LACROSSE
Lacrosse is the oldest team sport in North America, which dates back to 1100s. It was originally played by the ethno-linguistic Iroquois people from eastern North America, from what now is New York and areas in Canada bordering the state.
The early versions of lacrosse played by Native American nations included 100 to 1,000 men or more, using wooden sticks, sometimes with net baskets made from deer's tendon, and small deer-hide-wrapped balls.
Men from opposing villages or tribes would participate in borderless fields that spanned for miles, and the game lasted for days together. Regional variations influenced the rules of play, as there were no timekeepers, penalties or refrees. Lacrosse was played mainly to prepare them for war, and it was considered more of a social event where tribes got together for trade and sports. It was sometimes also used to settle disputes.
While preparing for a game of lacrosse, players used paint and charcoal to decorate their faces and bodies.
European influence on Lacrosse: In the 1600s, in Qubec, Canada, the French missionaries, who first witnessed the native Americans playing lacrosse, played the game barefoot, with no equipment and a loose set of regulations. European settlers established more stringent rules for the sport.
Lacrosse evolved in Canada, where it was named the National Sport in 1859. In 1867, the first official rule book was published. A team of white and First Nation lacrosse players were taken to England, to play before Queen Victoria, in whose diary, the game was appreciated, according to the National Museum and Hall of Fame.
Lacrosse, at present: Lacrosse was played at the Olympics in 1904 and 1908 and as an exhibition sport in 1928, 1936 and 1948. In 2021, the International Olympic Committee granted the sport a full recognition, paving the way for a possible Olympics return in 2028.
