Evolution of Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a fast-growing American high school sport and becoming very successful within the past few decades, so it’s important to analyze how lacrosse has gotten to where it is today and what impacted the spread. The research question is: How has lacrosse changed over the years, and what impacted the spread? Research shows that lacrosse is becoming more popular every year, and many more people are becoming aware of this sport so the history behind what is known as ‘America’s first sport’ should be known. According to the National Federation of State High School, between 2009 and 2013, participation between high school boys and girls has increased for a total of 34%. Today, over 1400 high schools in the US include
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The Europeans wanted to spread this sport, and was successful doing so. As soon as they played their first documented games, other teams also joined in and quickly became an official sport. The popularity of lacrosse rose in The Americas as soon as the Caughnawaga Indians demonstrated a game in Montreal, Canada. This was reported in a newspaper, and white men became interested. In 1876, quickly after the first set of playing rules were announced, New York University became the first team to be established in the US. During the spread of lacrosse, Queen Victoria gave recognition to the game when she endorsed a match being played in England. A popular figure being involved in this sport had a big impact on the future of lacrosse. 1904 was an important year in lacrosse history. For the first time, the sport became an actual event played in the Olympics which Canada had won the gold medal. As the next few years passed, the Unites would have won the next gold medals, but the glory moments of lacrosse quickly came to an end in 1908. It’s not completely clear as to why the sport was excluded, but research has shown that around this time, the global interests have changed and lacrosse seemed to be going out of style. As this was a disappointment to lacrosse history, it did not stop the sport from achieving much more. The still got to be a part of the world games and was involved in the World Cup. Men have always dominated in sports, while women weren’t necessarily recognized for their skills even though they do just as well. 1931, was their year. Women's lax was now recognized as a sport, rather than just a hobby. Many more teams were organized, and they participated in nearly the same activities as the men did. Equality of the sexes has always been an issue, Men has always been more dominant, so it is important to give credit to women for getting as much attention as they should. Today, it is still not exactly equal. The rules for men are way more
Helmet or no helmet? This controversial issue for girls lacrosse has been growing stronger each year. If you have ever seen men's lacrosse their uniforms are almost identical to a football player. While women only wear goggles and a mouth guard. So why why is this such a controversial issue? Shouldn’t women want to wear helmets for protection? There is a lot of evidence to review on the topic. In the articles titled, “A Case Against Helmets in Lacrosse.” by Alan Schwarz, the non-fiction piece titled “Headgear Rule for Girls” by Bill Pennington, another article named, “Helmets In Lacrosse” by Krystina Lucid, and “How Women's Field Lacrosse Differs from Men's Field Lacrosse” by James Hinkson and Joe Lombardi. Girls lacrosse should not wear more head gear/ a helmet because if they are protected they feel they can play a more aggressive game, the rules in girls lacrosse do not allow any
Themes, 603-103-MQ, Text Collection. Quebec. Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport. Montréal: Cégep@distance, 2011. 56-59. Print.
Some feared that playing sports could cause some health risks for women and that the competition would make them less feminine (Ederle). Although there were many who were concerned about these risks, women did not let this keep them from participating in sports and other physical activities. Women began to compete in large events and even in the 1900 Olympics where the first nineteen women participated in golf, croquet and tennis. Margaret I. Abbott was the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She shot a forty-seven to win the 9-hole golf tournament (Ederle). Glenna Collett later won many golf championships from 1922 through the 1930s and was a member of the Golf Hall Of Fame and the U.S. Curtis Cup Team (“Female Athletes”). Madge Syers entered the all-male 1902 figure skating world championship and placed 2nd. This caused a lot of disruption among the other skaters which caused the officials to ban women from the championships. Three years later there was an event held just for women (Ederle). In 1927, the International Federation of Women’s Field Hockey Associations was formed. Teams from Scotland, Ireland, England and the U.S. competed in this association. Elizabeth Graham wore the first ever field hockey goalie mask made of wire fencing to protect her face. This was later picked up by a male field hockey player, Jacques Plante, who began to wear a similar mask after seeing Elizabeth’s (“Female Athletes”). This proved that women’s sports could influence men’s sports in a positive
Lacrosse is a sport that was created by the Native Americans around the 1600s (5). The sport once known as stick ball to the Indians has evolved to a major sport across the world. Lacrosse was a sport that was a real major part of European culture before it made its way to America. It has just recently been picked up in the major ranks of colleges and even a professional level. So with the rise of this sport comes the rise of the preparatory phases to get ready for competition.
Every time I play lacrosse I feel like I am a part of something greater than myself. Being a part of something greater than myself, being changed in my life forever has made me think and feel whenever I play lacrosse. When I was younger playing lacrosse was a learning experience. Playing with more skilled or less skilled girls in lacrosse and playing different positions except for one every game, practice and scrimmage all the time makes me get a different perspective. Playing lacrosse for quick sticks has changed my life forever.
To understand the significance of the league (which will further be referred to as the AAGPBL) you must first have an understanding of the role of women in society at this time. Post World War II, women had a very slight role in anything not concerning domestic issues. Public figures and decision-makers were male, and very few women were involved in anything having to with business or politics. Women were expected to be ladylike and well mannered at all times. Because of these factors it was rare to find a woman involved in any type of sport, especially those dominated by males.
