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Invention of Lacrosse
Lacrosse was invented by Native Americans sometime in the 17th century. Native Americans would play the game as practice for hunting and strength. The sport was played over a long distance and there were many people involved in each game. -
Civilized
Sometime in the 1800's French settlers started to play lacrosse on a regular basis. The French influence on the game tended to “civilize’ it a bit as well. Canadian dentist W. George Beers wrote a set of rules for the game in 1867 that set out the size of the playing field, limits to the number of players on each side, and other standard rules. Little did the French settlers know that they would be credited with being the founders of lacrosse, along with the native Americans. -
First School teams
New York University boasted the country’s 1st college team in 1877, and Philips Exeter Academy, New Hampshire, Philips Andover Academy, Massachusetts and the Lawrenceville School, New Jersey were the nations’ 1st high school teams in 1882. -
Olympics and New Leagues
In the early 1900s lacrosse became recognized as a world class sport and was accepted as an Olympic sport and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse League (USILL) was formed. In 1926, the USILL was replaced by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, which is still the governing body of the sport of lacrosse today. Lacrosse continued to grow in North America during the mid 1900s. -
Lacrosse Now
Today the game is played by over five-hundred universities and colleges, as well as over fourteen-hundred high schools nationwide. Women’s lacrosse is also taking off. Over one-hundred universities and colleges, along with 150 high schools, currently have lacrosse programs.
