Did the iroquois invent lacrosse. The Iroquois’ Fight for Respect in Lacrosse: Origins, Culture, and Olympic Aspirations

How did the Iroquois invent lacrosse. What is the cultural significance of lacrosse to the Haudenosaunee people. Why is the Iroquois Nationals team facing challenges in international competition. How does the sport’s growth impact its originators.

The Ancient Roots of Lacrosse: A Gift from the Creator

Lacrosse, a sport deeply intertwined with Native American culture, is believed to have been invented by the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee, as far back as 1,000 years ago. This confederation of six nations spanning the northeastern corner of North America views lacrosse as more than just a game – it’s a spiritual and cultural cornerstone.

According to Haudenosaunee belief, lacrosse was originally played between land and winged animals before humans existed on Earth. The Creator then bestowed this game upon the Iroquois people as a sacred gift. This origin story highlights the profound connection between the sport and Haudenosaunee identity.

The Medicine Game: Spiritual Significance

Why is lacrosse often referred to as “the medicine game” by the Iroquois? The term reflects the healing and spiritual power attributed to the sport. Every element of a lacrosse stick carries symbolic meaning:

• The wooden stick represents everything that grows from the earth
• The netting symbolizes the deer, considered the leader of animals from all continents
• The weave in the netting represents the interconnectedness of clans and families
• The ball itself embodies the concept of “medicine” or spiritual power

This rich symbolism demonstrates how deeply lacrosse is woven into the fabric of Haudenosaunee culture and spirituality.

Lacrosse in Iroquois Life: From Cradle to Grave

How does lacrosse feature in the life cycle of Haudenosaunee individuals? The sport’s presence is felt from birth to death:

1. At naming ceremonies, chiefs bless newborns with the hope they’ll become lacrosse players, among other esteemed roles
2. Miniature wooden lacrosse sticks are placed in infants’ cribs
3. Lacrosse sticks are often included in the coffins of the deceased

This cradle-to-grave integration of lacrosse into Iroquois life underscores its paramount importance to their culture and identity.

The Thompson Brothers: Modern Lacrosse Icons

Lyle Thompson, a 28-year-old lacrosse star from the Onondaga Nation, exemplifies the continued significance of the sport to the Haudenosaunee people. Alongside his three brothers, all professional lacrosse players, Thompson has achieved remarkable success in the sport, including NCAA records and a Nike sponsorship.

However, Thompson emphasizes that his accomplishments on the field are secondary to his desire to honor the game’s cultural heritage. His two-foot braid serves as a visible reminder of his proud Iroquois lineage, and he strives to educate others about the deeper meaning of lacrosse to his people.

Beyond Personal Glory: A Mission to Educate

What drives Lyle Thompson beyond athletic achievement? His primary goal is to help people understand the value of the “medicine game” and its role as a gift from the Iroquois to the world. Thompson sees lacrosse as a vehicle for cultural understanding, hoping to shift the narrative away from mere athletic prowess to a deeper appreciation of Haudenosaunee culture.

The Onondaga Nation: Preserving Sovereignty Through Sport

The Onondaga Nation, where Lyle Thompson hails from, is a 7,300-acre territory south of Syracuse, New York. Like other Haudenosaunee nations, it operates as a sovereign entity with its own laws, language, customs, and culture. Lacrosse plays a crucial role in asserting and maintaining this independence.

How does lacrosse contribute to Iroquois sovereignty? By fielding their own national team in international competitions, the Iroquois Nationals, the Haudenosaunee assert their status as a distinct nation on the world stage. This use of sport as a tool for political recognition adds another layer of significance to lacrosse in Iroquois culture.

The Explosive Growth of Lacrosse: Opportunities and Challenges

Lacrosse has experienced a massive surge in popularity since the early 2000s. According to the 2018 U.S. Lacrosse participation report, over 830,000 Americans now play the sport – a staggering 227% increase. This growth extends beyond the United States, with more than 66 national teams recognized by World Lacrosse, the sport’s governing body.

Professional Leagues and International Expansion

The sport’s increasing popularity has led to the establishment of five professional leagues in the United States, including Major League Lacrosse, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. This professional infrastructure, combined with growing international participation, has elevated lacrosse’s profile on the global sporting stage.

Olympic Aspirations: A Double-Edged Sword for the Iroquois

As lacrosse continues to grow, there’s a push to return the sport to the Olympic Games, potentially as soon as the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. While this would be a significant milestone for the sport, it raises complex questions for its originators.

Why might Olympic inclusion be problematic for the Iroquois? The crux of the issue lies in the potential exclusion of the Iroquois Nationals team from Olympic competition. As the Olympics traditionally only allow recognized nation-states to participate, the Iroquois’ unique sovereign status could prevent them from fielding a team in the very sport they invented.

The Passport Predicament

The Iroquois Nationals’ participation in international competitions has already faced challenges due to their use of Haudenosaunee passports. Many countries do not recognize these documents as official travel documents, leading to visa issues and tournament exclusions.

A notable example occurred in 2010 when the team was unable to compete in the World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England, because the UK refused to accept their travel documents without accompanying U.S. or Canadian passports. This incident highlights the ongoing struggle for recognition faced by the Iroquois in the international sporting arena.

Balancing Growth and Heritage: The Future of Lacrosse

As lacrosse continues its global expansion and pursues Olympic recognition, a critical question emerges: How can the sport’s growth be balanced with respect for its indigenous origins and the inclusion of its creators?

The Iroquois’ fight for respect and inclusion in the sport they gifted to the world is ongoing. It encompasses not just athletic competition, but issues of sovereignty, cultural preservation, and international recognition. As lacrosse evolves, stakeholders must grapple with these complex issues to ensure that the sport’s future honors its rich past.

Potential Solutions and Ongoing Dialogue

What steps can be taken to address these challenges? Possible approaches include:

• Advocacy for special consideration of the Iroquois Nationals in international competitions
• Educational initiatives to raise awareness about lacrosse’s indigenous roots
• Collaboration between World Lacrosse and Haudenosaunee representatives to find inclusive solutions
• Exploration of alternative competition structures that allow for Iroquois participation

As the lacrosse community navigates these issues, ongoing dialogue and creative problem-solving will be crucial to ensuring that the sport’s growth doesn’t come at the expense of its originators’ involvement and recognition.

Preserving the Spirit of the Medicine Game

Despite the challenges faced by the Iroquois in modern competitive lacrosse, the spiritual and cultural significance of the game remains undiminished within Haudenosaunee communities. The “medicine game” continues to play a vital role in Iroquois life, connecting generations and preserving ancient traditions.

Community Impact and Youth Engagement

How does lacrosse continue to shape Iroquois communities today? The sport serves as:

• A means of cultural transmission, teaching young people about their heritage
• A source of pride and identity for Haudenosaunee individuals
• A way to promote physical health and wellbeing within indigenous communities
• A platform for intercultural exchange and education

By maintaining their deep connection to lacrosse, the Iroquois ensure that the sport’s spiritual essence endures, even as it evolves on the global stage.

The Role of Athletes as Cultural Ambassadors

Players like Lyle Thompson and his brothers have emerged not just as athletic stars, but as cultural ambassadors for their people. Their success in professional leagues and international competitions provides a platform to educate wider audiences about the true meaning of lacrosse to the Haudenosaunee.

Bridging Traditions and Modern Sport

How do Iroquois athletes balance their traditional values with the demands of modern competitive sport? Many strive to:

• Incorporate traditional practices and beliefs into their training and gameplay
• Use their public platforms to speak about Haudenosaunee culture and history
• Advocate for greater recognition and respect for indigenous contributions to lacrosse
• Inspire young Iroquois athletes to embrace both their heritage and athletic aspirations

Through these efforts, Iroquois lacrosse players help bridge the gap between the sport’s ancient roots and its contemporary global presence.

The Global Lacrosse Community’s Responsibility

As lacrosse continues to grow and evolve, the global lacrosse community bears a responsibility to acknowledge and honor the sport’s indigenous origins. This extends beyond mere recognition to active inclusion and respect for Haudenosaunee perspectives in the sport’s development.

Initiatives for Inclusivity and Education

What steps can the broader lacrosse community take to support Iroquois inclusion? Potential actions include:

• Incorporating Haudenosaunee history and perspectives into coaching education programs
• Supporting indigenous lacrosse development programs and tournaments
• Advocating for Iroquois Nationals’ participation in all international competitions
• Promoting cultural exchange programs between Iroquois and non-indigenous lacrosse communities

By actively engaging with and supporting Haudenosaunee involvement in lacrosse at all levels, the global community can help ensure that the sport’s future remains connected to its rich cultural heritage.

‘It’s more than a game to us.’

Lyle Thompson, the 28-year-old lacrosse star some consider one of the greatest to play the game, has a request. Look beyond his blistering goals, behind-the-head passes, NCAA records, and Nike sponsorship. Forget about his three lacrosse-loving brothers who, like him, all play professionally. Instead, dig a little deeper. Think about the meaning of the two-foot braid that drapes down his back, a show of pride in his heritage. Then, Thompson insists, you might begin to understand the origins of his blood-boiling frustration.

“The story that’s always told is about winning,” Thompson says. “But I don’t want to be the most marketable player in lacrosse or in the Hall of Fame. I want to honor the game. I want people to understand there is value in the medicine game. This is our gift to the world. And a vehicle to help people understand who we are.”

The “we” Thompson refers to is the Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee, the six nations that cross the U.S.-Canadian border in the northeast corner of North America. It is here, as far back as 1,000 years ago, where many believe Native Americans first invented lacrosse. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of men gathered on boundary-less fields in pursuit of goals stretched miles apart.

For the Iroquois, the game carries a cultural and spiritual importance unlike any other. They believe lacrosse, originally played between land and winged animals long before there was human life on Earth, was gifted to them from the Creator.

Thompson, the son of an iron worker who played box (indoor) lacrosse and the youngest of four brothers, is a member of the Onondaga Nation, a 7,300-acre territory just south of Syracuse, New York. Like other Haudenosaunee nations, the Onondaga operate outside the jurisdiction of New York state as a sovereign, independent nation with its own laws, language, customs, and culture. Lacrosse is at the heart of that culture, a game the Iroquois play not only to entertain the Creator but to assert their sovereignty and independence to the world.

“It’s more than a game to us,” says Rex Lyons, a former lacrosse player and the son of 90-year-old Onondaga faith keeper Oren Lyons. “It’s an identity.”

