Know Your Sport: Lacrosse; the stick and ball game charging into Kenya

Lacrosse has made significant strides in Kenya, and it's growth has been nothing short of exponential.

On this episode of Know Your Sport, we break down lacrosse, its rich origins, the basics of how it is played and how it is carving out space on the Kenyan sporting landscape.

Lacrosse is a fast-paced, full-contact team sport rooted in Indigenous North American traditions.

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Players wield a long-handled stick, known as a crosse, fitted with a netted head used to pass, catch and fire a solid rubber ball into the opponent’s goal.

The sport is played by two teams of 10 players in the men’s game and 12 in the women’s version. The objective is simple yet demanding: outscore the opposition over four quarters of high-tempo action.

Each match begins and restarts after every goal, with a face-off in the men’s game or a draw in the women’s contest at the centre of the field. Here, players battle for possession in a test of strength, reflexes and technique.

Once in control, players sprint across the turf, cradling the ball, a rhythmic rocking motion of the stick that keeps it secure in the pocket while running at speed or absorbing contact.

Tactically, teams must maintain balance. A specific number of players are required to stay on either side of the field, typically three attackers and four defenders anchored in their respective halves, ensuring structure in both offence and defence.

In men’s lacrosse, physicality is part of the spectacle. Body checking and stick checking are permitted to jar the ball loose, making it a bruising yet skilful affair.

However, illegal hits, such as contact to the head or checks from behind, draw penalties, often resulting in a “man-up” advantage for the opposing team.

Modern lacrosse has evolved into several regulated formats: field lacrosse, box lacrosse played indoors and the fast, Olympic-bound “sixes” version, which emphasises speed, fluid substitutions and relentless attacking play.

The sport’s roots stretch back to the 12th century (1100–1200 AD), when Indigenous communities across North America played variations of the game.

Originally known as “stickball” or by traditional names such as tewaarathon among the Haudenosaunee, it served purposes far beyond recreation, from ceremonial rituals and military training to conflict resolution between communities.

In 1637, French missionary Jean de Brébeuf witnessed the game and coined the term la crosse, noting the resemblance of the stick to a bishop’s crosier.

By the mid-19th century, the game had been codified into a structured modern sport. The Montreal Lacrosse Club, founded in 1856, became the first organised club, laying the groundwork for international expansion.

Today, the sport is governed globally by World Lacrosse, the international federation overseeing men’s, women’s and box lacrosse.

Established on September 30, 2008, as the Federation of International Lacrosse following a merger of the men’s and women’s governing bodies, it rebranded to World Lacrosse in May 2019.

The federation now boasts more than 90 member national federations across five continental regions. The International Olympic Committee recognises the sport and successfully spearheaded the campaign that will see it return to the Olympic programme at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where the sixes format will take centre stage.

Back home, lacrosse found its footing in Kenya between 2007 and 2008 through the efforts of Storm Trentham, a former Welsh international player and coach, working alongside Sporting Change International.

The sport initially took root among young women in schools around Mumias in Western Kenya and Nairobi, planting the seeds for what has become a steadily growing movement.

The game is overseen locally by the Kenya Lacrosse Federation (KLF), also known as the Kenya Lacrosse Association (KLA), the body tasked with promoting and regulating the sport in the country.

In February 2026, a breakthrough arrived when the Ministry of Education and the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) officially integrated lacrosse into the national school sports programme.