Ice Hockey was invented in Canada in the mid 1900's. The first organized indoor game was played in Montreal in 1875. The game has grown considerably since it's origins on frozen outdoor ponds and is now one of the major professional sports in North America. Ball hockey was the summer version of ice hockey. It used to be just a game that kids played in the streets but it has grown and spread all over the world. It is much easier to learn and less expensive to play than ice hockey. There are now multiple international organizations for all ages and world championships held in different locations every year.
Lacrosse is the oldest sport in North America. It was originally a gift from the creator for the Haudenosaunee people over 1000 years ago. In recent history it has been taken over and changed by the white man but the Haudenosaunee people still live there life for lacrosse and compete on the world stage in all forms of the game. It is called the fastest game on two feet and is exciting to watch and play. At North Sport we will honor and learn about the indigenous tradition as well as learn the modern game which in it's new "sixes" format is going to be played in the 2028 Olympic summer games for the first time since 1908.
Baseball's roots are complicated and not totally known. It is a blend of other old stick and ball games but the ruleset that we use today was written in 1845 and the first official game was played in 1846. Known as "America's Pass-time" baseball and Americana go hand in hand although football has passed it in popularity recently. At North Sport we will be playing a modified version of baseball called Slow-pitch Softball. In slow-pitch the pitcher lobs the pitch slowly between 6 feet and 12 feet in the air instead of throwing the ball as fast as they can. Softball emphasizes hitting and team defense over striking out the batter.
American football originated as a blend of rugby and soccer. The early years were complicated and there were many versions of the game played before the modern rule-set was agreed upon in the early 1900's. Modern football is a full contact sport and is known for being quite dangerous. Lot's of heavy protective equipment is required. At North Sport we will be playing the non-contact version called Flag Football. Players wear a belt with Velcro strips attached to it. If one of the strips is grabbed by an opponent the ball carrier must stop and the play is dead. Flag football is higher scoring and faster faced than traditional football.