Since soccer and lacrosse are very similar they are obviously very different in many ways. One example of a difference between soccer and lacrosse is that soccer uses more of their feet to kick the ball a lot more and to shoot the ball a lot. Lacrosse has to use a stick to pick up the ball and bring it down field to score and they can kick the ball but it's only to help you pick up they ball and you can't use it to score a goal. In addition to scoring a goal, soccer has a big goal to shoot and score since the ball is pretty big and you have to use your feet to score over lacrosse that has a small one to be able to score as the ball is very small and it would be easy to score if you had a soccer goal for lacrosse. Another example is that in soccer any player is
The lacrosse players would go up to each other and smack at each other’s sticks trying to dislodge the ball. The French named the game lacrosse which means the game of the stick. Sometimes a player would hit an opposing team’s player, severely injuring the person or breaking bones. There is even one account of a player dying. Anthony Aveni an editor for History.org says, “It is quite common to see someone crippled for the rest of his life who would not have had this misfortune but for his own obstinacy” (paragraph 9). The Indians did not have a goal so they used landmarks such as rocks and trees for a goal. Jane Claydon, an editor for Federation of International Lacrosse claims, “Some estimates have mentioned between one hundred and one hundred thousand players…. On the field at one time” (paragraph 2). There are tons of players. The fields were very extreme ranging anywhere from nine hundred yards to nine miles in length. Players at one end could not see the ball at the other end. The game would last from sun up to sun down many
Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America, having been played by Native American tribes long before any European had even set foot on the continent. A century after European missionaries discovered the game played by Native Americans, they began to play it themselves, starting in the 18th century. From there, it evolved and grew in popularity from a very savage game that resembled war, into what it is today, a recreational sport played widely in America and other countries. As U.S. Lacrosse literature aptly puts it, “Lacrosse is a game born of the North American Indian, christened by the French, adopted and raised by the Canadians, and later dominated by the Americans.” When the first people of America started playing lacrosse centuries ago, the game served many purposes.
As more of my teammates began to show up, I recognized most of them. However, I learned later that if I went on to play in the Spring, this would not be the same exact team I would play with. With only twenty minutes until we began,I put on all of my gear and my dad gave me a thorough warm up. Time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it, everyone was gathered together as positions were being assigned. I was originally overwhelmed with excitement, but as the game drew closer, the joy I had felt was replaced with anxiety. The lacrosse game taking place before ours ended and we entered and took our place on our bench. I recognized the opposing team’s jerseys quickly and identified them as a travel team from our area. Taking one final breath, I rushed into the lacrosse net enjoying my bird’s eye view, unsure of what was to
Lacrosse has progressed over the years from when it started as a religious practice by the Native Americans to the Canadians to the east coast to all around the world. The equipment, shoes, rules, and fields have changed in many different ways. The different ways that people can set up their defense and their offense is so broad that it is hard to describe. The original team set up was when the Indians played over expanses of 500 yard up to a mile. Then William George Beers created a club called the Montreal Lacrosse Club in eighteen fifty-six. Then about a decade later William George Beers produced a whole set of rules that included reducing the number of players to ten adding hitting penalties while also introducing a rubber ball and a new innovative plastic design for the lacrosse stick.
In 1970 only 1 in 27 girls participated in high school sports, today that ratio is 1 in 3. Sports are a very important part of the American society. Within sports heroes are made, goals are set and dreams are lived. The media makes all these things possible by creating publicity for the rising stars of today. Within society today, the media has downplayed the role of the woman within sports. When the American people think of women in sports, they think of ice skating, field hockey and diving. People don’t recognize that women have the potential to play any sport that a Man can play, with equal skill, if not better.
Participation in sports and games has long been a part of Native culture. The most significant example of a sport invented and played by Natives is lacrosse. Lacrosse is still designated as the official sport of Canada despite the overwhelming popularity of hockey (http://canada.gc.ca). Lacrosse was one of many varieties of indigenous stickball games being played by Native Americans and Canadians at the time of European contact. Almost exclusively a male team sport, it is distinguished from other stick and ball games, such as field hockey or shinny, by the use of a netted racquet with which to pick the ball off the ground, throw, catch and vault it into or past a goal to score a point.
Women are being allowed to participate now, including professional leagues such as the Women’s National Basketball Association, and the Ladies Professional Golf Association. Women in sports, especially softball and basketball, have become a big-time business. World War II is when the basis of women’s professional sports began. While the men were overseas fighting the war against the Nazis and Germans, the women entertained the people who stayed back by playing baseball.
Sports, a very popular past time today, have been around since ancient times. Greek Olympic Games featured events from chariot races, javelin throws, to wrestling. In addition, a game similar to soccer was played in China by the second century BC. In England, a violent rugby type game was even played to settle feuds between villages. With the development of the industrial revolution and the creation of the first public schools, sports decreased in violence and were played more recreationally and constructively. Basketball was invented to help the youth in New England spend their energy in the winter months. Since the early 1900’s sports have been a key experience in the United States (“History of Sports”). I have played sports for many years, and the experience has helped me grow significantly as an individual.