Lacrosse's importance decreased after the Hockey Riot. The significance that lacrosse has on the development of Canadian sporting culture and identity is often forgotten. Before the creation of hockey, lacrosse was played across Canada. In the 1890s every person who loved sports had a lacrosse stick or two. Dr. William George Beers is considered "the father of Lacrosse", yet behind him is an entire nation that is credited with creating Canada's national sport. Lacrosse is a team sport in which a ball is thrown, caught, and carried by a long stick with a pocket-type head. It is a full contact sport, in which players wear gloves, chest, elbow and shoulder protectors, as well as a protective helmet. The objective of Lacrosse is to score many goals into the opponent's net by using the stick to throw the ball into the net. Today the game is primarily used for recreational and entertainment purposes, however the original game from which it evolved had a much deeper purpose than Lacrosse. The game from which Lacrosse derives is an ancient stickball game played by indigenous peoples around the Great Lakes and Plains regions, called Baggataway. This indigenous game is the oldest organized sport in North America, which can be traced back to the 1400s originating in the Great Lakes region. It is unclear who created this game or why it was created, however it is said to be a gift from the "creator" and is played for the "creator's" enjoyment. Considering it a gift, indigenous peoples embraced it and used it for many purposes. Aside from recreational uses, Baggataway was used to resolve disputes between two tribes/villages, prepare and train young warriors for war and could also lower......middle of paper......crosse Club and in he year In 1867 he launched a broad Canadian league and provided a set of rules for the game. Thanks to his contributions to lacrosse in the late 1850s and the creation of the Montreal Lacrosse Club, by 1867 there were 80 teams spread across Canada seeking to join the Canadian Lacrosse League. Works Cited http://hockeygods.com/hockeys/41- Lacrosse___BaggatawayBrune, Nick. Defining Canada: History, Identity and Culture. Toronto: McGraw-Hill Ryerson, 2003. Print. http://filacrosse.com/origin/ http://www.e-lacrosse.com/na.htmhttp://www.saskatoonlacrosse.ca/lacrosse-a-brief-history/ http://www.cbc. ca/archives/categories/sports/lacrosse/lacrosse-a-history-of-canadas-game/the-old-indian-game-of-baggataway.html http://hockeyinsociety.com/2012/03/20/canadian -aboriginals-and-hockey-a-complex-and-conflicting-historical-part-1/