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Many of the American Indian Tribes played lacrosse over 400 years ago in the Southeastern part of what was to become, later, the United States. They called it "Baggataway" which means "Little Brother of War" Games were played over several miles and were used to settle disputes as well as to train warriors. Jean deBreuf, a French missionary, witnessing a game played by the Huron Indians in 1636, thought the sticks used looked like "Croziers" carried by the Bishops of the church and referred to the game, in his journal as "La crosse"..
The mid and late 1800's saw many settlers playing some form of lacrosse but the game took a big step forward toward the game we know today when a Montreal dentist named George Beers set down the first rules in 1867. The field was 200 yards long with no sideline out of bounds and the goals were two upright posts. Twelve men were to be on a team. Within two years there were hundreds of men's club teams playing lacrosse. NYU fielded the first college team in 1867 and in 1882 the Phillips Exeter and Andover Prep schools, in New England, started the first high school boys teams. Rosabelle Sinclair formed the first girls lacrosse team at the Bryn Mawr School, in Baltimore, in1926..
Today there are over 750 college men's and women's lacrosse teams and lacrosse is played in over 4000 high schools. There are hundreds of youth programs where hundreds of thousand of boys and girls learn and enjoy the game. Lacrosse has spread rapidly internationally with more than 30 countries, including USA; Australia; England; Germany; Ireland; Iroquois Nationals; Japan; South Korea; New Zealand; Sweden; Scotland; Denmark; Finland; Italy; etc. vying for the World Championship every four years..
Lacrosse is not a new sport to South Carolina. It was played over 400 years ago by many Indian Tribes who roamed the area such as the Cherokee and Catawba.
Modern lacrosse was first played in South Carolina in the mid 1970's when some military personnel formed club teams in the Southeastern part of the state. Clemson University was a founding member of the SELC (Southeastern Lacrosse Conference) in 1988 and won the first conference championship. Furman and the Citadel also had men's club teams "off and on" in the mid 1970's..,
A Hilton Head Men's club team was formed in the late 1980's but disbanded in 2001..
The early 1990's saw lacrosse continue to try and establish a stronghold, at the collegiate level, as a mens Div II varsity team was formed at Limestone and they won two NCAA National Championships in 2000 & 2002 as well as being runner-ups in 2003; 2004; and 2005. Presbyterian college introduced varsity men's and women's team in 2005 and moved to NCAA Div I in 2008. USC women's program plans a move to NCAA Div I in the 2012 season. New women's programs at Erskine College and Converse College took the field for the 2009 season.
Rich Thomas founded the Hilton Head/Bluffton Lacrosse Club in 1998 providing playing opportunities to kids under high school age.
Dr. Bill Harner, Principal, and Scott Sharp, a teacher, started lacrosse at Hilton Head High School in 1999 and Hilton Head has the honor of being the first high school lacrosse program in the state..
David Steele, a Mt. Pleasant veterinarian, expanded enthusiasm for the sport in 1998 with the Charleston "Hurricanes" men's club team.
Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, in Columbia, fielded a boys team in 2000 under the direction of Dr. George Scouten and the game that year between Hilton Head and Heathwood Hall was the first high school game played in the state. Heathwood added middle school and girls teams in 2002.
John Reyelt, Hal Ness, John Monahan, and Tom Jackson formed the Myrtle Beach Lacrosse Club in December of 1999 as a 501c3 corporation and began teaching the game to boys and girls middle school and high school age kids.
US Lacrosse, the national governing body of the sport, selected them to represent US Lacrosse as the South Carolina Chapter and the chapter was also incorporated as a 501c3 in December 1999. This group formed boys and girls youth and high school age teams as well as starting a women's team at Coastal Carolina University
Camden Military Academy fielded a team in 2001 and the state now had 4 high school age boy's lacrosse teams. Ridgeview High School, in Columbia, under the direction of Pat Lynch formed a girl's team in 2001 and a boys team later in 2004. Jamie Walker founded the "Columbia Youth Lacrosse Club" in 2001 for kids in middle school. A lacrosse presentation, by Hal Ness, to students at Ft. Dorchester High School, in 2003, led to formation of boys and girls lacrosse teams in the Charleston area.
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The S.C Chapter grew with board members elected from all parts of the state and in 2001 initiated the SCLL (South Carolina Lacrosse League) to provide state wide competition toward state lacrosse championships. The first tournament was held in Myrtle Beach, in 2002,
Dr. Bill Harner had moved from his principal's duties at Hilton Head High to Superintendent of Schools in Greenville County. He invited Hal Ness to make a lacrosse presentation to the principal's of the 14 Greenville County Schools in October 2003. Seven Greenville County High Schools fielded both boys and girl's lacrosse teams in the spring of 2004. They were Eastside, Greenville, Hillcrest, J.L. Mann, Mauldin, Riverside, and Wade Hampton. The state now had 16 boys and 15 girl's high school lacrosse teams.
Bluffton High School came on board with both boys and girls teams in 2005 as well as a girl's team at Clinton High School in that same year. 2006 saw the introduction of girls and boys lacrosse at Socastee High School. Woodmont, Beaufort Academy, Fort Mill, and Wando entered the competitive South Carolina lacrosse world in 2007. Woodmont in 2008 and Spartanburg, Dorman and Bishop England High Schools fielded boys and girls teams in 2009.
The level of lacrosse improved rapidly and the SCLL held it's first All Star Game in 2005. Each year the talent level among the girls and boys of both high school and middle school increased and the excitement of the All Star games grew. The 2008 & 2009 All Star games held at White Knoll School were the best yet. Athletics directors are finding out that lacrosse is a revenue producing sport as fan numbers continue to increase.
Proof of the growth of lacrosse was borne out on October 23, 2008 when the SCHSL voted unanimously to sanction lacrosse in South Carolina's Public Schools. The concerted effort of many people, over the last nine years, to spread the game was rewarded. The SCHSL began sponsorship of high school State Lacrosse Championships in 2010. There were 25 girls public high school teams and 28 boys public high school teams competing for the state championship in 2011.
There are four men's club teams in the state. They are the Myrtle Beach "Waves"; the Charleston "Hurricanes"; the Columbia "Pinks"; and the Greenville Area Lacrosse Club.
The Myrtle Beach Lacrosse Club hosted a fall lacrosse jamboree called the "Palmetto Shootout" in Myrtle Beach in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Sixteen or more men's club teams from all over the Southeast came to the beach for the weekend to play lacrosse and have FUN!!!
Coastal Carolina University moved to have a varsity women's lacrosse team beginning in 2013 and hired Jaime Sellers in August 2011 to establish and build the program. Coastal will join South Carolina colleges Winthrop and Presbyterian to compete in the Big South Conference which will adopt women's lacrosse as one of it's sports in 2013.The conference champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The recent growth of middle school and JV teams as well as many rec and youth programs around the state is further proof of the immense interest and enthusiasm for the great game of lacrosse.
The South Carolina Chapter of US Lacrosse will continue to expand the opportunities of the game of lacrosse to all of the people of South Carolina so that they can enjoy the thrill and excitement of the game. We encourage and demand that good sportsmanship, at all levels, be practiced by players, coaches and fans and that they "Honor the Game".
Chapter Web Site: WWW.SCLACROSSE.COM
US Lacrosse Web Site: WWW.USLACROSSE.ORG
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