A recent graduate of Olentangy High School in Lewis Center, Ohio, Clifford “Cliff” Kigar now attends Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he studies mechanical engineering. In addition to his work in the classroom, Cliff Kigar, a High School Lacrosse All-American, plays on the institute’s lacrosse team.
One of the original American sports, lacrosse has origins in a game called stickball that was played by various Native American tribes at least as early as the mid-17th century. Like the modern game, the early version of the sport used a netted racket to pass and catch a ball, which players were not allowed to touch directly with their hands.
Although French Jesuit missionaries observed tribes in the Great Lakes area playing stickball in the 1630s, early game rules and strategies were not explained in detail until the late 1800s, when American anthropologist James Mooney wrote “The Cherokee Ball Play.” In the article, Mooney also describes the ceremonial aspects of stickball and highlights the fact that the game was often played to settle disputes and prepare young men for war.
From these early origins, stickball evolved into lacrosse, a game that first gained popularity among nonnatives in Eastern Canada. Its popularity soon spread to other countries, and lacrosse was eventually named an Olympic event in 1904. Today, lacrosse is no longer part of the Olympics, but it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, especially among high school and collegiate athletes.
One of the original American sports, lacrosse has origins in a game called stickball that was played by various Native American tribes at least as early as the mid-17th century. Like the modern game, the early version of the sport used a netted racket to pass and catch a ball, which players were not allowed to touch directly with their hands.
Although French Jesuit missionaries observed tribes in the Great Lakes area playing stickball in the 1630s, early game rules and strategies were not explained in detail until the late 1800s, when American anthropologist James Mooney wrote “The Cherokee Ball Play.” In the article, Mooney also describes the ceremonial aspects of stickball and highlights the fact that the game was often played to settle disputes and prepare young men for war.
From these early origins, stickball evolved into lacrosse, a game that first gained popularity among nonnatives in Eastern Canada. Its popularity soon spread to other countries, and lacrosse was eventually named an Olympic event in 1904. Today, lacrosse is no longer part of the Olympics, but it is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, especially among high school and collegiate athletes.
