Lacrosse curiosities

"Rich white sport" marks the stereotype that weighs on the lacrosse and the truth is that this activity is not available to everyone. But it is the fastest growing sport high schools and universities in the United States. What its popularity is due?

Judging by the rapid growth of this sport, which is played with a ball and a basket stick finish would not be surprising that more and more we hear about it.

More than 188,000 adolescent girls and boys competed in the 2013-14 school year, 80,000 more than in 2004-05, according to the National Federation of Public Secondary Schools.

One of the secrets of the expansion of lacrosse in US It has been its growing popularity among minorities.

For children from underprivileged areas become fond of sport, US Lacrosse, the American federation, launched a grant program material in 2011 called First Stick (First Palo).

The cost of a helmet and a stick-basket can exceed US $ 300.

And the grant program has helped more players among young blacks and Hispanics see.

About 750,000 athletes competed last year, 25,000 more than in 2012, according to US Lacrosse, reported BBC. 

Minorities

One of the new recruits is James Camps, 25, who plays for the team of Florida International University.

Son of Spanish and Cuban, Camps said that when he was a boy played baseball but never came to fascinate him.

He started playing lacrosse while still studying secondary-school curriculum to increase face to college.

Since then, Camps has seen many young people in South Florida have joined fashion.

"I like that is a fast sport that requires both coordination between hand and eye as physical preparation," says Camps.

Lacrosse is considered as one of the fastest team sports and combines attributes from a variety of disciplines such as basketball, rugby, ice hockey or football.

Players need strength and skill to catch the ball, throw and try to score on the opposing goal.

History curiosities

And although perhaps you are the first time I hear this name, lacrosse is one of the oldest computer games.

It was played by the Indian tribes of northeastern North America centuries before Europeans arrived. When the French missionaries observed the natives play gave the name of "Lacrosse" because the network resembled a cross.

Indian name was "Baggataway" which means "little brother of war" because the game was used to settle scores between rival tribes. The games were sometimes violent and could last for days.

A couple of decades was mainly played in the northeastern states, such as Massachusetts, New York or Maryland.

Its expansion has been accompanied by migration of people from the northeast to other parts of the country, according to Jack Frost, who was president of US Lacrosse in South Florida and currently acts as the referee.

"When I was young here in South Florida there were only three sports: baseball, football and basketball," says Frost. "When people started coming north, the sport gained its space."

Frost is confident that this discipline will continue to grow in the coming years.

"I do not know anyone who has watched a game and has been boring."

"An opportunity"

Lacrosse is a sport that can even remotely compete with the popularity of football, but their fans speak of him with such passion.

Maybe that's why the organizers of the World Lacrosse did not care that the most important sport event will overlap for a few days this year with the World Cup in Brazil.

"Unlike. It was an opportunity to take advantage of national pride (triggered by the World Cup) and mobilize fans around their flags, "he told BBC Paul Krome, a spokesman for US Lacrosse, the American federation.

At the end of July 19, which Canada won 10-2 United States, attended by 11,861 fans.

But unlike the end of Brazil, in this case the internet abound in news reviews about the event.

That could change when the next World Cup is played.

Here I left some videos about lacrosse that I found really interesting.