Native Indian tribes played lacrosse throughout most of North America, for nearly a thousand years. The strongest, most consistent style of the game (played with a large, single wooden racket) evolved in the Eastern region of the continent, from Canada to the Cherokee tribes of the South. The sport originated as a tribal ritual, conducted for days over miles of wilderness. It eventually evolved into a form of recreation, as a way to settle tribal disputes and a means to toughen warriors for combat. When French missionaries to North America first witnessed the game at the turn of the 15th Century, the curved, netted stick reminded them of a 'crosier', the shepherds' cross-like staff carried by clergymen. Hence the sport was named 'la jeune de la crosier', the ‘game of the hooked sticks’. Eventually the name evolved into 'lacrosse'. From these early beginnings, lacrosse has developed into the 'fastest game on two feet'.

In the mid-1700s the French pioneers began playing the game with the Indians. They redefined aspects of the sport with set field dimensions, limited members per team, and some crude 'rules'.

In 1867, the Upper Canada College in Toronto became the first college to play a lacrosse game, losing to the Toronto Club - 3-1. By the mid-1870's the Ivy League of New England adopted the sport. In 1883, Phillips Andover of Massachusetts and Phillips Exeter of New Hampshire became the first two prep schools to take up the game.

As an amateur mainstay of East Coast colleges and prep schools, lacrosse maintained a regional reputation until after World War II. The GI Bill exposed athletes from around the country to lacrosse, and the baby boom and increased mobility of the 1950's accelerated the expansion of players and began the road to national exposure. The first ongoing lacrosse teams played in Texas in 1971.

Current men's lacrosse teams consist of ten players: a goalie, three defensemen, three midfielders, and three attackmen. The object of the game is to put a lacrosse ball into the opponent's goal using a long-handled stick with a triangular pocket at the end. A regulation men's lacrosse field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide, with the goals 80 yards apart. This allows for a lot of play 'behind the net'. Like in hockey, substitutions can be made 'on the fly', and penalized players must sit out while their team plays 'man-down'. Lacrosse also combines the play-making strategy of basketball, the stamina of soccer, the hand-eye coordination of baseball, and (in the boys game) the physical contact of rugby or football.

Lacrosse is the original, Native American pastime. As such, it has a rich history and exhibits many ritual as well as physical characteristics.

The physical characteristics of the sport are compelling to a wide range of potential participants. Size is not as critical a factor in lacrosse as are speed, agility, and stamina. In lacrosse, smaller athletes with power and skill can easily out-perform their larger opponents. Hand-eye coordination and mental 'vision' are key aspects of lacrosse, requiring the lacrosse player to be (or become) a multi-dimensional athlete. It's a true challenge - for both coaches and players - to maintain the patience, discipline and intelligence necessary to master lacrosse fundamentals.

Some of the rituals of the game include the devotion that players take to the unique challenge, style and accomplishments of mastering such a demanding physical and mental game. Lacrosse also enjoys a strong tradition of amateurism, wherein a majority of its participants play and support lacrosse solely for the love of the game.

Lacrosse has a tradition as a 'gentleman's sport', taught and played with dignity for its heritage and respect for anyone who accepts the game's complex and rewarding challenges. Furthermore, lacrosse stresses good sportsmanship by emphasizing conduct that “honors the game”. The essentials of this conduct are behaviors that reflect honesty and integrity. As the game is expanding throughout the country, US Lacrosse (the game's national governing body) has taken great efforts to enforce and maintain the game's unique characteristics and tradition of sportsmanship. Consistency in national rules for pre-collegiate programs are being encouraged, as well as reinforcing the emphasis on sportsmanship - beyond the rules.

Lacrosse rules have a unique emphasis on sportsmanship. Coaches and players are held to high standards on the field of play. Coaches must also take responsibility for the behavior of fans at all lacrosse games.

For coaches, players and fans alike, lacrosse is a completely unique form of competition in which all participants show their respect for outstanding plays and players, regardless of the opponent. This evolves from a focus on the joy and satisfaction of playing the game, and letting winning and losing take care of itself.