The KC lacrosse team gears up for the 2017 Taino Cup.
According to the Jamaica Lacrosse Association, “In recent years, Jamaican athletes and the nation as a whole have benefited from the growing realization that our country is blessed with incredible athletic potential. Our government has been placing an ever increasing focus on sport as a form of national, human and economic development.”
Some 10 high schools in the Corporate area are currently involved in lacrosse competition. There are approximately six boys and four girl’s teams.
The Jamaica Lacrosse Association believes that lacrosse “is a sport that captures the spirit of the Jamaican people. The game is fast, high tempo, fun, constantly flowing and celebrates creativity. Lacrosse is dubbed "the fastest game on two feet." Jamaica is home to the fastest people on earth. Lacrosse and the Jamaican people are a perfect match.”
Lacrosse has its origins in a tribal game played by the ancestors of the Taino people in North America and by some Plains Indians tribes in what is now Canada. The game was extensively modified by European immigrants to North America to create its current collegiate and professional form.
There were hundreds of native men playing a ball game with sticks. The game began with the ball being tossed into the air and the two sides rushing to catch it. Because of the large number of players involved, these games generally tended to involve a huge mob of players swarming the ball and slowly moving across the field.