Today, the relationship between the Iroquois and the sport that means so much to them is as complicated as ever. Lacrosse is still riding the wave of a massive popularity boom in the early 2000s, with more than 830,000 Americans now participating in the game, a 227-percent increase, according to the 2018 U.S. Lacrosse participation report. There are five professional leagues in the U.S., including Major League Lacrosse, which just celebrated its 20^th anniversary. The game also continues to grow internationally, with more than 66 national teams recognized by World Lacrosse, the sport’s governing body.

The sport’s leaders want to capitalize on its growth and return lacrosse to the Olympics when the Summer Games come to Los Angeles in 2028. But a troubling question looms for the game’s originators: Will Olympic sport status mean leaving the Iroquois behind?

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Left: The Iroquois Nationals prefer to travel using the Haudenosaunee passport, displayed here by a team member in 2010, even though many countries don’t recognize it as an official travel document.

Right: Bret Bucktooth talks to his Iroquois National teammates at practice at Wagner College in Staten Island as they wait for their visas to travel to Manchester, England for the World Lacrosse Championships in 2010. The team was ultimately unable to compete because the UK refused to accept their travel documents without a U.S. or Canadian passport.

Photograph by Ramin Talaie, Corbis via Getty Images

The medicine game

Among the Iroquois, when a young child receives his given native name, the community’s chief, or faith keeper, holds the child to the sky and blesses the child with the hope they will grow up to be one of three things: a singer and dancer of the native songs, a speaker of the native language, or a lacrosse player.

Elders place miniature wooden lacrosse sticks in newborns’ cribs. And when someone’s life comes to an end, sticks are placed in the coffin. The game anticipates life and awaits players in the spirit world.

“That stick represents everything from the earth that grows,” Lyons said. “The netting is representative of the deer, the leader of animals from all five continents. The weave in the netting, the connecting of all those hoops, that’s the clans, the families all connected together. And the ball, of course, is the medicine.”

The four Thompson brothers and their sister grew up in a modest home built by their father Jerome. For much of their childhood they had no electricity or running water. The four boys, Jerome Jr., Jeremy, Miles, and Lyle, all slept in the same bedroom, often with their sticks by their side. Upon returning home from school the first thing they would do is grab their sticks and head into the yard. They’d shoot into a small box their dad had built, with a hole just big enough to fit a lacrosse ball.

“That stick was my best friend,” Lyle says. “It was my everything. I slept with it every single night.”

While Jeremy played at Syracuse and Jerome attended Onondaga Community College, Lyle and Miles starred together at the University of Albany. In 2014 they not only became the first Native Americans to win the Mohawk-named Tewaaraton Award, lacrosse’s version of the Heisman, but were the first to tie for the honor. Lyle went on to win the award again in 2015 after Miles graduated, finishing his career with an NCAA record 400 points.

But the Thompsons believe the game has a spiritual impact far greater than records or awards. The game contains medicine, the Iroquois say. Even today, medicine games are called whenever someone in the community is in need. Poles are jammed into the ground on opposite ends of a field and men and boys of all ages compete to score a predetermined number of goals. Afterwards, the deerskin ball is given to that individual in need.

“It’s about the feeling and the importance of why we are there—to perform for the Creator or someone who needs it and is ill,” says Jeremy.

In 1983, the Iroquois sought to share that energy and use the sport as a vehicle to continue their fight for sovereignty and independence from their Canadian and U.S. neighbors. They successfully petitioned what was then the Federation of International Lacrosse to recognize the Iroquois as a national lacrosse team.

Today, Thompson and the Iroquois are rock stars in any tournament in which they compete, drawing fans from around the globe as the only Native American team that competes internationally as a sovereign people. The FIL, which has since become World Lacrosse, is the lone international sports federation recognizing a group of independent people as its own federation.

Despite drawing from a population of just 125,000 people, the Iroquois are widely regarded among the most successful lacrosse national teams in the world, along with the United States (population 328 million) and Canada (population 33 million). The Iroquois men finished third in the last two field lacrosse world championships and second in all five world box lacrosse championships. The Iroquois women’s team finished seventh in 2007.

The Thompson Brothers have their own line of Nike apparel, including hoodies, caps, backpacks, and lacrosse cleats. And at the heart of the Onondaga social life is its 1,900-seat, 40,000-square foot state-of-the-art Onondaga Nation Arena, which doubles as an indoor facility for both hockey and lacrosse. In 2015, the arena helped host the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships.

“There is no other sport like this in the world, with an origin story of a game shared with the world by an indigenous group, and that group not only still competes today but does so as one of the very best teams out there,” said Steve Stenersen, the CEO of USA Lacrosse and a Vice President for World Lacrosse. “What they have done is beyond remarkable. ”

The Iroquois believe lacrosse contains medicine and organize games whenever someone in the community is in need. Afterwards the deerskin ball is given to that person. Here, lacrosse balls rest in the net during an Iroquois Nationals practice session in 2010.

Photograph by Ramin Talaie, Corbis via Getty Images

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The fight for inclusion

This summer, fresh off a match with his professional club, the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Lyle Thompson learned on Twitter that the World Games, a quadrennial sports festival held as a showcase for non-Olympic sports, had announced the eight-team field for its inaugural men’s lacrosse championships in 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama. The list did not include the Iroquois Nationals.

“It’s not like I was surprised,” Thompson said. “But that doesn’t mean it didn’t make my blood boil.”

The uniqueness of the Iroquois sovereignty has created issues over the years with the team’s ability to travel internationally. They insist on traveling solely on their Haudenosaunee passport, which many countries don’t recognize as a travel document because it doesn’t meet post-9/11 security requirements. With the 2022 World Games in the United States, there didn’t appear to be any road blocks to the Iroquois’ inclusion. Until there were. (Meet the survivors of an Indigenous ‘paper genocide.’)

“It’s so disheartening. You just wonder ‘how is this still happening?” Thompson said. “Why can’t people understand what’s going on and make the right decisions?’”

One of Thompson’s Iroquois Nationals teammates, Randy Staats, was in the Major League Lacrosse bubble in Annapolis, Maryland with Canadian stars Mark Matthews and Shayne Jackson when he got the news.

“They both just looked me and were like ‘are you kidding me?” Staats said. “That’s complete bulls—.’ We honestly thought it was some sort of mistake.”

It wasn’t a mistake. The World Games eligibility criteria mirrors that of the International Olympic Committee, and because the Iroquois are not one of the 206 IOC-recognized National Olympic Committees, the World Games omitted them.

Thompson, Staats, and others vented their frustration on social media, and the lacrosse community rallied in support. More than 50,000 people signed a petition on change.org to include the Iroquois in the World Games field. Staats wrote an article for an online lacrosse publication that read in part: “We deserve the legitimacy as a nation that our passports, culture, and history provide. We shouldn’t have to fight to be treated as equals, it simply should be.”

“Before this I’d never stuck my neck out like that or done uncomfortable things,” Staats said. “But this was about right vs. wrong. It’s about who we are as people.”

The controversy was reminiscent of 2010, when the Iroquois were unable to compete at the World Lacrosse Championships in Manchester, England because neither the U.S. nor the UK would honor the Haudenosaunee passport. Then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton secured single-use waivers that allowed the team to travel, but the UK refused to accept the waivers unless accompanied by a U.S. or Canadian passport.

“We don’t identify with being Canadian citizens. We don’t identify with being American citizens,” Lyle Thompson said. “We want to be recognized for who we are. You look at these other countries that are able to participate in these events, they get to honor their country and be recognized for who they are and where they are from. That’s what I want—without this continuous fight.”

The World Games battle carried even greater importance than the Manchester situation. Lacrosse hasn’t been in the Olympics as a medal sport since 1908, and in 2018 the International Olympic Committee took the first steps to allow lacrosse to potentially return by awarding it provisional recognition. The Iroquois knew that if they weren’t allowed to compete in the World Games, their Olympic dreams—and the increased respect and visibility they hoped would come along—were dead.

“The game has changed the way we view the world and how the world views us,” says Leo Nolan, the Nationals executive director. “It’s helped people recognize who we are. You want that to continue.”

Added Thompson: “You want to inspire someone from Team USA or Canada so that when they become the people in the big offices, they will understand our story and they will make decisions based on what they know about us as people, and what is right.”

The Iroquois clearly have had that sort of impact on Ireland, the ninth-ranked team in the world. The Irish knew they were only in the eight-team field because of the Iroquois’ exclusion. Ireland Lacrosse polled its coaches, players, alumni, and other stakeholders asking if they were aware of the Iroquois controversy and had strong feelings one way or another about what the Irish should do.

“And overwhelmingly the response was to right what we perceived as a wrong,” said Catherine Conway of Ireland Lacrosse. “And not just through some statement on social media that gives you clout, but to actually do something.”

In September, the Irish informed the World Games they were withdrawing from the competition with the expectation that the Iroquois would take their place. The World Games asked the Iroquois to obtain letters from the U.S. and Canadian lacrosse federations as well as the U.S. and Canadian Olympic Committees that there was no objection to the Iroquois’ inclusion. Five days later, the World Games announced a new field of eight teams, this time with the Iroquois Nationals.

Upon hearing the news, Rex Lyons printed out the World Games statement and handed it to his father, the 90-year-old Onondaga faith keeper. Oren Lyons had originally proposed starting a national lacrosse team almost forty years earlier. He’s lived the struggle for respect. Oren slowly read the page his son handed him and responded with one word: “Amazing.”

“It was simply the right thing to do,” Rex said. “But it floored me. Those principles are difficult to come by anymore. My dad was at a loss for words.”

“This is a sport unique to North America. The World Games are in North America. And this group holds a special place in the game,” World Lacrosse CEO Jim Scherr said. “I think the World Games realized it merited some additional consideration to try and find a solution. And we are glad that they did.”

But now comes the biggest fight of all. Lacrosse will do everything it can to return to the Olympic stage, and the Iroquois Nationals worry at what expense. The Iroquois insist they are working on creating a National Olympic Committee, but the IOC only recognizes a country’s National Olympic Committee if that country is recognized by more than half of the United Nations. The Haudenosaunee are not currently recognized. (Here’s how mapmakers are helping indigenous people defend their lands.)

Thompson fears World Lacrosse might view the Iroquois as a detriment to its Olympic argument, something the IOC just won’t want to deal with. Allowing the Iroquois to compete could open the door for other marginalized groups to demand Olympic inclusion.

“You hope decisions would be made on what is morally right, not just what is good for World Lacrosse,” Thompson says. “My concern is that what they think is good for them is to do whatever it takes to get lacrosse in the Olympics, even if it means not including the Iroquois Nationals.”

Scherr insists that isn’t the case. Step one is just getting into the Olympics. From there, he admits the Iroquois case is complicated, saying, “It requires people to be educated. And it isn’t a ten-minute conversation.” But he and Stenersen both refute the suggestion that World Lacrosse doesn’t want the Iroquois in the Olympics, should lacrosse get there.

