In The History, Lacrosse, Was Invented By Native Americans

Lacrosse was invented by Native Americans, and was originally known as stickball. Initially, the game was played in the St. Lawrence Valley area of New York by the Algonquian tribe, but later other eastern tribes adopted the game.

Stickball games were played for many different purposes. They were often used to resolve conflicts between tribes, and to train young tribal warriors for battle. They held a deep religious meaning for Native Americans, and they were said to prepare the spirit for combat. Those who participated did so as warriors, and were tasked with bringing glory and honor to themselves and their tribes.

Each game was seen as a major event, and generally took place over the course of several days. They were played in

The ball was generally made of wood, deerskin, rock, or occasionally the head of an enemy. Prior to the game, participants would use paint and charcoal to decorate their faces and bodies, and non-participants would place bets on the winning team.

The first European documentation of the sport came in the 1630s, when French Jesuit missionaries working in the St. Lawrence Valley, observed the game being played. One of them, Jean de Brébeuf, wrote about the game being played by the Huron tribe in 1636. It was he who named the game lacrosse, referring to the sticks the Native Americans used in the games.

Many years later, this led to the development of the game in Canada, which was pioneered by a dentist named Dr William George Beers, who established the Montreal Lacrosse Club in 1856. In 1866, he rewrote the rules, reducing the number of players, and implementing a rubber ball and a redesigned stick.
By 1860, Canada had officially adopted lacrosse as their national game, and by 1867 exhibition games had begun to be played in England. In 1876, Queen Victoria complemented the eloquence of the game, resulting in peaked interest from the

In the 1930s, Box lacrosse, a new variation of the game, was created. Box lacrosse became very popular in Canada, due to the increased interest in hockey at this time. Box lacrosse combined the two sports, incorporating the checking and team play of hockey, but with the stick skills and footwork of lacrosse. The game was played 5 vs 5 in rinks without ice, and quickly overcame field lacrosse’s popularity in Canada.
Back in the US, Lacrosse had continued to expand, and it began to flourish as a spring sport in Ivy League schools. It eventually grew to become a nationally recognized college sport, currently with 71 Division 1 men’s teams.
Presently, there are nine professional field lacrosse teams, and nine professional box lacrosse teams. The game is growing faster than ever, with around a million participants worldwide. Most high schools now have lacrosse programs, and there are community lacrosse clubs all over the nation. Even with such popularity, the professional arena still does not compare to other professional sports in many ways, including salaries of athletes, attendance for games and notoriety of