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Native American Sports
Native Americans played a series of sports games such as, hunting, but the most popular among the Native Americans was lacrosse. The game was played with a ball being passed by throwing it and catching it with a stick that has netting on the end. The game could usually be very large with hundreds of players on each team, on a field that was a mile long and could last all day (sunrise to sunset). The game was played to pass time but also played to settle disputes among the tribe. -
Boxing
Boxing came into America from England in the 1700s and finally took root in the 1800s when large urban areas like Boston and New York City took the sport into their daily lives. During this time, there were 3 rounds that were each three minutes long with a one minute rest in between. -
Cricket
Sailors who came to America brought cricket with them and soon, Colonists were playing the game in their free time in colonies such as Virginia, North and South Carolina, and Georgia. Cricket is played with 11 players on each team. A "pitcher" rolls the ball and tries to hit one of three sticks that a batter is "protecting" from being hit. The objective is score more runs than the other team, very similar to baseball. -
Bowling
Bowling was usually played outside but some indoor lawns did exist and Manhattan's Bowling Green Park was built in 1733. Colonial Americans used 9 pins and the balls used were significantly smaller than they are today. 10 pins were adopted in 1830. -
Jockey Club
The Jockey Club is an organization dedicated to horse racing. The first Jockey Club was founded in Annapolis, Maryland by a group of men who had a passion for horses. The game is still played today. -
Animal Sports
Animal sports have been a big part of colonial America and in 1754, several race tracks for horses and rings for cockfighting have been made. Many colonists enjoyed animal fights in which the larger animal was usually killed at the end. However, it could be very dangerous for the person who were antagonizing the animal, because the animal could after them instead of the intended opponent. -
Boat Racing
Boat racing, otherwise known as rowing or crew, came into the united states and the first recorded race was held in New York in 1756. Rowing consists of a wooden boat with multiple people using an ore to make the boat go as fast as they can make it go, the object is to be the fastest boat on the water. At first, rowing only consisted of men but in late 19th century, women were allowed to race as well. -
Baseball
Baseball was invented by a young man named Abner Doubleday in Cooperstown, New York. Baseball is a decedent of Cricket and has some of the same rules and objectives, instead of bowling the ball, the pitcher throws the ball and the batter hits the ball to get more runs than the other team. -
Soccer
Games similar to soccer were played in Colonial America and many colleges had soccer teams and colleges's rules varied from the school. It wasn't until 1862 that the first soccer club was formed in Boston, Massachusetts. -
Football
The first college football game was played by New Jersey (now known as Princeton) and Rutgers. The game was very different than it is today, the object of the game was to kick the ball into the other team's goal. Players were not allowed to carry or throw the ball, they batted at the ball with their hands, heads, feet, and any other part of their body.
