
Lacrosse may be known more today as a college sport and something reserved for the elites, but it has actually been around for a long time. Native Americans created it over 1,000 years ago. But instead of a means of entertainment, they used it for training and resolving conflicts.
It wasn’t until 1636 that Jesuit missionaries in the New World named it la crosse – or lacrosse as we know it today.
More than two centuries later in 1867, the sport was standardized and modernized by the dentist William George Beers. It was then that the first lacrosse club was formed in Montreal, making it easier to spread its popularity to other industrialized nations such as the US, Britain, and its colonies.
Lacrosse made it as an Olympic sport in 1904 and 1908 before it was removed. But today, there are more than 2 million lacrosse players in the world. And with the exposure it will get in its upcoming 2028 Olympic comeback, we’re sure that the number of participants and followers will continue to grow.
Compared to other sports like cricket and football, lacrosse has limited popularity. And while younger people are now playing it in universities and colleges, there’s not as much interest at a professional level.

Today, there’s the Lacrosse Federation of India. But due to a lack of funding for infrastructure support, it’s still a pretty niche sport.