On this date in 1876 Lacrosse was introduced in Britain and Canada. 10 things you might not know about the game of lacrosse.
Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America, having been played by Native American tribes since the early 17th century and before. They called the game “baggataway”.
The name lacrosse came from French Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf, as he watched Huron tribesmen play the game in what is now Ontario. He called it la crosse, "the stick" in French. The missionaries didn’t approve of the game, because it was violent and involved betting. Betting was an integral part of the game. Each player was required to give up a personal item such as a trinket or a knife, or even a horse before the game began. These items were on display during the game and awarded to the winners in each quarter.
To the Native Americans, it was more than just a sport. Young men played it as part of their training for war, and it was sometimes used to settle disputes. There was also a spiritual aspect, a ceremonial ritual in which the players were giving thanks to the Creator or Master. In those days, a game of lacrosse involved teams of anything up to a thousand men on a field several miles long, and a game could last several days. The first lacrosse sticks were essentially giant wooden spoons with no netting, and the ball would be made from wood or deerskin stuffed with hair. After the game there would be a ceremonial dance and a feast.
In 1763, Ojibwas used the game to capture a fort. They invited the British soldiers at Fort Michilimackinac (now Mackinaw City, Michigan) to watch a game. As the soldiers were distracted by the game, the players worked their way closer and closer to the fort’s entrance, burst in and massacred the troops.
The first official written rules were written in the mid 19th century by a Canadian dentist called Dr. William George Beers. The first official lacrosse club, the Montreal Lacrosse Club, was founded in 1856.
Lacrosse is the official state sport of Maryland and the official summer sport of Canada.
Lacrosse was included in the Olympic Games in 1904 and 1908, though never since, at least at time of writing. It will be contested at the 2028 Olympic Games in the lacrosse sixes format.
Talking of formats, there are several different ones, all with different rules and equipment. These include field lacrosse, women's lacrosse (first played in Scotland in 1890), box lacrosse, lacrosse sixes and intercrosse.
Lacrosse has been described as “the fastest game on two feet”. The average player can run 3-5 miles during a single game and it’s not unknown for the ball to travel at 80mph during a shot. In 2013, a record was set by Mike Sawyer who shot a ball at 114mph. The lacrosse goal is 6 feet high and 6 feet wide, making it one of the largest goals in sports. This means the goal defender has to be fast and agile in order to defend it.
The governing body is World Lacrosse, which is the only international sport organisation to recognise Native American tribes as sovereign nations.
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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