The ball is set between the two girls’ lacrosse sticks. Four defenders guard the corresponding four attackers on the other team. The defense and attack on the other team mirrors. The ball is pushed up vertically and the game begins. One girl yanks the ball into her lacrosse stick and sprints with the speed of light toward the goal. The defenders rush to her, but are too late. The girl runs over to shoot and despite the goalie’s attempts to stop her, she shoots with a winding force so strong, one could hear the wind resistance from her swing. Swish. “Tweet tweet” the referee's whistle sounds that the goal is good. The sport known as lacrosse is a modern day recreational, competitive sport; what most lacrosse fans are unaware of its history
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Native Americans played on a field that spanned from village to village (“Lacrosse 2”). Rather than a fifty to sixty minutes duration modern day field lacrosse game, baggataway could potentially spread over several days (“Understanding”). The distance between villages contributes to this changing game time variation. Contrary to “the little brother of war” modern day field lacrosse fields are generally one hundred- ten meters long according to new Federation of Lacrosse regulations. The lacrosse stick itself used in both modern day lacrosse (field and box) and lacrosse in its early stages. The equipment was often a lacrosse stick made from a tree branch or “ a crooked stick, and ball made of leather stufft with hair” (Aveni). The purpose of playing for lacrosse has drastically changed. Field lacrosse today is simply put- a recreational, but competitive sport. Baggataway was a training device used as a pre- battle of war (“Lacrosse …show more content…
Men’s field lacrosse is similar in the leniency of the rules as far as violence goes. Whereas, women’s field lacrosse is exceedingly strict on player to player contact. In the United States Lacrosse High School Girls’ Rule Book there are six pages alone dedicated to player on player contact indicating the type of foul a player would receive should she create illegal player to player contact. For some perspective on the length of that many rules, High School Boys’ Lacrosse rules are short enough to fit on five pages of a word document. The rules as well as the equipment differ. In men’s (and boy’s) lacrosse players have a helmet, mouthpiece, arm pads, gloves, rib pads (optional), athletic supporter, and cleats; they wear this gear despite the player’s position on the field. Women and girls don’t have to wear rib pads or arm pads, they only have to wear a face mask (eye goggles), a mouth piece, and cleats. The only exception is the goalie; she wears a helmet (face mask included), goalie gloves, chest protector, pelvic/abdominal protection, a mouth guard, a throat guard, and leg pads. “Under NCAA rules, women’s goalie sticks may be 35 ½ to 48 inches long. Men’s goalie sticks range from 40 to 72 inches long, and from 10 to 12 inches wide at the widest point. Goalie sticks also have a larger pocket, to help players hold on to hard shots.”
Native Americans played on a field that spanned from village to village (“Lacrosse 2”). Rather than a fifty to sixty minutes duration modern day field lacrosse game, baggataway could potentially spread over several days (“Understanding”). The distance between villages contributes to this changing game time variation. Contrary to “the little brother of war” modern day field lacrosse fields are generally one hundred- ten meters long according to new Federation of Lacrosse regulations. The lacrosse stick itself used in both modern day lacrosse (field and box) and lacrosse in its early stages. The equipment was often a lacrosse stick made from a tree branch or “ a crooked stick, and ball made of leather stufft with hair” (Aveni). The purpose of playing for lacrosse has drastically changed. Field lacrosse today is simply put- a recreational, but competitive sport. Baggataway was a training device used as a pre- battle of war (“Lacrosse …show more content…
Men’s field lacrosse is similar in the leniency of the rules as far as violence goes. Whereas, women’s field lacrosse is exceedingly strict on player to player contact. In the United States Lacrosse High School Girls’ Rule Book there are six pages alone dedicated to player on player contact indicating the type of foul a player would receive should she create illegal player to player contact. For some perspective on the length of that many rules, High School Boys’ Lacrosse rules are short enough to fit on five pages of a word document. The rules as well as the equipment differ. In men’s (and boy’s) lacrosse players have a helmet, mouthpiece, arm pads, gloves, rib pads (optional), athletic supporter, and cleats; they wear this gear despite the player’s position on the field. Women and girls don’t have to wear rib pads or arm pads, they only have to wear a face mask (eye goggles), a mouth piece, and cleats. The only exception is the goalie; she wears a helmet (face mask included), goalie gloves, chest protector, pelvic/abdominal protection, a mouth guard, a throat guard, and leg pads. “Under NCAA rules, women’s goalie sticks may be 35 ½ to 48 inches long. Men’s goalie sticks range from 40 to 72 inches long, and from 10 to 12 inches wide at the widest point. Goalie sticks also have a larger pocket, to help players hold on to hard shots.”