Lacrosse is all the rage right now. It seems like everywhere you go (or maybe it’s just us), someone is off to their kid’s game or playing in an adult league. So what the heck is this net game with a stick?
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[Transcript]
1. Lacrosse was started by the Native Americans and was known as stickball. It’s a contact sport with slashes and intense hits to the stick and body. There are 10 players per team – nine players and a goalie. It’s played with a ball (that’s solid rubber and really hard) and crosse (aka a lacrosse stick). Players cannot touch the ball with their hands (with exception of the goalie). SOLID START
2. Lacrosse is taking advantage of the decline in the number of youth playing football, with their numbers increasing over 35% in 5 years. Over 2.2 million Americans participate in the sport. COME ON IN, THE WATER’S FINE
3. The difference between men and women’s lacrosse? There is no body contact in the women’s version therefore body pads and big helmets aren’t required, where the men must wear padding and helmets. THE SMARTER SEX?
4. The Major League Lacrosse (MLL) has been around for years but a new lacrosse league, Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), starts on June1. Started by a former player (he’s also known as lacrosse’s LeBron James), they’ve disrupted the traditional sports business model with a tour-based league (i.e. - no home cities) and no team owners (more money to pay players). They’re also providing better salaries ($25,000 vs $8,000), health insurance and a vesting schedule to give players equity in the league. To top it off, they signed a TV deal with NBC. ROOT FOR THE HOME TEAM. OH WAIT…
5. The biggest lacrosse game of the year isn’t one you’d expect. The FBI will take on the team from the Secret Service in an epic game this weekend in Maryland. Imagine the intelligence that went into those scouting reports. ARE WIRE TAPS IN THE LOCKER ROOM ILLEGAL?
