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Lacrosse first originated in America by Native Americans, was picked up by French travelers and then introduced to Canada. From there it came back to the United States where it is now a very popular sport among men and women.

Origins of Lacrosse
The sport of lacrosse first was played by different Native American tribes. The sport was used for military training and in each game, hundreds of players would try to score at goals at opposite ends of the field, which could quite far apart from each other. Sticks were used to battle opponents. A more organized sport was played by the Iroquois tribes called "baggataway" in which the goals were a set distance apart, and there were a certain number of players on the field at one time.

French and American Lacrosse
In the early 19th century the French picked up the sport and referred to it as "la crosse". The game was played in Montreal, and a team was organized to play against a Native American team in the years 1844, 1848 and 1851. The rules were first determined in 1856 by the Montreal Lacrosse Club and were finalized and revised by George Beers who is considered the "father" of lacrosse. The game later spread to England. In the late 1800's lacrosse was picked up by Americans in New York. The first collegiate game was played in 1877 between New York University and Manhattan College and it was later played by other colleges throughout the Northeastern regions, like Columbia, Boston University, Harvard, Cornell, Princeton and Stevens Institute. In 1879 the United States Amateur Lacrosse Association was founded, and later the Intercollegiate Lacrosse League in 1905. Lacrosse is currently played in the NCAA Division I and Division II championship tournament.

Lacrosse around the world
In addition to Canada, England, and the United States, lacrosse is also played in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. There is an International Lacrosse Federation that holds a regular world championship for men and women.

Mens and womens lacrosse

The most notable difference between men and women's lacrosse is the amount of physical contact. Women are able to "check" to try to gain possession of the ball, but are not allowed to use their body to attack. Men, on the other hand, are allowed to check and also use their body to check as well. As a result, men are required to wear a protective helmets with a face mask and chin pad built-in, as well as a mouthpiece. They also must wear shoulder pads, and arm pads, rib pads, athletic support, and protective cups are all recommended as well. The goalie wears an additional throat and chest protector. Due the reduced physical contact of womens lacrosse, players are only required to wear a mouth guard and an eyeguard. Sometimes women choose to wear thin gloves or nose guards as well, and the goalie of course wears the additional chest protector.

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