“From an emotional standpoint, it doesn’t seem all that complicated,” Stenersen said. “If there’s a tournament and they’ve qualified, they should be there. If they can’t, it feels like nobody should be there. That’s how important they are to this game.”

“But right or wrong, the world has evolved in a certain way,” he added. “It creates complex challenges. We want to do everything we can to get lacrosse into the Olympics and then make the best argument we can for the Nationals inclusion in the Games. We want them there.” (This is the Olympics’ turbulent history in times of global crisis.)

The Iroquois know their story is unlike any other in sports. They know they are the biggest draw in any tournament they enter. They have the Thompson brothers, led by Lyle, the No. 1 player in the world. They have their own flag and national anthem. They represent a real-life connection to the game’s historical and spiritual roots. And they are optimistic that the social justice and equality movement sweeping the U.S. in 2020 will only help their case for inclusion.

Lyle Thompson wears a long braid down his back as a show of pride in his heritage. He and his three older brothers grew up playing lacrosse, which they believe was gifted to them by the Creator.

Photograph by Kevin Liles, Sports Illustrated/Getty Images

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Is it enough? For now, Thompson prepares for another fight. He has four daughters and a son. Seventeen nieces and nephews. He wants this for them.

“We have to get ready to make another stand,” Thompson says. “We have to get ready to fight for our sovereignty in front of the Olympic committee.”

It is a fight that means far more than the ability to compete on sport’s grandest stage. In the Iroquois’ eyes, it’s about equality, inclusion, respect, and the expansion of what it means to be a nation in the Olympic and sporting world. The outpouring of support this summer shows that at a grassroots level the lacrosse community has the Iroquois’ back. But now they want that respect from the world. They want to maintain the strongest of their roots to the past, while asserting their place in the future.

“We have our land. It’s treaty defined. It’s not a reservation,” Lyons said. “We have our own laws, chiefs, and leaders. So it’s important in the Olympics to carry our own flag. Not just for the Haudenosaunee, but for other indigenous people. We want to be recognized as who we are and who we have always been. It doesn’t get any simpler than that.”

Wayne Drehs is a senior writer at ESPN. ESPN and National Geographic are both owned by The Walt Disney Company.

The Haudenosaunee Invented Lacrosse and Were Shunned by It

Lacrosse is the oldest organized sports in North America…and was first played by indigenous tribes as early as 1100 A.D. The Haudenosaunee (pronounced Hoad-Nah-Shaw-Nee) people described it as “the animals of the forest gathered for a great ballgame.”

But, LA Times reporter David Wharton writes that the game invented by indigenous people nearly a thousand years ago, is now trying to keep them out.

What You Need To Know

• Lacrosse is one of the oldest organized sports in North America and was first played by indigenous tribes 
• The Haudenosaunee are a confederacy of six different nations that are scattered mostly through New York and Canada
• French settlers were the first colonizers to find out about the game
• Ireland’s lacrosse team withdrew from the 2022 World Games, allowing the Iroquois lacrosse team to take its place

The Haudenosaunee are a confederacy of six different nations that are scattered mostly through New York and Canada. A long time ago, they were at war and a prophet called “the peacemaker” brought them together and they formed the Haudenosaunee confederacy and that exists to this day.

The Haudenosaunee are the ones who invented lacrosse with the help of some of their woodland friends.

“They tell the story about this great game that was going to be between the four-legged animals on one side and the birds, eagles, and owls on the other side. Just before the game was about to start a little mouse and squirrel went up to the birds and said ‘they won’t let them play because they were too small.’ And, the birds cut some leather from a ceremonial drum and made little wings for the mouse, and that’s how we got the bat,” said LA Times reporter David Wharton.

“And then they couldn’t find any more leather so thy grabbed the squirrel and stretched the skin from its side, and that’s how we got the flying squirrel. They were allowed to play and lo and behold, at the very end of the game the bird team won.” 

French settlers were the first colonizers to find out about the game. It is called lacrosse because it reminds the French settlers of a crozier that the bishops carry. Particularly in the last 20 years, lacrosse has gotten more popular in the U.S. with more college teams, high school teams, and youth clubs playing it now. 

The way Wharton would describe lacrosse is by comparing it to soccer.

“Imagine a soccer field with two smaller goals on either end. The players have these sticks that have webbing on the end. They have a hard rubber ball they pass back and forth, and they’re just trying to get down the other end of the field while the other team is guarding them, and get an open shot and score past the goalie,” said Wharton.

“It’s a little bit like hockey. It could be beautiful in some ways but it can also be violent. There’s a lot of hitting and you can jab at other players with your stick but it’s pretty fast-moving—it’s a really fun sport to watch.”

The Haudenosaunee view the game as a gift from their creator and approach it with joyfulness. The “clear mind,” as they call it, seeks to block anger and worry, transforming an often-violent endeavor into something more artful.

Their homegrown squad, the Iroquois Nationals say lacrosse is in their blood.

“When you talk to players from U.S. teams, Canadian teams or Ireland, and Australia —they talk about the fact that these guys do things with a lacrosse stick that nobody else does. And they say it’s because it’s an extension of their body. They’ve had this in their hands since they were toddlers. So, they’re very creative and play a very fluid style game. And, the other players respect them for that,” said Wharton. 

The reason why people do not know much about the Iroquois Nationals is because the Haudenosaunee sees themselves as a sovereign nation. They want to play under their name, flag, and they want to carry their own passports.

“The passports are a problem. When they went to the world championships in England in 2010, it was after 9/11 and England said they wanted to have stricter travel regulations and they didn’t let the Nationals in. At the time, Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State and she tried to get in the way to help the Nationals, but it didn’t work and they didn’t play,” said Wharton.

The other problem is regarding the Olympics. They have a rule that to be a nation, you have to be internationally recognized. And, they don’t see the Haudenosaunee confederacy as internationally recognized. Therefore, they don’t get to play sometimes in these big tournaments. 

One quick update to this story. In a show of great sportsmanship —Ireland’s lacrosse team withdrew from the 2022 World Games, allowing the Iroquois lacrosse team to take its place.

5 cool facts about the Indigenous origins of lacrosse | Explore | Awesome Activities & Fun Facts

Mekwan Tulpin, a Cree from Fort Albany First Nation, is helping coach Team Ontario lacrosse. (CBC)

So you think you know all there is to know about lacrosse, Canada’s official summer sport? Maybe you even play the sport yourself. But I bet we’ve got some facts about the Indigenous history of the sport that you’ve never heard before!

1.

What is lacrosse?

Indigenous lacrosse teams have been playing competitively for a very long time. These players were from the Kahnawà:ke lacrosse team from Montreal, Quebec, 1876. (public domain)

Lacrosse is an action-packed, fast-paced sport played with ten players per men’s team or twelve on a women’s team. The players use sticks with nets on the end to throw a ball to each other, moving up the field to score on a goal at the end of the field.

They call it the fastest sport on two feet!

2. Where did lacrosse come from?

There are no photos from 500 years ago, but there are paintings. In this one by Charles Deas, young Sioux warriors play lacrosse in 1843. (public domain)

No one really knows who invented lacrosse. But we do know that First Nations people first played it all across Canada over 500 years ago. Each nation had their own version of the sport but they all played it to thank the Great Spirit — called Gichi-manidoo in Anishinaabe — for the life and gifts they had been given. Lacrosse was played for fun, as part of festivals, to settle tribal differences or to prepare warriors for hunting and battle.

3. Why is it called lacrosse?

Drawing of an original lacrosse stick from “Lacrosse: The National Game of Canada.” (public domain)

Before it was called lacrosse, the Algonquin called the sport baggataway and the Iroquois called it tewaarathon. Legend has it that it was named lacrosse by French settlers who thought that the stick looked like the staff carried by their Bishops at church, called a crozier. In French, the crozier is called a crosse. The settlers watched the Indigenous people playing their game and called it “la crosse.”

3. How did the First Nations people play lacrosse?

In a lithograph by artist George Catlin, he shows Indigenous lacrosse players holding sticks made of wood with sinew nets at the top. (Public Domain)

Lacrosse was originally played with a wooden ball, which was upgraded to a ball made of deerskin and stuffed with fur. The wooden sticks were topped with a net made of deer sinew.
 

In a painting by George Catlin, he shows how a Choctaw lacrosse game in 1834 had hundreds of players on the field at the same time. (Public Domain)

Instead of a ten-player team playing a one-hour game, originally there was no set number of players. Rumour has it there were games where up to 1,000 players from many villages would participate over a period of many days. The field length changed to suit whatever area was available. Instead of the current length of 100 metres, the field could be 460 metres or many kilometres long. Lacrosse games were huge events! Although women didn’t participate in these games, they did have their own version called amtahcha, which had shorter sticks.

5. The tale of Mong the loon and Kaikak the hawk

Lacrosse isn’t just a cool sport, it’s also a very important part of Indigenous culture. According to an Ojibwa legend — Why Birds go South in Winter — lacrosse also plays a special role in nature. The legend goes like this:
 

Long ago, there was only summer. The days were always warm and sunny. Winter and snow were unknown. Mong the loon was no different than the other young birds. He played all their games. But most of all, he loved to play lacrosse. The trouble was that his friends didn’t always want to play lacrosse.

Mong decided to challenge the other birds to a match. No birds wanted to play except Kaikak the hawk. But Mong’s team lost all the matches and bets he made with Kaikak. His penalty for losing? Every year after that, the north wind brought the cold winter and Mong and his friends had to fly to the south. If Mong had not been so eager to play lacrosse, winter would never had come. (From CBC Archives)
 

You can read the whole story and more stories like it in the book Tales the Elders Told: Ojibway Legends (Basil H. Johnston), which you can probably find at your local library.

Iroquois Fight To Play Native Sport Lacrosse At World Games

In a show of great sportsmanship, the Irish team gave their World Games spot to the Iroquois. Now, the Iroquois have their sights set on the Olympics.

IRQ_Nationals/TwitterThe Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team were nearly disqualified from participating in the 2022 World Games.

All eyes are on the upcoming lacrosse championship at the 2022 World Games where the best teams from all over the world will compete against each other. But one of the best lacrosse teams in the world was almost left out of the games — and that exclusion could also keep them out of the Olympics.

The Iroquois Nationals’ finished in third place at the world championship, which should have qualified them for a spot among the eight teams chosen to head to the World Games. But the International World Games Association (IWGA) initially deemed the team ineligible because the Iroquois Nation isn’t recognized as a sovereign state and has no Olympic committee.

