Canadian Sports History Response Long before the European settlers arrived, the Aboriginals had created many different sports and games to use as subsistence techniques. To live on the severely brutal Canadian land, both men and women needed to be just as tough. Lacrosse was an example of a subsistence technique developed to prepare the Aboriginals for the harshness of living in Canada. Originally, like all native sports, Lacrosse had a deep connection to the Aboriginals. It was seen as not only a tradition rooted in their culture, but also provided a way for relations between Aboriginal groups. The game was created with very limited rules. It was to be played on a large open land mass and involved as little or as many participants as desired. …show more content…
The Beaver Club, established in 1785, was an early example of a group of men, getting together socially. Following the Beaver club, the Curling, Snowshoe and Lacrosse clubs formed with more of an emphasis on sport than social. Up until these clubs were formed, involvement in sport by the Europeans was sporadic, the clubs helped establish both a set of playing rules, but also set games for organized sport. The Lacrosse Club was founded in 1856, and up until 1860, a pivotal year in the transformation of Lacrosse across Canada, the rules used for the game were known as “The Gentlemen’s Rules.” These rules were vague and have no clear cut decisions about equipment or gameplay like we have today. In the year 1860, the Prince of Wales made a visit to the city of Montreal. For this visit, the Prince was to watch two separate Lacrosse games, the Iroquois against Algonkian teams and a team of “Indians” against 25 “local” men (a game in which the aboriginals won easily). Shortly after the Prince’s visit, while the buzz for Lacrosse was high, William George Beers published a brochure called “The Game of Lacrosse.” This brief instructional manual had information on how to build a stick, technique for throwing and catching, strategies and a set of 8 very vague rules. Just a few years later, the Montreal Gazette published the 17 “Laws of Lacrosse.” These laws cemented …show more content…
Before the game was modified by the Eurocentric views of the settlers, the game was not about the outcome, and only about the process. Lacrosse was a subsistence technique for the Aboriginal people, who prided themselves on the physicality that these games were able to provide them. While Europeans created rules and techniques to play the game, what they valued most in Lacrosse, and many other sports, was winning. This is the fundamental difference that ethnocentricity had on Lacrosse in Canada: the value on process was lost as Europeans shifted the importance to
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.
The presence of activity and sport is found within cultures and societies all over the world, and throughout history. Activity in the form of sport can often be the purest form of expression for a society or individual. The sporting world is often thought to be a microcosm of the actual world with the problems and issues of society still being ever present in the sporting community. Since sport can be used as an expression of self, it is no wonder that sport is often a reflection of the society that it occupies. One such society that was deeply impacted by the role of sport is that of Native American boarding school students in the 1800’s and 1900’s. These students lived tough lives but just like how it had helped other cultural societies, sport was able to provide these students with basic needs of autonomy and pride.
Thomas Raddall, a Canadian historical analyst, once said, “When the soldiers were transferred to military posts along the Saint Lawrence and Great Lakes, they took the game with them; and for some time afterwards continued to send to Dartmouth Indians for the necessary sticks.” This quote goes to show that the game’s reputation took off, even during undesirable times such as during a war. Up to this point in time, the sport was primarily played by masculine males and not women. Skip ahead 75 years from the birth of the sport, in 1875 James Creighton, a native Canadian, devised the modern rules of the game. He strategically thought of all possibilities the game could ensue, and devised a set of rules in Montreal. A group of nine players, including Creighton, tried out his guidelines at the Victoria Skating Rink located at McGill University. They all agreed upon the fairness and rationality of the principles he set forth for the game. Instead of using a ball like they formerly did, they switched the ball out for a wooden puck; similar to today’s rubber puck. As the game’s organization progressed, seven years later, the first club ice hockey team was formed: McGill University Hockey Club. By 1880, there were enough club teams to start a tournament division that each team played against one
The post-war time was a period where major changes were occurring. After being involved in two international conflicts, Canada was ready to reestablish their economy. During this time, Canada had started working on ways to become stronger and reputable. It is evident that Canada had matured through the post-war era. Canada’s economic progress left a positive impact on the growth of the country as consumerism became popular, and economic ties with America became stronger. Moreover, the removal of racial and ethical barriers contributed to Canadian social affairs such as the huge wave of immigration and the baby boom. The Canadian government also had become more aware and involved in issues impacting Canadian citizens. Canada as a whole started identifying itself as an independent nation and participating in events that brought a positive reputation amongst them. These economical, social, and legal changes helped Canada mature into the country it is today.
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.
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
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.
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.
Organizing a topic as diverse as Canadian history into periods is challenging. Canadian history spans hundreds of years, covers events from varying points of views, and contains dimensions of culture, theme, and politics. To understand how to organize history logically into periods, it is helpful to refer to Canadian history sources.
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.
When I think of what it means to be Canadian, one of the first things that come to mind is hockey. This is true for many Canadian’s as hockey was and is an integral piece of the formation of the national identity. However, when people think of playing hockey their attention usually turns to the men in the National Hockey League or other top men’s leagues and tournaments. Even so, Canada has come a long way from its beginnings, when women were not even considered persons under the law until 1929. While it has taken many decades for women to receive more recognition in the world of sport, today shows great improvements from the past. A key reason that women are not treated the same way as men in regards to hockey is due to how the game began;
Have you ever wondered which events in Canadian history have been the most significant in shaping Canadian identity? Many significant events in the twentieth century left a lasting legacy for Canada. Canada would not be the culturally rich, prosperous and progressive nation that it is today, without its immigration patterns in the past. World War I (WWI) was also a significant event as it united Canada and left behind a legacy of sacrifice and national pride. Economic development during the post war period contributed to Canadian success nationally and globally. Immigration, WWI and economic development were significant events in Canadian twentieth century history. Each event brought new and powerful
The game of basketball is a highly recognized and widely known sport. Basketball was first heard of in the winter of 1891 when a man by the name of James Naismith was told to instruct a physical education class at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Springfield, Massachusetts. Naismith was instructed to put together a game for young men to enjoy while they were at the YMCA. While trying to come up with a brilliant and fun game for these young men, Naismith reminisced back on his childhood in Canada. He remembered a game his friends and him had played all the time: “Duck on a Rock”, which involved trying to knock a large rock off a boulder by throwing smaller rocks at it. Naismith also remembered watching a game of rugby going on in the gymnasium. The game of Rugby involved tossing a ball into a box. After a very short time of trying to make up a game for these young men, Naismith came up with a brilliant idea. Little did he know the game that he came up with just so happened to be one of he most renowned sports in American history. Naismith’s idea pertained to nailing up raised boxes so that players could attempt to throw a ball in the basket. When there were no boxes too be found, he used peach baskets. Supposedly, Naismith came up with all the rules for this game in no more than “about an hour”, according to Alexander Wolff. Shortly after Naismith had invented the game of basketball, graduates of the YMCA traveled internationally which is the main reason as to why this sport is so widely known. The impact basketball has made on the lives of many Americans is incredible in the sense that it has given people the ability to ...
Eisen, George, and Wiggins, David K. (1994). Ethnicity and Sport in North American History and Culture. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.