days with a “break” between sunset and sun rise. Teams sometimes has as many as 1,000 players all trying to move a little, deerskin or sometimes a wooden ball past the other sides goal. Players carried three to four foot long sticks with small webs or nets on 
the end to toss, catch and carry the ball .
Sometime around the 1840s, French inhabitants in Canada also started to play the game. A match between a French team and Native Peoples team was held at the Montreal Olympic club in 1844. The Montreal Lacrosse Club was created in 1856 and developed the first written set of rules. The rules included the field dimensions as well as the number of players per team.
George Beers, a Canadian dentist, is generally accepted as creator of contemporary lacrosse. He modified the rules which were adopted by the National Lacrosse Association of Canada in 1867. Lacrosse became so popular in Canada that is became known as Canada’s National sport. In 1994 Canada passed the “Canadian National Sport Act” which formally named lacrosse the National Summer sport of Canada and as you might guess it named ice hockey the National winter Sport.
Lacrosse in the United States
Lacrosse quickly spread into the United States. In fact the very first “world” lacrosse match was held in 1867 between Canada and the United States. Lacrosse was an Olympic sport in 1904 and 1908. Canada won both golds. After that Lacrosse became an Olympic demonstration sport in the 1928, 1932 and 1948 Olympics. Unfortunately, it has not returned to an Olympic medal sport but maybe with the increasing interest in the game it will in the future.
In the United States lacrosse became a popular sport with colleges and high schools in the northeast. By the year 1882, lacrosse was being played at high schools across northeastern states.
As you can see in the chart, lacrosse has more than doubled over the last 10 years.
The sport is governed by the US Amateur Lacrosse Association now called “U.S. Lacrosse” which was founded in 1879.
Since 1971, The National Collegiate Athletic Association has held men’s lacrosse championships for Division I schools. Division II championships were held from 1974 to 1981 and then resumed in 1993. NCAA Division III men’s lacrosse championships have been held every year since 1980.
In the late 1800s women started formally playing lacrosse. English girls schools utilized lacrosse as a springtime sport for their field hockey players. The women’s game began with eight players on the field. Since that time the team size has increased to12 players per side.
The Woman’s Lacrosse Association now overseen by FILA ( Federation of International Lacrosse ) was founded in England in 1912. England brought women’s lacrosse in the United States in the early 1900s. An English physical education instructor named Constance Applebee, Started the US women’s lacrosse camp in 1922 and from that camp The United States Women’s Lacrosse Association also now under U.S. Lacrosse was founded in 1931.
Women’s NCAA lacrosse champions for Division I schools began in 1982. Division II women’s champions started in 2001 and Division III titles have been recognized since 1985.
Today, many clubs organized by high schools, neighborhoods and universities play one of 3 forms of lacrosse:
Men’s Lacrosse is by far the most popular of the three. It is played by 10-man teams on a grass field. A game includes 25-minute quarters and four-minute overtime periods if the teams are tied at the end of regulation play.
Women’s Lacrosse is played on a smaller field by teams of 12. The game has two 25-minute periods. Body checking is unlawful, however players may use sticks to cross check a player that has the ball.
Box Lacrosse is an indoor variation of the game played mostly in Canada though I did pay some here the last two years. And we now have an indoor winter league. Teams consist of six players and compete indoors on a field the same size as a hockey rink.
Lacrosse has not really changed that much from its original form. It is still a fast, aggressive game that requires remarkable individual athletic skills as well as a strong team effort.
GO LAX
