Field sport that resembles both soccer and hockey, with a ball being moved towards the goal through the air using nets attached to sticks. Lacrosse’s origins are found in the American Indian sport known as Baggataway, but it owes its spread in the US to elite prep schools and colleges. NCAA tournaments have been held since 1971 to establish national champions for both women and men’s colleges, with the Ivy League universities initially dominant, but much less so thirty years later. Wooden sticks have been replaced by ones with plastic heads and aluminum shafts, which have made the stick lighter so that players are able to develop much better stick skill. The women’s stick is of a slightly different design that requires greater finesse, possible in the women’s game because less physical contact is permitted. For the men’s game, though, protective gear, especially around the head, is required. The game is opening the doors to commercialization as indoor semi-professional leagues have been started, taking advantage of the diversity of sports coverage made possible by cable television, and as equipment makers sponsor exhibitions around the country and abroad to spread the sport.