Once a game played by Native Americans where one hundred people play on a two mile long field with wooden sticks, the game of lacrosse is finally getting the recognition that it deserves. Lacrosse was the first sport in North America, but started to be played as an organized sport in the 1900s. Lacrosse is the fastest growing sport right now after gaining millions of new players over the past few years. The PLL is the Premier Lacrosse League founded by Paul Rabil in 2019. The PLL is the same as any other sports league like the NFL or MLB. Eight teams with unique names and logos that have games every weekend. Lacrosse has always been a sport that people know about but don’t care for. The PLL’s main purpose is to change that around and inspire people to pick up a lacrosse stick. The PLL is just the start to what lacrosse will become in the future.

When I was a kid I only knew about lacrosse because I was fortunate enough to have a cousin who played, but when I was younger some of my friends didn’t even know what lacrosse is. The lacrosse season for highschool and town teams start in the springtime, and is played in the summer and fall for club teams. With that, a reason why lacrosse isn’t as popular as some sports is because of the competition with other sports. Baseball, soccer, and basketball are the most well known sports that are played all year, so many kids are playing those sports during lacrosse season. In the past years more and more kids have been introduced to lacrosse through social media, the PLL, and simply the growth of the sport. The PLL has been able to grow the sport enough to have games aired on ESPN. Other lacrosse leagues haven’t become popular because they haven’t become well known on social media or tv. Just a few days ago the PLL “announced an expanded international distribution for the 2022 season. Games will be distributed in 170+ countries globally” (PLL). The marketing aspect of the PLL has been a key factor to the growth of lacrosse over the years. 

Social media and college lacrosse are also components to the growth of lacrosse. Division 1 college lacrosse is one of the most exciting sports to watch, because the skill level is so high. ESPN has posted many highlights of college lacrosse games because of the crazy plays that occur in the game. When a little kid is scrolling on TikTok and sees a Maryland player score by shooting between his legs, they are most likely going to want to try lacrosse. In the fall millions of people watch the college football championship, and in the spring millions watch the college lacrosse championship. College lacrosse is growing the sport so much because people are now showing the same attention to lacrosse as they would other sports. People all over America place big bets on the games, they do brackets, and get intrigued into the games of their favorite college. The players in college lacrosse have also become popular in the sports world. Fans watch a certain player all year, and at the end of the year they see if that player gets drafted to the PLL. Social media and the promotion of lacrosse has tremendously helped the growth of the sport over the past few years.

From a game played by the Navajo tribe, to a game broadcasted to millions of people each weekend. Having a sport that is fast paced and filled with incredible skill, lacrosse is bound to see even more growth in the future. The PLL, college lacrosse, and social media have all impacted lacrosse and all sports forever, proving that lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the world.