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Lacrosse can be a very rough exciting sport. Played mainly in the eastern side of Canada and the United States, it is played with a long-handled stick and a rubber ball. But where did this sport come from? How was it invented?
Though lacrosse has been around for many, many years, the game itself has come to be modified. It’s been known to date back to the 5th century. Lacrosse used to be played as a way to heal the sick, prepare for war and resolve conflicts in the Native American tribes. With many miles of field, a legend states that you could see a game last for days on end with more than 100 people taking turns to play. Many of the players took on warrior status especially when Lacrosse was played as a way to prepare for war.
The first time this sport was written about was in 1637 by a man named Jean de Brebeuf. He called this game la crosse, meaning “the stick”. There are many arguments about where the name came from. Le jeu de la crosse, the French way of saying field hockey, was one of the argued places the modern name was derived from. Another argument is that it originated from a crosier. Nobody knows quite where the name came from and it is still debated today.
William Beers was the first to organize a lacrosse team as we know and love it today. The Montreal Lacrosse Club was his pride and joy when he started it in 1856. Changing the rules in 1867 he shortened the game play by reducing how many players could play on each team. William Beers was the first to play under these new rules. In 1867, the game having been played at Upper Canada College was an exciting game for anyone who likes to watch a new sport.