According to CNN, public pushback compelled the IWGA to reverse its decision, allowing the Iroquois Nationals to compete on the condition that they secure a spot among the eight teams that had already been filled.

Ireland’s national lacrosse team withdrew from the World Games to offer their spot to the Iroquois instead. Ireland had finished 12th in the world championship.

“We are a proud member of World Lacrosse and we recognize the importance of The World Games to the continued growth of our sport,” read a statement from Michael Kennedy, chief executive officer of Ireland Lacrosse.

To @IrelandLacrosse,

You have gone above and beyond not only for us, but for what you believe is right.
Your actions have spoken louder than words showing everyone the true power of sport, and the spirit of lacrosse.

We will never forget that.
I dteannta a chéile#TogetherAsOne pic.twitter.com/qmDSYauaM5

— IROQUOIS NATIONALS LACROSSE (@IRQ_Nationals) September 3, 2020

“As much as our players would have been honored to compete, we know the right thing is for the Iroquois Nationals to represent our sport on this international stage.”

Thanks to Ireland’s great sportsmanship, the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team will be competing in the upcoming 2022 World Games set to take place in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Iroquois Nationals called Ireland Lacrosse’s actions “the true power of sport” and “the spirit of lacrosse.”

“You have gone above and beyond not only for us but for what you believe is right,” the Iroquois Nationals tweeted to Ireland Lacrosse. “We will never forget that.”

The Iroquois — who call themselves the Haudenosaunee — is a confederacy made up of six Native American tribes that live around the eastern border between the U.S. and Canada. The Iroquois Confederacy formed hundreds of years ago as a way to solidify support between the tribes. It encompasses the Onondaga, Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Seneca, and Tuscarora tribes.

The Iroquois Nationals represent the confederacy in international lacrosse competitions. They are the only Native American team authorized to play a sport internationally.

Additionally, it is believed that lacrosse was invented by the Iroquois tribes as long as 1,000 years ago. According to native beliefs, lacrosse was originally a competition played between land and winged animals long before humans existed. Today, they still view the sport as a gift from the Creator.

IRQ_Nationals/TwitterLacrosse was invented by the Iroquois and handed down between generations.

“That stick represents everything from the earth that grows,” said Rex Lyons, a former lacrosse player and the son of 90-year-old Onondaga faith keeper Oren Lyons.

“The netting is representative of the deer, the leader of animals from all five continents. The weave in the netting, the connecting of all those hoops, that’s the clans, the families all connected together. And the ball, of course, is the medicine.”

The Iroquois call lacrosse the medicine game and will often arrange lacrosse games when a member of the tribe is in need. When the game concludes, they give the deerskin ball to the person they played for.

Despite the deep cultural significance the game has to the Iroquois, their struggle to play on the International stage is far from over. Lacrosse hasn’t been played as an Olympic medal sport since 1908, but in 2018 the International Olympic Committee took steps toward bringing the sport back to the games in 2028.

Since the World Games and Olympic Games follow similar criteria of inclusion, the Iroquois Nationals’ spot in the World Games is an important first step for the people who invented the game to one day play it on the athletic world’s biggest stage.

Despite the hurdles, the Iroquois have produced some of the top lacrosse teams in the world.

“There is no other sport like this in the world, with an origin story of a game shared with the world by an Indigenous group, and that group not only still competes today but does so as one of the very best teams out there,” said Steve Stenersen, the CEO of USA Lacrosse and a vice president of World Lacrosse. “What they have done is beyond remarkable.”

Next, read about the little-known history of voter suppression experienced by Native Americans throughout U.S. history and take a look at 33 stunning photographs of Native American masks brought to life through colorization.

History of Lacrosse – Beginner Lacrosse

History of Lacrosse

​This page focuses on the history of lacrosse. It looks at where and when lacrosse was invented, why the game is called lacrosse, when lacrosse became a college game and much more. To learn about past lacrosse champions, please visit our page on D1 College Lacrosse Champions.

​Lacrosse History – Key Dates & Events

• ​Lacrosse was invented in the 1100s by Native American tribes based in the northeast and plain states of present-day Canada and USA. The original version of lacrosse involved hundreds of men playing the game with a ball and sticks. Moreover, these very physical games were played without any protective gear.
• Lacrosse was played by Native American tribes for a variety of reasons including settling tribal disputes (versus going to war), toughening up warriors, recreation, religious reasons, etc.
• The name “lacrosse” came from a French missionary, Jean de Brébeuf, who watched the Iroquois playing this game in the 1630s. “La Crosse” is French for the stick.
• In contrast, since this was a tough game, Native Americans had some more colorful names for the game. For example, the Mohawks called it the “little brother of war”.
• In the 1800s, lacrosse started to be played at Canadian colleges.
• The first United States college/university to add lacrosse as a sport was New York University in 1877.
• Lacrosse was an Olympic sport at the 1904 and 1908 Olympics.
• Lacrosse is not popular enough on a global basis to be in the modern Olympics. However, lacrosse is played in a wide variety of countries such as Canada, USA, Australia, England, Japan, Germany, etc. For example, 38 nations participated in the 2014 World Lacrosse Championship (which was held in Colorado).
• Box lacrosse was created in Canada in the 1930s. “Cool” (pun intended) history fact – The reason for the creation of box lacrosse… the cold & snow of Canada forced lacrosse indoors in order for lacrosse players to enjoy a longer season!
• The first NCAA D1 men’s lacrosse championship was held in 1971.
• The first NCAA D1 women’s lacrosse championship was held in 1982.
• In 1998, US Lacrosse was formed. US Lacrosse is the governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States.
• Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was formed in 2001.​

History of Lacrosse

Iroquois Nationals, barred from World Games, say their people gave ‘gift’ of lacrosse to the world

Read Story Transcript

The Haudenosaunee gave lacrosse to the world, and now they’re being prevented from playing the game on the world stage, says the executive director of the Iroquois Nationals team. 

The team, which represents the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in international field lacrosse, has been deemed ineligible for 2022 World Games in Birmingham, Ala., despite coming in third at the qualifying men’s world championships. Several teams that ranked behind the Iroquois Nationals have been invited to compete in Alabama.

The Haudenosaunee — a confederacy of six First Nations: Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora Nations — invented lacrosse and call it the Creator’s Game.

The Iroquois Nationals are member in good standing of World Lacrosse. But it’s the International World Games Association (IWGA) that determines eligibility for the Alabama tournament.

The IWGA has not responded to requests for comment. The organizing committee for the World Games in Birmingham told APTN that IWGA follows the criteria established by the International Olympics Committee, which states that “the expression country means an independent State recognized by the international community.”

The Haudenosaunee Confederacy more than meets that definition, says Iroquois Nationals executive director Leo Nolan, a Mohawk from the Onondaga Nation. Here is part of his conversation with As It Happens guest host Susan Bonner.

Take us through the moment you found out the Nationals were not invited to the World Games. What was your reaction?

We found out through a third party in late September, early October.

We immediately sent a letter to World Lacrosse asking about our lack of inclusion. And the response back was that we didn’t meet what they believed were — and this is their belief — that we wouldn’t meet that criteria as a nation state to be included in the Olympics.

All of this is a precursor of the Olympics, which, you know, we’re right now on provisional status, lacrosse as a sport. And once the provisional status is lifted, then hopefully lacrosse will be reintroduced to the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles.

The Iroquois Nationals travel with Haudenosaunee passports — a fact that has led to travel delays in previous competitions. (Submitted by Candace Maracle)

How does the team rank worldwide?

In the men’s … we are third in the world. And we’ve won the bronze medal the last two competitions, in 2014 in Denver and then in 2018 in Israel.

In the indoor game, we’ve won a silver every year it’s been competed since 2003.

So what do you think this is about then, Mr. Nolan?

I’m not one to point fingers or to speak ill of anyone. I mean, I don’t think that’s the way we should operate in this time and age.

I think part of it could be a lack of appreciation, understanding and just basic knowledge about who we are as a nation state, so to speak. 

There’s always speculation about, you know, racism, and I think that it’s wrong for us to even push that kind of thing. I don’t have strong evidence of that aspect of it, and I don’t think that that’s the way we want to go forward with this. So I think it’s more a lack of … understanding our status.

We are the originators of the game. It came to us, it was given to us by the Creator as a medicine game to help heal us. And then it transcended into what we see today as a lacrosse game.– Leo Nola, executive dictor of the Iroquois Nationals

You qualified, but it’s a question of sovereignty?

Yes, I believe it is a question of sovereignty. 

We have treaties with the Dutch, the French, the English, with the United States. 

Beside the treaties, you know, we have our passports, which we’ve utilized for four international [competitions]. There have been times where we’ve been challenged, you know, about these passports because the officials looking at our passports may not recognize them, but that’s something we established.

Clearly, our international efforts have been longstanding, not just on lacrosse, but just in our relationship with governments.

[In] the United States, we have a government-to-government relationship, and it’s unique.

? READ | Canadian Lacrosse Association Statement on Iroquois Nationals and the World Games <a href=”https://t.co/jn4Lh9NJJ5″>https://t.co/jn4Lh9NJJ5</a> <br>—<br>? LIRE | Énoncé de l’Association canadienne de crosse à propos des Iroquois Nationals et les Jeux mondiaux <a href=”https://t.co/vHRkxePceV”>https://t.co/vHRkxePceV</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/IRQ_Nationals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@IRQ_Nationals</a> <a href=”https://twitter.com/TWG2022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TWG2022</a>

&mdash;@LacrosseCanada

Can you tell me what it means to you personally and to the players to compete on the world stage in lacrosse as a Haudenosaunee team?

It really enhances our standing internationally and I think, domestically, our sovereignty. It really shows who we are. We have our own territories … First Nation communities that, as you know, are sovereign territory.

So it means a lot to us to represent a Six Nations Confederacy for our players. I’ve talked to many of our players and, you know, one of the great things about our community and our young folks is they all … aspire to be Iroquois Nationals lacrosse players, both men and women, boys and girls.

So I think it means a lot to our Haudenosaunee and to all the Indigenous communities around the world. We get a lot of inquiries from a lot of different places about our ability to be in the game and how much it means to them to showcase a sovereign nation to really represent our interests.

More information on <a href=”https://twitter.com/TWG2022?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@TWG2022</a> decision to NOT include Haudenosaunee athletes at the 2022 Birmingham Games<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/IRQtoBHM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#IRQtoBHM</a> <a href=”https://t.co/QSU2Lf3wFy”>pic.twitter.com/QSU2Lf3wFy</a>

&mdash;@IRQ_Nationals

And what is it about lacrosse specifically that is so special?

We are the originators of the game. It came to us. It was given to us by the Creator as a medicine game to help heal us. And then it transcended into what we see today as a lacrosse game. 

