It may be time to take up French! The Sport du Jour in Coral Springs and Parkland is turning out to be lacrosse! Originally a game called Tewaaraton played by native American Indians, the moniker it’s known by today was bestowed on it by French Jesuit missionary who wrote about a game he observed the Iroquois Indians playing. He referred to it as la crosse “the stick,” or perhaps he was referring to the crosier, the staff carried by bishops.
Through more than 900 years, the game has changed to become more timely (not two or three days for each match, as was the tradition) and with a more manageable field of players (now ten for each team instead of hundreds). Since early in the 20th century, the game grew in popularity and become a popular sports staple at the most elite colleges and universities. Clubs in Canada began to make the game more accessible indoor during hockey’s off season by changing the “field” to a “box,” as it is called when the rink’s ice is covered over with turf and the team size and goal is adapted to the smaller scale.
Proud lacrosse mom, Pam Leahy, spends most weekends (and many weeknights) on a field cheering for her son, Ryan, as he competes with one of his three teams. She and her husband, Bill, a board member of the Florida Youth Lacrosse Foundation and lacrosse alumnus from Ohio State University, enjoy the variety of families and personalities they meet while spending time together at games and traveling to and from competitions. “The people are really nice, and so are the kids!” Pam says. “I enjoy my time helping with organizing the volunteers and the ‘team stuff’ that has to be done.”
Over May 17-19, the Florida Sports Foundation held the first of three tournaments in the Fourth Annual Sunshine State Games Lacrosse Series. More than 8,000 players and Spectators converged at Pine Trails Park in Parkland to witness and participate in the action of Boys and Girls High School and Middle School lacrosse Divisions. Despite the stiff competition, a team of local players, the U13 Florida Extreme, took home the gold. Other locals who finished in the top three were the U9 Florida Extreme with a Silver, the High School A team who finished with a bronze, and one other that was duly noted by a lifetime lover of the sport. A well-known name in lacrosse, Terry Crowley is the Director and President of Florida Extreme, a traveling all-star team made up of mostly players from Parkland and Coral Springs. “I was very impressed with the performance of a team in its first year of competition,” Terry said. “Bill Leahy sponsored a U15 team, the Salt Life All Stars, and they won a Silver medal at their first tournament…I thought that was incredible!”
Fast paced, action packed and, like hockey, with a lot of rough checking, lacrosse in Coral Springs and Parkland is a fresh take on a very old game. Although we may converse in mostly English and Spanish here in south Florida, French is the new trend on the fields! Vive lacrosse!
