You’ve asked and we’ve listened. Today’s five things to know is about lacrosse. Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the U.S. You’ve heard about it, your neighborhood kids are playing it and you’ve told us you want to know more about it.
You’re welcome,
The Last Night’s Game Team
Five things to know about lacrosse
- The on-the-field basics: there are 10 players per team – nine players and a goalie. The games are 60 minutes made up of four – 15 minute quarters. The field is the size of a soccer field. 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).
- It’s a contact sport with slashes and intense hits to the stick and body. Lacrosse trails only football in concussion risks.
- Lacrosse is the fastest growing college sport, with participation in women’s lacrosse up 109% and 95% for the men. Last year over two million people played lacrosse in the U.S. which is an 11% increase.
- There is a professional league, Major League Lacrosse, which is made up of nine teams. While its popularity is growing the salaries for players are not. Rookies make about $7,000. The average salary for players is somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000. No quitting your day job.
- Lacrosse is the national summer sport of Canada but you won’t see it in this year’s Summer Olympics. (Although golf and Rugby Sevens are new additions to this year’s games).
- The NCAA College Lacrosse Championship for both men and women begins this weekend. (There are two men’s play-in games today). Maryland is the favorite in both the men’s and women’s championships.
NBA (National Basketball Association)
- Curry is the choice. Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry became the first unanimous MVP in NBA History. He is the 11th player to win back-to-back awards. Curry’s daughter Riley, the real star of the show, was at the press conference and she let the media know she has her eye on them.
- On the brink. Last night Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder had a big game to lead his team to a win over San Antonio Spurs, taking a 3-2 series lead. The two teams face each other again tomorrow night and a Thunder win will eliminate the Spurs.
NHL (National Hockey League)
- It all comes down to this. There are two game sevens on the horizon which will determine who moves on and who goes home to their mamas - St. Louis Blues vs Dallas Stars (Wednesday) and Nashville Predators vs San Jose Sharks (Thursday).
- Moving on up. Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Washington Capitols in overtime, winning the series and advancing to conference finals to play Tampa Bay Lightning.
Overtime
- New England Patriots’ Quarterback Tom Brady has been busy in the off-season. No he’s not practicing deflating footballs, but he has written a $200 cookbook. By cookbook we mean a nutritional guide on how to follow the quarterback’s eating plan. It will tell you how to rid your diet of everything (say goodbye to that morning coffee and eggplant. Wait what?) Apparently everyone wants to be like Brady as the book is sold out. Oh and he has also filmed a fancy and slightly awkward mattress commercial.
Sideline stat
- 1990s. Remember when? So do the Minnesota Vikings rookies who took their team pictures with a little 90s flare.
Coaches’ corner
- If you really want to sound like you know what you’re talking about when discussing lacrosse, the ‘X’ is the spot behind the goal where most offensive plays begin. The offense is trying to score by shooting the ball into an opponent's goal - using the lacrosse stick to catch, cradle, and pass the ball. If you want to know even more about lacrosse, click here.