And part of that responsibility the Creator gave to us was to share this with others, which, as you know, now 66 countries play lacrosse. It was a gift that we gave to the rest of the world. So I think it means a lot for us to be able to continue that.

And we have probably, I believe, the world’s best player in lacrosse right now.

A statement from World Lacrosse: <a href=”https://t.co/dAraJftRdQ”>pic.twitter.com/dAraJftRdQ</a>

&mdash;@worldlaxsport

The World Games are in 2022. That gives you some time. What do you do now? What’s next?

We are working very closely with the World Games organizing committee in Birmingham, Ala.

I don’t want to speak for them, but they obviously have a lot of concern about whether we’re in or not. I think, just based on a few conversations, I think they see the value of us being there.

Why would you exclude some of the best players in the world [from] a world competition?

So you’re hopeful.

Always optimistic. You know, you’ve got to take that kind of optimistic turn and help people understand better what this is about and how it’s going to benefit all of us. All of us, you know, world lacrosse, in general, I think it will benefit.

The more and more we can get more countries to come in and play this wonderful game, I think the better off we’re all going to be.

So, yes, we are very optimistic.

Written by Sheena Goodyear with files from CBC Indigenous. Interview produced by Mehek Mazhar.

Lacrosse – Onondaga Nation

Onondaga Redhawks Minors

Ddehoñtjihgwa’és – Lacrosse

One of the gifts that the Creator can bestow on the individual is the gift of sport. The sport that is most recognizable with the Onondaga and the Haudenosaunee is Dehoñtjihgwa’és or Lacrosse.

The Creator gave us many things for us here on earth, one of them is this game which we call Deyhontsigwa’ehs. Deyhontsigwa’ehs is roughly translated to mean, “They bump hips.” If you ever played or watched a lacrosse game, you can see how the game got its name.

Lacrosse at Onondaga is considered sacred. It is a game that was given by the Creator, to be played for the Creator, and has been known to have healing power. Because of this, it is also known as the Medicine Game. The game in its original form is played between two groups, usually divided up between clans or young men versus old men. Since women are respected for providing life and are to protect this gift, they do not play lacrosse.

Once sides are chosen, the two teams play. The men hold in their hands hand-made sticks made of hickory. The spirit of the tree connects the player to Mother Earth as they play for the Creator. The game is played on an open field with two pole at each end signifying goals which a ball made of leather must pass. The Creator is happy to see his game played. When a game like this is played on Mother Earth, it is said that a game is also being played with our ancestors in Creator’s land. There is a predetermined amount that the teams must reach before the game is considered won. Therefore the game is not timed.

Today we still play the game the way our ancestors played the game as shown above, but we also play modern lacrosse as well. g

Field Lacrosse

The Onondaga’s and Haudenosaunee have always played lacrosse outside on a large field. Our white brothers who never saw the sport before were impressed. The called the game lacrosse because our sticks look like the staff used by Bishops used in the church. The athleticism and stick skill that the players were showcasing impressed and inspired them to play. Soon the first lacrosse rule-book was written and non-native teams began to play.

The growth our game has allowed our people to play lacrosse in all different arenas as our white brothers began to play. Soon the Onondagas were playing “field Lacrosse” with the local colleges and universities in the area. It was very common for Onondaga to play Syracuse University, Colgate University and Army in the early 1900’s with the outcome favoring the native teams.

Then in 1932, the Olympics wanted to showcase lacrosse in the upcoming games in Los Angeles. The Onondaga Nation team was very polished and was undefeated in the area. A playoff was established and it a match between the Onondagas and a team from Johns Hopkins to play each other to represent the games at the Olympics. Johns Hopkins prevailed but both teams respected each others play.

Unfortunately, with the success of the Onondaga team and other native teams against the collegiate teams, the USA Lacrosse association banned all native teams from playing “field Lacrosse” as they felt that the natives were “professional” players.

Box Lacrosse

Since the Onondagas and the rest of the Haudenosaunee couldn’t play field lacrosse, they turned their attention Northward where the Canadians were starting a new kind of lacrosse. The Canadians began playing lacrosse inside empty hockey rinks. The Onondagas and the Haudenosaunee quickly took to the physical nature of the game where intricate stick skills were fostered in “box Lacrosse.” Soon box lacrosse leagues became commonplace on the communities of the Haudenosaunee. From that point on, players became very adapt to the box game that players such as the Lyle Pierce, Stanley Pierce, and Irving Powless Sr. were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their prowess on the field.

Iroquois Nationals

Since the banning of natives from playing field lacrosse, Oren Lyons (SU alum and Faithkeeper) wanted the return to field lacrosse competition. At the time, there were 4 teams playing for a world championship, the USA, Canada, England and Australia. Oren facilitated talks with the Federation of International Lacrosse to include the Haudenosaunee, the originators of the game, to play. Oren explained that the Haudenosaunee still live on our original lands, that we still use our languages to conduct our ceremonies, that we still have a traditional government, and we have treaties with other nations stating that we are indeed a separate nation. After many many years of talks, in 1990 the Iroquois Nationals debuted as the Iroquois Nationals and traveled to Perth, Australia on Haudenosaunee passports to compete for a world championship.

Since 1990, the Nationals have competed as a separate nation, until 2010 when England hosted the World Games. The country would not accept the Haudenosaunee passport as a valid document for entry into their country. England would allow the Nationals to play if players entered their country if they carried a US or Canadian passport. The Nationals declined and didn’t play.

In 2015, the Onondaga Nation and the Nationals made history. The Onondaga Nation hosted the FIL World Indoor Box Lacrosse Championship. Making this world championship to be competed on indigenous lands for the very first time. teams from around the world came to Onondaga and had their passport stamped to begin the games, even team England.

Today

Now the Onondagas excel in both the field and box game. Oren Lyons (Syracuse University All-American goaltender) is in the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame and the Canadian Hall Of Fame. Fellow SU player, Barry Powless, Travis Cook, Russ George, and Eli Cornelius are also in the Canadian Hall of Fame for their play as well as long time coach Louie Jacques.

Recent notable stars such as the Thompson Brothers (Jeremy, Hiana, Miles, and Lyle) all look to recent Onondaga players who excelled in the professional field and box leagues are players like Marshall Abrams (SU All-American), Gewas Schildler (Loyola All-American), and Neal Powless (Nazareth All-American) with many more great players on the horizon.

To read more about Lacrosse on the Onondaga Nation, visit the Official site of the lacrosse team, The Onondaga Red Hawks.

Lacrosse – Mollenta – Youth Information Portal

Published: Wednesday, 26 September 2012 09:40

The game that the Indians invented

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in non-widespread sports games in the world. Now you will not surprise anyone by curling or field hockey. More and more people are paying attention to lacrosse – a team game, during which the members of two teams are erased with clubs and kicks to score a rubber ball into the opponent’s goal.

How did lacrosse come about?

“Lacrosse” (“la crosse”) literally translated from French means “hockey stick”. This game was invented by the American Indians – they used rubber ball competitions to train warriors and to resolve conflicts between tribes. Native Americans call lacrosse “the brother of a little war,” thereby celebrating the excellent training the game gave the warriors. The data obtained during archaeological excavations indicate that lacrosse originated in the first half of the 15th century on the territory of modern Canada. At that time, teams were often formed from hundreds of people, and fields several kilometers long were used as fields.

European settlers first learned of the existence of lacrosse in the 17th century, and in the 19th century the game spread among members of the French colony of Canada. In 1867, the first official lacrosse game took place.

At the Olympics, lacrosse medals were played only twice – in 1904 and 1908. Both gold medals were taken by athletes from Canada.After that, lacrosse was removed from the Olympic program, but three more games were held on the Olympic fields as an exhibition performance.

Today, the International Olympic Committee does not recognize lacrosse as an official sport. However, the world championships on it are held every year for almost 30 years. Interestingly, in addition to national teams, representatives of the Indian Iroquois tribe take part in the competition.

What are the rules for playing lacrosse?

The basic rules of lacrosse involve playing a game between two teams of 6 or 10 people.The main goal of the competition is to place a rubber ball into the opposing team’s goal. The game uses a special projectile, which is a symbiosis of a club and a racket. The referee staff for the game includes three people. The rest of the rules depend on the type of lacrosse.

Today, several types of lacrosse are known, the differences between which are in the size of the field, the number of players and the rules. There are two main classifications of lacrosse.

At the place of the competition, games are divided into:

Lacrosse on the field is a classic type of game played on a large open field.Teams of 10 people participate in such competitions.

Mini-lacrosse (boxed lacrosse) is a type of game that is played indoors. Mini lacrosse is played in teams of 6.

Depending on , the composition of teams is distinguished:

Men’s Lacrosse . Up to 9 substitutions are allowed during the game. Men play lacrosse for 4 periods of 15 minutes each. For the game, fields of 100 meters by 55 meters with a gate 1.8 meters wide are used.The gates are located at a distance of 72 meters from each other.

Women’s Lacrosse . Women’s lacrosse is a game of 2 periods, each 25 minutes long. The size of the field and the width of the goal are usually the same as in the men’s version of the game. However, the distance from one gate to another is already 92 meters.

Lacrosse Today

At the moment, over 30 national unions and associations of lacrosse have been organized, most of which are located in Europe.Interest in sports began to grow not so long ago – from the 90s of the last century. The most popular lacrosse is in its historical homeland – in the east of Canada and the United States.

In Canada, the game is considered the premier summer sport. The Canadian association in this sport is the oldest in the whole world – it was created back in 1867. Every year the country organizes adult and youth mini-lacrosse and lacrosse championships on the field.

In the United States, in addition to the national lacrosse association, there is also the Iroquois Nationals team, in which representatives of Indian tribes play.The team competes in almost all international competitions.

Lacrosse is also popular in other countries. He is loved in Australia and England, where competitions in this sport have been held for quite some time. Since the 90s of the last century, lacrosse associations have been organized in many European countries. Now they work in 20 countries of the Old World, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and other countries. All national associations and unions other than the Chinese and Indian are part of the international organization.In Russia, lacrosse is not yet recognized as an official sport, but every year more and more fans of this game and amateur teams appear in our country.

Olesya Khromchenkova

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90,000 features of sports and betting

Lacrosse is a rather specific sport, little known among the inhabitants of Europe, Asia and the countries of the post-Soviet space.Most of all, it is widespread in the USA, Canada and Australia, but not as a professional sport, but as a semi-professional one. Even the Major League of Lacrosse (MLL) is a semi-professional competition. However, some bookmakers still offer bets on it. If you decide to try to bet on this sport, the information below will come in handy.

