Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a sport played using a stick with a net on the end, called a crosse, which consists of usually a separate metal or wooden shaft, connected to the \"head\" of the crosse. The object of the game is to toss a rubber ball into the goal. Lacrosse can be played outdoors or indoors. more...

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Outdoors it is played on a field of grass or artificial turf. Indoors it can be played on turf. Indoor or box lacrosse is played on covered or melted ice hockey rinks.

History

Lacrosse was invented by Native North Americans. Its name was dehuntshigwa'es in Onondaga (\"men hit a rounded object\"), da-nah-wah'uwsdi in Eastern Cherokee (\"little war\"), Tewaarathon in Mohawk language (\"little brother of war\"), and baaga`adowe in Ojibwe (\"bump hips\").

The game was named lacrosse by French missionaries. It is widely and inaccurately believed that the name stems from the French term \"crosse\", for the shepherd's crooklike crosier carried by bishops as a symbol of office. Jesuit missionary Jean-de-Brébeuf noted the resemblance between the crosier and the shape of the racket stick in the Relation des Jésuites around 1640. In fact, the term crosse is a general word in French for any type of bat or stick used in a ball game. The name lacrosse is simply a reflection of this term, and perhaps a shorthand for a phrase such as \"le jeu de la crosse\" (the game of the stick).

Lacrosse is quite similar to the ancient Irish sport of Hurling except in Hurling players use a stick made of ash and no padding is worn. Since a significant number of Irish immigrants arrived in America in the 19th century it is likely they played a role in the evolution of the sport to its current form.

Lacrosse traditionally had many different purposes. Conflict resolution and training of young warriors was only one part of the game. Games could be played on a pitch over a mile wide and sometimes lasted for days. Often players were gravely injured or even killed. Early balls were made out of deerskin, clay, stone, and sometimes wood. Lacrosse has played a significant role in the community and religious life of tribes across the continent for many years. Early lacrosse was characterized by deep spiritual involvement, befitting the spirit of combat in which it was undertaken. Those who took part did so in the role of warriors, with the goal of bringing glory and honor to themselves and their tribes, and as a religious ritual. The game was said to be played \"for the pleasure of the Creator.\"

Lacrosse has witnessed great modifications since its origins in the 15th century, but many aspects of the sport remain the same. In the Native North American version, each team consisted of about 100 to 1,000 men on a field that stretched from about 500 yards to a couple of miles long. These lacrosse games lasted from sun up to sun down for two to three days. These games were played to settle inter-tribal disputes, to toughen young warriors in preparation for future combat and to give thanks to the Creator. The Alqonquin tribes referred to the sport as \"baggatway\". The game became known to Westerners when a French Jesuit Missionary, Jean de Brébeuf, saw the Iroquois Natives play it in 1636.

Read more at Wikipedia.org