LACROSSE is a combination of basketball, soccer and hockey.  Anyone can play. The game requires and rewards coordination and agility, not brawn. Quickness and speed are two highly prized qualities of lacrosse.  Men’s and women’s lacrosse are played under different lacrosse rules.  Women’s (girls) rules limit stick contact, prohibit body contact and therefore, require little protective equipment.  Men’s (boys) lacrosse rules allow some degree of stick and body contact, although violence is neither condoned nor allowed.  Each age group carries its own set of rules as to the level of contact. For more information go to www.uslacrosse.org.

HISTORY: Lacrosse, considered to be America’s first sport, was born of the North American Indian, christened by the French, and adapted and raised by the Canadians.  Lacrosse was often played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick, and develop strong, virile men.  The first women’s lacrosse game was played in 1890 at the St. Leonard’s School in Scotland. It was not until 1926 that Miss Rosabelle Sinclair established the first women’s team in the U. S. in Baltimore, MD.

Men’s and women’s lacrosse were played under virtually the same rules, with no protective equipment, until the mid-1930s.  At that time, men’s lacrosse began evolving dramatically, while women’s lacrosse continued to remain true to the game’s original rules.

To Native Americans, lacrosse is still referred to as “The Creator’s Game.”   Modern lacrosse has been embraced by athletes and enthusiasts of the U.S. and the British Commonwealth for over a century. Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing team sports in the U.S.  It is also the fastest growing sport over the last five years at the NCAA level