Lacrosse: Indians’ Fun with Perspectives

Lacrosse was invented by the indigenous people of America, and the game was very popular among their tribes.The further spread of the game in the United States began actively in the middle of the 19th century, and students played a significant role in this. Lacrosse turned out to be the only game in which a separate national team of the Iroquois Indian tribe was represented. In 2018, the Iroquois national team took bronze in the world championship.

The World Lacrosse Championship was first held in 1967. Since 1986, tournaments have been held periodically at intervals of four years.

Lacrosse came to Ukraine in 2011, and in 2017 the Ukrainian Lacrosse Federation was founded.Today there are three adult teams in the country: “Iroquois” (Rovno), “Wolves” (Vinnytsia) and “Kings” (Kiev).

The World Federation intends to bring lacrosse back to the Olympic program. The first step towards this was the increase in the number of participants in the World Cup to 46 teams in 2018. Once upon a time, in 1904, lacrosse was already included in the Olympic Games. However, 1908 was a crisis year for this sport: only Canadians and Americans came to the competition, so it was not even possible to fill the podium, and with this lacrosse dropped out of the program. From 1928 to 1948, the matches were held in demo mode. In 1948 there was a match at Wembley, unfortunately the only one. The USA and Britain took part in it, the match ended in a draw with a score of 5: 5.

Lacrosse Rules

Lacrosse is a team game with ten players each. It is a dynamic strength sport that requires constant training and honing to win. Most of the time, the ball is in play, like in football or hockey.This is how lacrosse differs from Western ball games such as American football or baseball.

The dimensions of the field are 100×55 meters. The team consists of a goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders, and forwards. A characteristic feature is that they play with the ball with the help of special nets, at the end of which there is a net.

During the main time of the match, the players are in oppositional attack: they try to score the ball into the goal, passing through a massive defense. This is done with “nets” according to individual strategies.Lacrosse is a contact sport, and since the players’ actions resemble rugby maneuvers, the players are protected by helmets and body armor. This is a pretty tough and entertaining sport, besides, defense can use power techniques.

Competitions are held in the format of the Major League of Lacrosse (MLL), which we have already talked about. Players also meet at the World Championships, and annual competitions in this sport are held for US students. Many major colleges offer lacrosse programs.The victory in the national championship in the top division of the NCAA is also considered prestigious.

Types of bets on lacrosse

Basic outcomes . The outcome line is considered standard in many team sports. Most often, bookmakers offer two options for bets, taking into account overtime, on the victory of a certain team. A draw is not taken into account, since the rules of the game in official matches do not provide for such an outcome. Sometimes there are exceptions, often at major events: an additional line is offered for regular time, in which there are three quotes: for the first team to win, a draw, and the second team to win.

Handicap . In big competitions, bookmakers make handicap offers. This can happen when there is a large difference in the level of teams or reduced options for the outcomes.

Outcomes of periods . The duration of a lacrosse match is 60 minutes, which makes it similar to hockey. The match consists of four periods of 15 minutes each. Bookmakers offer bets on the outcome of each period, and you can also bet on a draw.

Totals . In lacrosse, 20-30 goals are scored at the highest level.In 2018, the totals in the Major League were 25-27 goals, the total of the student championship was closer to 20. At the world championships, competitions are held between teams with a rather low level, which can lead to a large spread: some national teams barely score 7-8 goals , others can go up to 15. The totals are also bet in certain periods.

Long-term rates . Some bookmakers offer quotes for the outcome of the entire tournament. At the same time, the World Championship does not provide too much choice: as of 2018, the USA team won 11 times in 13 world championships, and the Canadian team won 2 times.The Semi-Pro MLL and the NCAA Student First Division give more intrigue.

What factors are important when betting on lacrosse

Let us remind you that lacrosse is a team sport, which means that effective interaction and teamwork become the key to success. This is important to consider when making a bet. Of course, it is necessary to observe and analyze the form of the teams and their past exits, but this is not all. Keep track of key player injuries, line-up changes and other changes.

Unequal line-ups and weather conditions are important factors influencing the victory of a team.

In addition, the depth of the composition of the club (national team) is considered an important point. Up to nine substitutions can be made during a match, resulting in intense pressure from deep teams on the opponent’s defense.

It is important to keep track of the statistics of removals, as well as how much the teams are implementing the numerical advantage. In this way, lacrosse is similar to hockey. Although there are varieties of lacrosse, the removal system is very complex.It is more likely that the match will end with a high total if both teams have chosen a very aggressive strategy. The team with the most well-played team will get an advantage in a tough game.

There are mini variations of lacrosse. Competition in them is held on “boxes”, the rules are reminiscent of hockey. In such games, the weather factor is not significant. Major lacrosse matches are held in open stadiums, so a spontaneous moment can be decisive for them. Players intending to place bets on lacrosse should check the weather forecast for the day of the match.This is especially important for total bets. Rain makes the game very difficult: precipitation makes the natural field cover viscous, which complicates maneuvers and complicates attacks. As a result, the team scores fewer points.

Lacrosse is not the most popular sport, therefore bookmakers do not delight players with a variety of bets. But if you are a fan of this particular sport, you will find a suitable option for yourself.

On the coat of arms – tongs and stick | Meeting point Montreal

\ “I wrote these pages to expand my knowledge of the game of lacrosse, organize its principles and techniques, and perpetuate it as the national Canadian game \”.Thus begins the book by William George Beers (1841 (1843?) -1900) “Lacrosse, the National Game of Canada”. The sport, adored by the author, is a team sport, which means that it is associated with a much larger register of rules than any race. Bierce has taken on a heavy burden. For those who have not encountered this game before, I will nevertheless very briefly describe what it is today, within the framework of my own international federation, which also includes the Iroquois teams. In terms of purpose and equipment, it is immediately similar to football and hockey.Football, because the goal is set and a rubber ball should be hammered into it. Hockey – because the players have sticks (something like a stick) in their hands, equipped with a net capable of holding the ball. The roles in the team are distributed, it seems, quite traditionally: forwards, midfielders, defenders, goalkeeper.

It is clear that Bierce did not invent lacrosse. The white population saw the fun of “baagga” adowe “(Ojibwe language) among the aborigines and had fun in the same manner as early as the 17th century. But without much enthusiasm.Bierce explains this by \ “wildness \”, which was introduced into sports exercises \ “wild minds \”, and does not delve into the simple fact that for the Indian \ “lacrosse is a little war \” (words of the Iroquois leader). First of all, it was used for the physical development of young people. The European name for the game, quickly picked up by the Indians, and the first description was given by Jean de Breeuf. Read our contemporaries of the Jesuit’s notes, they would hardly recognize the sport included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games. It happened that after the elder threw in a ball – made of clay, deerskin, or even a stone – the \ “match \” lasted for several days with the participation of hundreds of people and in an area of ​​a couple of miles.They didn’t care much about the fixed boundaries of the site.

There is also a certain ideological background in the game, set forth in the Ojibwe legend, which answers, no less than the question: \ “Why do birds fly to the south in winter \”: \ “A long time ago, there was always summer on the earth. The days were warm and sunny. Nobody knew either winter or snow. Mong-loon and Kaikak-hawk loved to play lacrosse, but one day they put eternally warm days on the line. When her team lost, a wild north wind burst into the blooming land.He brought cold and snow with him. And Mong and her friends had to fly south. Do not love the loon to play lacrosse so much, there would be no winter on the earth. ” Note that the game in this tale is older than the natives’ ideas about the changing seasons. Now, really, no one knows when it arose. Always was.

William Beers was born in Montreal to a large family of Irish immigrants – James and Isabella. James was a cabinetmaker and worked tirelessly. The family did not live in poverty. The offspring attended school, and William also college.One can only guess about the character of the boy’s parents, and indeed about the atmosphere in the house (there is no exact information). But, judging by the result – and William was an open, cheerful, inquisitive person, everything was in order for the older Bierce. They took root in Canada, truly fell in love with this country and raised their children as Canadian patriots. Irish \ “pure blood \”, William hated the Fenians all his life and made a serious contribution to the fight against them.

All over the world then the profession was mastered through apprenticeship.Adolescents were identified as apprentices, without even wondering whether they liked their future career path. With William, it turned out differently: he chose dentistry himself and willingly went to apprentice to one of the city’s dentists (Charles M. Dickinson). He studied like a madman, \ “swallowing \” all the literature, at least to a small extent related to the subject. Tied up connections with dentists in Ontario and in the States. In the early 60s, he already published articles in specialized American magazines and a little later became a member of the American Dental Association.His speeches at meetings are usually expected. In 1865, he opened his own practice in Montreal and immediately began a campaign to set standards in Canadian dentistry. Story \ “Surgery \” Chekhov, I suppose, everyone read. Bierce demanded that only certified specialists who have confirmed their knowledge and skills by exam have access to the patient’s oral cavity.

In Ontario, dentists had already united and pressed the government, urging it to approve an independent (separated from general medicine) professional college of dentists.On March 4, 1868, the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario was legalized. Inspired by the example of his neighbors, Bierce took over in the Beautiful Province. On September 2, 1868, 15 dentists gathered in Montreal, and without much debate, the Dental Association of the Province of Quebec was born. The minutes of the first meeting, written and signed by Bierce (he was elected secretary), were preserved, and very soon a petition was received by the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for the recognition of the Association by the authorities, which happened on April 4, 1869.By the way, it existed only under an English name, and not a single French word was cut out on its seal.

Already a member of the Association, Bierce continued to study. In 1870, he received a Canadian dentistry degree in Toronto, but was not satisfied – he left for England and returned from there with the same dignity, but with British stamp paper. In the 80s, Bishop College confers on him a doctorate in dentistry. In 1883, his colleagues elected him president, in this position he worked for 4 years.And all this time, Bierce, by trial and error, and not alone, of course, is trying to form the most effective educational structure for dentists. His particular concern is practical skills. For example, he convinces colleagues that a dental candidate should undergo some kind of internship with a licensed dentist. The parties conclude a contract for 4 years, after which the applicant must show the high commission what skills he has mastered. In 1883, thanks to the efforts of Bierce, a law on entrance examinations for the future dentist was introduced in Quebec.The association established the following list of disciplines: English, history, Latin, algebra, geometry, chemistry and physics. Obviously, such a system gave an advantage to those who actually learned, whether at home or at school.

