In Fort Michillmacklnac. They look out to the field and see two teams of Native Americans participating in a game ot stick ball. The soldiers were captivated by the flow, roughness, and thrill of the game. What game were they playing? They were playing would one day be the modern day sport of lacrosse. Their example could be a prime reason why famous enlightenment thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau called this a game one for “noble savages. At the young age of 12 years old, I picked up my first lacrosse suck. My love for the game only Increased as the years progressed, making me want to figure out the origins of the sport. If you do not know much about the sport, after today you will know the basics. I will be informing you about the ancient game of lacrosse and Its evolution to the game you see being played across the country on your high school and colligate fields. ) The game of lacrosse is the fastest game played on foot and it has been for more than five centuries. A) The Game of lacrosse was first documented by Jean de Br©beut on a French Jesuit mission In 1638 In southeast Ontario, Canada, but the nvention of the game came long before that date. 1) There is no defined date of when the lacrosse came to existence due to the fact that Native American elder had always believed in teaching the stories ot the game to their children orally.
II) The game of lacrosse was played in open valleys or large fields that would span from 500 yards In diameter or even up to several miles. A) Each team could have 100 men to over 1000. B) One lacrosse game would last from sunrise to sundown. Ill) There were very few rules for the original game of lacrosse A) You could not touch he ball with your hands and there was no out of bounds B) They point system for a game depended on how high you strike the goal 1) If you the goal below your body your team would be rewarded one point.
If you hit It above your body you get two points 2) The goal would be struck the wooden post or rock with the ball determined how many points your team would receive (a) Scores of the games would reach well Into the double digits IV) Although pre-colonial lacrosse and modern lacrosse are similar the equipment used was drastically different. A) The ball was made out of nimal hide, usually deer, and filled with the animal’s hair. 1) The size varied from a modern day tennis ball toa softball. d) what the suck was made out of. ) Depending on what tribe you were in meant how long your lacrosse stick would be. (a) If you were apart of the Iroquois Nation you would play with a single stick that was tour to five teet long (b) In the Great Lake or upper Mlsslsslppl River area, you would carry a single stick the was two to three feet long (c) If you were in Muskhogean Nation, you would play with a stick in both hand the reached only one to wo teet in length (i) Pre-colonial Lacrosse reached almost every corner ot America, but each area had a slight variation.
V) There were many reasons for the Native weather when they were in a time drought B) The game would keep men strong for hunting and war******* 1) In Donald M. Fishers book, The Game of Lacrosse, he said that the game involves “constant running, rough play, and stick skills need to play the game conditioned men for combat. ” C) Lacrosse would be one way that tribes would settle disputes. 1) On the other hand, it reinforce bonds between ribes against new settlers VI) Over the years the game evolved into the modern version of lacrosse.
A) There are two versions of the game, box and field lacrosse 1) The game might still have the same name, but there have been a few modifications since the time of the Native Americans (a) The first Division one lacrosse program was sponsored by New York University in 1877 (i) Although the first National Championship game was played until 1971, between the University of Maryland and soon to be national champions Cornell University.
