Lacrosse’s deepest history dates back to the Native Americans of the 1100’s, and was being documented by European settlers by the 1700’s. In the 1870’s Canadian immigrants established clubs in the NYC area, with 4 teams regularly squaring off in the late 1870’s (Ravenswood, NYU, NY Lacrosse Club and Prospect Park).
In an effort to connect with the Victorian image of the "noble savage", affluent members of Brooklyn Society began taking up lacrosse in the 1870's. In a short time, with the rise of many local athletic clubs, modern Lacrosse found its epicenter in Brooklyn. The New York Times reported that the 1885 season saw some 35 lacrosse games at Brooklyn’s Parade Grounds alone. By 1885 there were 12 teams in NYC, with clubs from Brooklyn dominating the Lacrosse world well into the 1920’s. Unlike baseball, Lacrosse in America wasn’t grounded in working-class society. Throughout the 20th Century, Lacrosse became the property of the social elite and well-educated.
The last few decades have seen a re-emergence of the sport in all parts of the country, especially urban areas. In Brooklyn, the revival began in the late 1990s, when Kevin Graham founded the Brooklyn Admirals with help from US Lacrosse’s BRIDGE Program, a precursor to the current First Stick Program. The Admirals found success as Brooklyn’s first inner-city youth lacrosse program. In 2006, the Brooklyn Crescents were formed by numerous Admiral coaches, and continue to flourish today. The Brooklyn Lacrosse Club was founded by 2 former Crescent coaches in 2012, Joe Nocella and Khalid West.
Hurdles still exist in urban areas. Barriers such as cost, field space, perception and logistics have stood in the way of Lacrosse expanding in the inner cities. The Brooklyn Lacrosse Club has the Mission of removing these barriers.
National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Members who lived/played in Brooklyn