In 1892, the Association – and Bierce personally – celebrated the opening of Quebec’s first dental college. The history of its origin is dramatic. It is known that \ “big medicine \” at that time looked down on dentistry. The original idea was to “stick” the dental faculty to an existing medical branch.Laval University, the only French-speaking university in the province with a medical faculty, refused the Association. McGill was not so categorical, but snorted, and then even offered dentists as “youngest” to join the veterinary department. This did not suit the Association. Finally, the dentists gathered their courage and opened the Dental College of the Province of Quebec. Bierce became its dean. The training was conducted in both official languages ​​of Canada for 3 years. Nevertheless, some agreements were reached with universities, and college students listened to lectures on general medicine in Laval or McGill.A few years later, Bierce achieved his goal: the dental college became part of the structure of Bishop \ ‘s University, so that its graduates received a full-fledged dental diploma.

He was a passionate man, gambling, who managed to channel this natural property into a beneficent channel. In 1868, Bierce began to publish the Canada Journal of Dental Science at his own expense – and pulled it, straining his veins, until 1872. \ “In fact, this magazine was the first true dental magazine in Canada.Bierce was an excellent reporter, and his magazine was also a source of important historical information about that period. However, the circle of potential subscribers was very narrow, and soon Bierce had financial difficulties \ “. But he did not abandon the idea of ​​scientific periodicals. In 1889, his Dominion Dental Journal began to appear. At first, during the year, once a quarter. For the second year – every 2 months. Since 1893, the publication becomes monthly. The magazine was published in Toronto and existed for over 40 years until it came under the auspices of the Canadian Dental Association.

What about lacrosse? William played it from the age of 6. In general, as necessary. There weren’t really any rules. What he saw as a young man at the match of the Montreal Indians – Saint-Regis (Akwesasne) against Caughnawaga (Kahnawake), almost scared him: the players expressed their emotions simply – they fought hard. In 1860, that is, before reaching the age of 20, Brice publishes the first brochure in which he tries to introduce this sea poured into the shores: sets the size of the field, the number of players, determines their functions in the team, describes the types of goals, probable violations and penalties for them and the duration of the matches.Then he begins to fight for the ordering of the system of Canadian lacrosse clubs – the game has already become popular, and he himself plays in the Montreal club, as a goalkeeper. On September 26, 1867, in Kingston, Ontario, in the most solemn atmosphere, 29 clubs from Ontario and Quebec organize the National Lacrosse Association. And we return to the founding work of Dr. Lacrosse, the national Canadian game.

White people and natives are clearly opposed in the book. The first act on the field according to science, developing methods and tactics aimed at demonstrating a truly civilized sport.The Indians are guided, for the most part, by instinct (why not Kipling?). After 15 years, his position changes (the property of a thinking person), and the doctor no longer divides Canadian athletes by skin color, finding that they all tend to resist the introduction of rules in a team game (this is such a national character trait). Bierce was genuinely convinced that lacrosse could unify the country, from sea to sea. He has a charming reasoning: Greece will be united by the Olympic Games, Britain – by golf, Canada will be united by lacrosse.Twice he takes the Canadian team to England, hoping to conquer the metropolis with this spectacle, and even plays in Windsor in front of the bright face of Queen Victoria (did not take root, remained with their golf).

Beers started with lacrosse, but in 1881 founded the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, which also included snowshoeing, cycling, luge sports, and then contributed to the creation of football, hockey, chess and cricket clubs. He was a book reader and an excellent orator, loved theater and music.He composed poems and songs. Published over 200 scientific articles.

In 1900, William George Bierce died, his heart gave in. Still – so spend money! His scientific library, 400 volumes – certainly the largest collection of works on dentistry at that time, bequeathed to the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, the first in the country. In a network conversation dedicated to the doctor, a student McGill exclaimed: \ “I do not understand why the streets are not named after him! \” Me too.

Alexandra Kanashenko
Montreal

90,000 British Press: Dosvidanya Anna – BBC News Russian Service

14 July 2010

In British newspaper review:

A spy without money – not a spy

“Dosvidanya Anna” – this is how the Guardian says goodbye to Anna Chapman, nee Kushchenko, in Russian, albeit with an English accent.Her British citizenship, obtained by marriage to a resident of England, was revoked the day before by the United Kingdom Foreign Office.

“Department Chief Theresa May – to the great disappointment of the press – decided yesterday that her return to Britain would be contrary to the public interest,” reports the Guardian on its front page.

Next, the newspaper summarizes what happened to the 28-year-old daughter of the Russian diplomat, and at the end of the note quotes the words that her former father-in-law, a resident of the London suburb, Kevin Chapman, told the correspondent of another British newspaper, the Daily Mail.

“She is not some Mata Hari, she cannot be her, she is just an ordinary girl,” says Chapman Sr. “I am convinced that this was not live bait fishing. They loved each other so much. She was a wonderful daughter-in-law. , they were going to have children. I do not know why they separated. If she had been sent by the KGB, one would assume that they would be better prepared for this … She was not given decent money to spend. ”

At the same time, British newspapers – some with reference to the Russian media, and some without – write that both Anna Chapman and her nine accomplices all these days are answering questions from people from the SVR, who are trying to find out, including using a lie detector, is there a double agent among them.

Human rights activists against the giant from Kazakhstan

The Kazakhmys copper ore company, whose shares are quoted in London and whose capitalization is estimated at 5.8 billion pounds sterling ($ 9 billion), did not notify investors about the ties of its management with official Astana, the organization claims Global Witness.

An article about this by the Independent is accompanied by a large portrait of Nursultan Nazarbayev and the signature: “The President of Kazakhstan was accused of taking bribes in exchange for the right to develop oil.”These accusations, the newspaper reminds, surfaced when the US authorities accused James Giffen, an American businessman and former adviser of Nazarbayev, of money laundering and corruption.

Global Witness is a London-based nongovernmental organization that wants to sever the link between resource exploitation, conflict, corruption and human rights abuses.

She accuses Kazakhmys of the fact that five years ago, when the giant was preparing to enter the London Stock Exchange, it did not inform potential buyers of its shares that its management is in close relations with the leadership of Kazakhstan.

“Investors, including ordinary people who are saving for their retirement, should be aware of the risks associated with Kazakhmys, since its shares affect the [main British stock] FTSE-100 index,” the Independent quotes NGO spokesman Tom Maine “But due to the inadequacy of British regulation, we know little about how the senior managers of the company, who are also large shareholders, are connected to President Nazarbayev.”

The management of the company, for its part, confirms that some of its leaders are quite close to Astana.In particular, the chairman of the board of directors Vladimir Kim, who was previously a member of Nazarbayev’s political council. And one of the members of the board of directors of Kazakhmys is the president’s brother Bolat Nazarbayev.

At the same time, the company points out that the Global Witness report is replete with errors, and its sources are people who want to harm the government of Kazakhstan. In response, the NGO acknowledged that one of these sources is Rakhat Aliyev, the former president’s son-in-law and former deputy foreign minister of Kazakhstan, who has been in disgrace for several years now and is a harsh critic of the Astana regime.

Nevertheless, the Independent cites data from the financial agency Thomson Reuters, according to which, almost 39% of Kazakhmys shares belong to Vladimir Kim, and 15% – to the Ministry of Finance of Kazakhstan.

Is America preparing for a new attack on BP?

All newspapers, fearing to jinx them, express the hope that BP’s new operation will stop the oil spill from the emergency well in the Gulf of Mexico.

And the Financial Times reports on a new turn in history with this British company, which for many Americans has recently become synonymous with fiery hell.

As BP continues to try to plug the current well, the business newspaper writes on its front page, “US politicians are increasingly looking for other ways to hit the company”: this time they are demanding an investigation of BP’s interests in Libya.

Some senators believe the company could – in exchange for oil licenses – play a role in the deal to free Abdelbaset Ali Megrahi, who was convicted of a 1988 bombing of an American liner in Scottish skies.Then 270 people died, most of whom were US citizens.

Last year, the Scottish government freed Megrahi for humanitarian reasons and allowed him to return to his homeland: he was diagnosed with a fatal form of cancer. Now, however, doctors say he could live for another 10 years.

Now, Democratic Senator from New Jersey Frank Lautenberg, citing press reports that BP will soon begin drilling in the Gulf of Sidra off the Libyan coast. asks the question: Did the company advocate for Megrahi’s release in order to gain favor from the Libyan authorities?

“It is shocking to think that BP is making money by freeing a terrorist who has 189 American blood on his hands,” the FT quotes Lotenberg’s letter to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.“The families of the victims of PanAm-103 have a right to know if justice played a secondary role to commercial interests in this case.”

In response, a BP spokesman confirmed that the company, like others, was afraid of delays in the case. Megrahi’s release would have a negative impact on British economic interests. ”But the company did not exert any pressure on anyone, he added – and recalled that the issue of the Libyan’s release was the exclusive prerogative of the Scottish government, not even the British one.

Blair on Brown: “Mad, Bad and Dangerous”

The Times has been publishing excerpts from the memoir of Lord Peter Mandelson for several days now. Until recently, he headed the EU Trade Commission, held high positions in the British government and was one of the founders of the “New Labor”.

Evil tongues dubbed Mandelson a gray cardinal, but he himself modestly called his memoirs: “The Third Man”. The first two are Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

In the late 1990s, Blair and Brown agreed: if they win the elections, first one will lead the country, then the other – and no one will be offended.The victory took place, but Blair remained at the head of the Labor Party and the British government for a long 10 years. And Brown all these years ran the Treasury and sulked at his comrade.

Such assumptions were made. Which have now been confirmed.

“Today’s excerpts from Peter Mandelson’s memoir, more vividly and in greater detail than ever, describe the conflict between the two most influential people in Britain for 13 years,” writes The Times.

“The third man” does not skimp on memories.When Brown finally pissed off Blair by grumbling that it was time to switch places, Blair called his once ally “insane, bad, dangerous and incorrigible”, as well as “flawed, short-sighted and suffering from paranoia about himself.”

In 2005, when Blair finally trampled on the old agreement and announced that he would go to the elections again at the head of the party, but this would be the last time, Brown demanded that the patron name a date of resignation. “It’s just some kind of mafioso,” the prime minister exclaimed at the time.“He is aggressive, cruel … No one can compare with Gordon when it is necessary to proclaim high principles and act fraudulently.”

Blair again led Labor to victory in the elections, but in June 2007 he resigned. And Gordon Brown was finally able to realize his dream: he became the prime minister and leader of the party, and without any elections.

The Iroquois passport is no longer a document

The football championship of the planet has not yet ended, as a new world ball game begins in Great Britain.It’s called lacrosse, and it’s played somewhere between a club and a racket.

Lacrosse was invented by the American Indians for almost a thousand years. And now they, the inventors, are not allowed out of America and are not allowed into Britain – and not just on tour, but to the championship.

The ordeal of a team of 23 lacrosse (or lacrosse?) Teams representing six Iroquois tribes is narrated by the Guardian.

