www.sportseventsmagazine.com
September 2015
41
SPORT Report
t
New Growth For America's Oldest Game
BY T. WAYNE WATERS
acrosse has been played for
centuries, but US Lacrosse,
the national governing body,
began operating in 1998. In
fewer than 20 years of exis-
tence, the governing body
has seen fantastic growth of
the sport. According to the 2013 SFIA
Sports, Fitness and Leisure Activities
Topline Participation Report, casual
participation in lacrosse has increased 18
percent in just the past fve years.
According to a US Lacrosse 2012 par-
ticipation survey statistics, the sport had
722,000 players nationwide at the time,
marking a 5.5 percent increase from the
previous year. "One reason the growth has
been sustained in a recent timeframe is that
we've seen more mainstream media expo-
sure, particularly of the college game,'
said Paul Krome, associate director, mar-
keting and public relations. "We're able
to reach new audiences with that."
US Lacrosse coordinates the Women's
Collegiate Lacrosse Association (WCLA)
regional championship series and runs
the WCLA national championships. US
Lacrosse has a more limited role with
men's lacrosse club associations. The
organization does not oversee or
operate NCAA lacrosse championships,
nor is it involved with any professional
leagues. ►
Lacrosse
SCORES
L
Andrew
Dye/US
Lacrosse