North America's Indian peoples have always viewed competitive sport as something more than a pastime. The northeastern Indians' ball-and-stick game that would become lacrosse served both symbolic and practical functions—preparing young men for war, providing an arena for tribes to strengthen alliances or settle disputes, and reinforcing religious beliefs and cultural cohesion. Today a multimillion-dollar industry, lacrosse is played by colleges and high schools, amateur clubs, and two professional leagues. In Lacrosse: A History of the Game, Donald M. Fisher traces the evolution of the sport from the pre-colonial era to the founding in 2001 of a professional outdoor league—Major League Lacrosse—told through the stories of the people behind each step in lacrosse's development: Canadian dentist George Beers, the father of the modern game; Rosabelle Sinclair, who played a large role in the 1950s reinforcing the feminine qualities of the women's game; "Father Bill" Schmeisser, the Johns Hopkins University coach who worked tirelessly to popularize lacrosse in Baltimore; Syracuse coach Laurie Cox, who was to lacrosse what Yale's Walter Camp was to football; 1960s Indian star Gaylord Powless, who endured racist taunts both on and off the field; Oren Lyons and Wes Patterson, who founded the inter-reservation Iroquois Nationals in 1983; and Gary and Paul Gait, the Canadian twins who were All-Americans at Syracuse University and have dominated the sport for the past decade. Throughout, Fisher focuses on lacrosse as contested ground. Competing cultural interests, he explains, have clashed since English settlers in mid-nineteenth-century Canada first appropriated and transformed the "primitive" Mohawk game of tewaarathon, eventually turning it into a respectable "gentleman's" sport. Drawing on extensive primary research, he shows how amateurs and professionals, elite collegians and working-class athletes, field- and box-lacrosse players, Canadians and Americans, men and women, and Indians and whites have assigned multiple and often conflicting meanings to North America's first—and fastest growing—team sport.

The director of athletics at Johns Hopkins University traces the history of lacrosse and offers detailed explanations of the sport's techniques and strategies, presenting line drawings and action photographs to illustrate aspects of play.

To understand the aboriginal roots of lacrosse, one must enter a world of spiritual belief and magic where players sewed inchworms into the innards of lacrosse balls and medicine men gazed at miniature lacrosse sticks to predict future events, where bits of bat wings were twisted into the stick's netting, and where famous players were—and are still—buried with their sticks. Here Thomas Vennum brings this world to life.

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An ancient Native American sport, lacrosse was originally played to resolve conflicts, heal the sick, and develop strong, virile men. In Lacrosse Legends of the First Americans, Thomas Vennum draws on centuries of oral tradition to collect thirteen legends from five tribes—the Cherokee, Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Seneca, Ojibwa, and Menominee. Reflecting the game's origins and early history, these myths provide a glimpse into Native American life and the role of the "Creator’s Game” in tribal culture. From the Great Game in which the Birds defeated the Quadrupeds to high-stakes contests after which the losers literally lost their heads, these stories reveal the fascinating spiritual world of the first lacrosse players as well as the violent reality of the original sport. Lacrosse enthusiasts will learn about game equipment, ritual preparations, dress, and style of play, from stick handling to scoring. They will discover how the "coach"—a medicine man—conjured potions to prevent game injuries or make the opponent's leg cramp as well as how early craftsmen identified the perfect tree—marked by a lightning strike—from which to carve a lacrosse stick. The game is no longer played by large numbers of men on mile-long fields, and plastic, titanium, and nylon have replaced hickory and ash, leather, and catgut. As lacrosse continues to evolve, this collection will help us remember and understand its rich and complex history.

When lacrosse was first played as a Native American sport, teams of hundreds of people played on a field that was miles in length This book uses colour photographs and illustrations to highlight the sport of lacrosse. It includes features such as: player positions; scoring drills and skills; and more. It is intended for ages 6-9.

Thinking about volunteering as a lacrosse coach? Even if you’ve never done it before, you can lead your team to a safe and exciting season. Coaching Lacrosse For Dummies shows you the fun and easy way to get the score on coaching youth lacrosse with loads of tips and plenty of offensive and defensive drills. This friendly guide helps you grasp the basics and take charge on the field. You’ll get lots of expert advice on teaching essential skills to different age groups, determining positions for each player, promoting teamwork, keeping kids healthy and injury-free, helping struggling players improve their skills and encouraging your best players to make the most of their talents, and leading your team effectively during a game. Discover how to: Recognize your behind-the-scenes responsibilities Get a handle on rules and terms Plan and execute practices Teach basic lacrosse skills Identify players’ strengths and weaknesses Juggle the dual roles of coach and parent Develop a lacrosse coaching philosophy Motivate all of your players Make practice and skill-building fun Understand the league your coaching Make sure your team has all the right equipment Take different approaches to coaching girls and boys Assign players to positions Motivate players on game day It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it. Make yourself the perfect somebody with a little help from Coaching Lacrosse For Dummies.

Discusses the rules, equipment, and safety required to play both men and women's lacrosse.

A guide for teaching lacrosse to girls, including the history and rules of the game, basic skills, strategies, and practice drills.