The problem, the newspaper explains, is that the Iroquois do not recognize American sovereignty over themselves.And in 1977 they were allowed to use their own passports when traveling in the United States, Great Britain, Canada and some other countries. However, after September 11, 2001, Washington canceled this indulgence – and now Iroquois passports are not considered documents.

The team was supposed to leave New York on Sunday, but, as the Guardian writes, “neither the US State Department nor the British government show any signs that they are ready to retreat. The Iroquois are not doing this either.”

“We understand the frustration of the Iroquois team, but in order to issue visas to visitors to the United Kingdom, we must be sure that they will be allowed to return to their countries,” explains the British diplomat in Washington. does not recognize these passports as legal documents that would make such a return possible. ”

The players, however, are not going to make concessions either. One of them, Brett Protruding Tooth, stated that he would rather miss the championship than fly on an American passport.“That’s the kind of people we are,” he added. “My father put a lacrosse club in my cradle when I was a baby. And now I have a son – and I put one in his cradle too. In our culture, we all play lacrosse. childhood. ”

Review prepared by Jan Leder, bbcrussian.com

Lacrosse in Radotin – Berounka. Czech Republic – LJ

22. – 25. dubna 2010
17. ročník Memoriálu Aleše Hřebeského mezinárodní boxlakrosový turnaj
LCC Sokol Radotín, Vykoukových 622/2

Every year Radotin is covered for a few days with the sounds of a large stadium, although in fact Sokol is a small playground for our local play.These days, participants from many countries come to the games, this year teams from 10 countries took part.
In the evening, as usual, according to tradition, there is a big fireworks over Radotino, today, too, the spectacle is unusually colorful 🙂

So, who is fond of sports shows up close and in the atmosphere of a small stadium, without large crowds and crowds among fans, come to the matches here , bring your children with you, they will be interested no less than you, but for adults, moreover, plus beer and delicious pickled cheeses called – Laid Hermeline from the hostess of the house – I don’t know who the hostess is, but the cheeses are delicious.
Also in our local Sokolovna free wi-fi.

And meanwhile our Sokolovna is already more than 120 years old!
http://www.sokol-radotin.cz
On the pages of the Chronicle of Radotin there is an interesting document – old photos from the history of Sokolovna, where they even managed to improve their physical. training and Germans, during the years of occupation
http://www.letopisciradotin.cz/prednasky/sokol_120_vyroci.pdf

http://www.lcc-radotin.cz/CZ/Memorial10/body_memorial10.htm
http: // www.sport.cz/ostatni/lakros/
http: // www.sport.cz/ostatni/lakros/prenos/
http://www.net-tv.cz/

What is Lacrosse?

From Wikipedia – the free encyclopedia
Lacrosse (fr. La crosse – “stick”) – a team game in which two teams try to hit the opponent’s goal with a rubber ball, using their feet and a projectile, which is a cross between a stick and a racket.
The game was invented by the American Indians, who used it to train warriors and peacefully resolve conflicts between tribes.According to archaeological research, the prototype of lacrosse was known in the territory of modern Canada as early as the beginning of the fifteenth century. Teams at that time often consisted of several hundred people, and the length of the field for the game ranged from several hundred meters to several kilometers.
European settlers first got acquainted with this game in the 17th century, and by the beginning of the 19th it began to gain popularity among the French population of Canada. The first official lacrosse match took place in Canada in 1867.
Currently there are several varieties of lacrosse, differing in field size, number of players and rules. Since 1974, the World Lacrosse Championships have been held, in which teams from various countries, as well as the Iroquois Indian tribe, take part. Lacrosse was included in the program of the Summer Olympic Games twice – in 1904 and 1908.

For the tag “radotin”, of course, everything about Radotin
http://green-x.livejournal.com/tag/radotin

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Football for entomologists – Soviet sport

When the comedy American Pie was released in 1999, Russian viewers made at least one discovery for themselves.This, of course, is not about the problems of high school students from the series “how to seduce a girl so as not to go to college as a virgin” – they are the same on both sides of the Atlantic. But what is this wondrous sport called lacrosse that some of the film’s protagonists have played? 15 years later, it still remains a mystery to most of us.

FIRST IMPRESSION

“Should I become a pro lacrosse player”? ” – the handsome Chris “Os” Stryker from the first episode of “Pie” asked a rhetorical question.”What kind of lacrosse is this anyway?” – The guys in Russian cinemas curled their eyebrows thoughtfully. The people are running in a crowd across the field with nets at the ready – only they don’t catch butterflies, but they distribute cuffs to each other. A funny version of American football for jock entomologists …
Meanwhile, in North America, any schoolchild knows about lacrosse – this is one of the basic games that are used there in physical education classes. Well, you know, overseas, they generally take children’s sports seriously. To become a star of a school team in the States is cooler than playing for basketball “Spartak” here.There will certainly be more fans.
At first glance, it seems that those who fall into lacrosse are not boring enough for European football (which in the States is condescendingly referred to as soccer), not tough, strong and fast enough for American football, not tall enough for basketball and not enough Canadian for hockey. In fact, the guys throwing a small rubber ball to each other with sticks (as these nets are called) are by no means weaklings. At least I would not wish anyone to face such in the alley.Lacrosse is a tough sport where breaking ribs on an opponent’s shoulder is no more difficult than cutting a match in half. This means that the players are used to enduring pain. Football performances “Ay-ay, they grabbed me by the shirt with my little finger, I’ll lie on the lawn for five minutes now, and then I will die from terrible injuries” do not take place here. So it’s as easy to attract the attention of school beauties with pumped up muscles, dexterity, dexterity and ingenious feints here, as, say, in basketball. True, “Os” Stryker, as we remember, did not help …

WHERE HAVE GOVERNED?

Indians invented lacrosse – at least according to the records of the first colonialists of America.There were still times – the teams consisted of a couple of hundred people, the match lasted several days and the score went not so much on goals as on the wounded and killed. And the field could stretch for kilometers … Imagine how wide it is! Meanwhile, the rules did not differ much from the modern ones – to throw the ball into the likeness of the opponent’s goal using special nets (the term “stick” appeared much later). Taking it in hand means getting a club on the forehead. They were also judged severely.
According to archaeologists, the Indians in Canada played a kind of modern lacrosse at the beginning of the 15th century.The Europeans, who were gradually squeezing their lands from the unfortunate Apaches and Comanches, liked the fun. Especially French speakers in Canada. It was there that the first official lacrosse match took place – in 1867.

HOW DO they PLAY?

Actually, there are several varieties of net sport. For example, box lacrosse. Gloves are not distributed to players, and there is no need to look for the jaws of rivals with your fist (although at times this is welcome). Boxing in this case – from the word “box” (“box” – eng.). Invented it, you will not believe it, again in Canada. There are, as you know, two lousy months – the rest of the time Canadians can play hockey. But when the ice does melt, the hockey rinks, so as not to stand idle, are adapted for the game of lacrosse.
Nevertheless, the basic rules presuppose a showdown on a spacious grass field measuring 110 by 60 yards (in Russian – 100 by 55 meters). At the same time, the gates, in a hockey manner, are located at some distance from the back line (see diagram).The match consists of four halves of 15 minutes, each team consists of 10 people, while nine substitutions are allowed in one meeting. Then everything is simple – whoever scored more is a fine fellow. At the same time, you can kick the ball with your feet, but you cannot touch it with your hands. Although the most convenient way is to make passes and throws with the stick. By the way, for defenders it is longer – 1.8 m, for attackers it is shorter – 1.1 m (we are still talking about sticks). Hustling with hands, body-to-body joints and other attributes of tough play are encouraged. And three referees are closely watching so that the hot guys do not cross the line of reason (and where are there not three?).

WHAT IS LIKE?

Judging by the athletes’ looks and tough struggle, lacrosse looks like American football. Narrow gates and sticks evoke hockey thoughts. But in terms of tactics, this sport is most similar to basketball. Pick-and-rolls, pick-and-pops, zone and personal defense – if these terms do not seem to be the Chinese alphabet and you imagine the subtleties of movement in a three-second zone, then in lacrosse you will be able to competently organize attacks. That is why, from the basic exercises in training, here, along with knocking a ball against a wall, the game of basketball is encouraged.

HOW MUCH DO YOU EARN?

It is curious, but even in America, where the development of professional leagues has long gone to an exorbitant level in comparison with the Old World, a serious lacrosse championship appeared quite recently – in 2001. And at the moment there are only eight teams in the MLL (Major League of Lacrosse). The average attendance is about 7,000 spectators per match (three times as many people will gather for the finals of American football competitions in some Nebraska).Lacrosse incomes match. The average income of an MLL player is about $ 20,000 per year. It is not surprising that pumped-up guys are more willing to go to the police – there junior officers are paid about the same. Major league star Paul Rabil received $ 80,000 for the 2013 season – just reaching the level of a high school principal. In general, looking at the fees of Alexei Shved, who spends 5 minutes per game in the NBA, the best lacrosse players in the world wash their faces with bitter tears. But MLL is developing – let’s see what will happen in 10-15 years.

LACROSS IN THE WORLD …

Little-known fact, but lacrosse twice – in 1904 and 1908 – got into the program of the Olympic Games. True, the then tournaments, when compared with modern ones, looked more like a caricature. Two Canadian teams and one US team played in St. Louis (left with silver). In London, there are two at all – the same Canadians made the British in an internal dispute. The IOC looked at this case and decided that it was time to tie up with the nets at the Olympics. Not untied until now.
However, lacrosse has grown in popularity not only overseas in recent years. The 2014 World Cup, which will take place in Denver this summer, will bring together 34 teams. Including bands from Uganda, Costa Rica and Bermuda. Moreover, even the national team of the Iroquois will play (they remember in the international federation who invented to throw balls with the help of nets!). The favorites, however, are some – the guys from the USA, who can compete with rivals from Canada. The English, the Germans and the Dutch play well.
And yes – the Russian national team in Denver will also be present.

… AND IN RUSSIA

This, however, does not mean that the development of lacrosse in our country is also going uphill. True, the situation is in any case better than it was 15 years ago. Thanks to David Diamonon, an American who came to work in Moscow in 2007. A big fan of “sucking”, at first he trained with fellow compatriots on the lawns in the park. Passers-by began to wonder – what is this unseen sport? They came up, asked, asked to play themselves.So the idea was born in David’s brain – to assemble a team of Aboriginal people. The guy threw a cry through newspapers, social networks, using word of mouth. The people began to catch up … And soon Diamonon became the founder of the Moscow Rebels club. Then another team appeared, already in St. Petersburg – White Knights. Then …
Although no, more collectives have not been formed yet. So the title of the champion of the country is played by lacrosses from the two capitals. They will also represent our team in Denver.