The oldest athletic contest in North America, lacrosse, is just now, in the 21st century, becoming the fastest-growing sport in America.
Lacrosse can trace its roots to the North American Indian tribes, who played it as a ceremonial religious rite. They called it baggataway, meaning "little brother of war," because it was used to settle tribal disputes. It was given the name la crosse by French Jesuit missionaries in the 17th century because the stick the Indians used while playing baggataway was similar to a staff carried by their bishops.
What is considered modern lacrosse was first played in Eastern Canada in 1840. In the United States, collegiate lacrosse has been played for more than a century, beginning in 1877. It wasn’t until 1970 that the NCAA sanctioned it, and the first national championship was held in 1971.
In the last 10 years, the number of high school and youth teams in the country has increased by 65 percent and collegiate and club teams by 62 percent.
The year 2001 has seen the debut of Major League Lacrosse (MLL), a professional league that has attracted the nation’s top talent in the sport and is looking to take advantage of lacrosse’s increased popularity.
The league was founded in 1999 by Jake Steinfeld of Body By Jake. Steinfeld played lacrosse at Cortland State. The MLL presented a Summer Showcase in 2000, an exhibition tour which served as a preview for the league itself. It enabled the league to get exposure as it prepared for the 2001 debut. Games were broadcast by ESPN2 and FoxSports Net nationally and locally, introducing the sport to television audiences.
In its inaugural season, the MLL is fielding six teams in the Northeast (with plans for westward expansion in the future), including the New Jersey Pride, who play their home games at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University.
Pride assistant general manager Charlie Shoulsberg, himself an ex-scholastic and collegiate player, noted that the sport has been taking off in the Garden State.
"We’re pretty pleased with what we’ve seen," he explained. "We’ve seen a growth in attendance, and the venue is nice.
"The product has been great, amazing," he added. "The league has the best players in the country. Lacrosse is the fastest-growing sport in America. All signs are positive."
Besides the product on the field, lacrosse has been helped out by television coverage. Cable TV station Madison Square Garden (MSG) has been televising Pride games.
According to Shoulsberg, what lacrosse has going for it is that it has a little bit of everything for the average sports fan. It is a combination of hockey, basketball and soccer played at high speed with 10 field players on a field 110 yards long and 60 yards wide.
"It’s fast, there’s hitting and there’s goal-scoring," he said.
Shoulsberg and others associated with lacrosse are confident that the sport can gain converts once the public is exposed to it. The MLL and television are providing that exposure. The Pride are currently 8-5 and battling with Rochester, also 8-5, for a playoff berth. The Pride conclude the regular season on Sunday at Yogi Berra Stadium against the Baltimore Bayhawks with a playoff berth on the line. Game time is 4 p.m.
The Pride have made it a point to be community-oriented. The players try to be very accessible, and as a way of reaching out, Pride players hold clinics two hours before the start of a home game. The team has allowed youth teams to play during game halftimes. For the fan who likes to appreciate athletes who are competing for the sheer fun of it, they don’t need to go any further than the MLL.
"Our guys aren’t making ridiculous [amounts of] money to play lacrosse; they’re doing it for the love of the game," noted Shoulsberg. "They realize they are pioneers. They have a passion and a love for it." The Pride players work their 9-5 jobs by day and play for the Pride by night.
Another way the Pride has reached out locally has been through its roster, with players from Princeton and Rutgers universities, as well as Syracuse, Cornell, Delaware and Maryland.
During the season, the Pride made a trade with the Boston Cannons to acquire Chris Massey, a Princeton grad. The addition of Massey reunited the Tigers’ "Three Amigos": Massy, Jesse Hubbard and Jon Hess, who led the Princeton Tigers to three straight NCAA titles from 1996-98. They will try to bring the Pride and New Jersey another lacrosse title in 2001 as professionals. On the field, the Pride have been successful because of the way the team was put together through the MLL draft.
"We looked for players who were true professionals, who had pride and character," Shoulsberg said. "We looked for guys who could jell together, play hard and wanted to help the team. Team defense is about communication, playing together, and that has been our strength. We have the most assists in the league."
Tickets for the Pride’s final home game are available through Ticketmaster or by calling (973) 686-9500. For more information on the MLL visit www.majorleaguelacrosse.com.