Temecula Valley Lacrosse Association

Lacrosse :: The Game

Speed is a big advantage. Large bulky football linemen have less of an advantage in lacrosse than they would in football. Like basketball, where dribbling is necessary, good lacrosse stick-handling skills are important and come naturally with a little practice. Unlike baseball, there's constant action and speed. Like any other sport, the rules and equipment are refined for the sake of safety and adrenaline. Players wear a helmet and pads above the waist. Occasionally, players that don't excel in other sports find their niche in lacrosse.

Skills and Drills

• Cradling
• Attackmen
• Defensemen
• Team defense
• Fast break defense
• Face-offs
• Extra man offense
• Riding

More about the game

• The Lacrosse Field
• The Face Dodge [video]

Playing the Oldest Sport in North America

Lacrosse is one of the few truly American sports invented where we live. The French name comes from visiting French missionaries in the 17th Century. The game was invented hundreds of years prior to that by Native Americans partly as a means of settling tribal disputes - it was basically organized war. One French settler wrote, "If one were not told beforehand that they were playing, one would certainly believe that they were fighting". It's the fastest growing sport in our country and the equipment has become highly refined.

History Links

• An overview of Lacrosse history [US Lacrosse]