The Wall Street Journal reports lacrosse has taken over as New York's it sport. This isn't a lonely epidemic. Lacrosse will take over as the sport to learn and play in many more states. Excluding football, basketball, and soccer, lacrosse will continue to be the sport of choice for many people. The Journal provides the statistics and realizations of lacrosse's rise in New York.
Chris herring writes:
But beyond its cultural grip, baseball's days as the city's most functional pastime may be numbered. The sport that's coming to define the modern city more than any other is lacrosse.
In a glacial process that has taken place quietly over two decades, lacrosse has elbowed its way from a handful of privileged suburbs to the once-forbidden gates of the five boroughs.
Lacrosse is no longer on the outskirts of New York City anymore. The suburbs may have competition in a few years.
Perhaps the strongest sign of the sport's gathering strength is its invasion into the five boroughs. There are now 30 New York City high-school lacrosse teams, according to the city's Public Schools Athletic League, a five-fold increase from seven years ago. Because of that, the number of boys and girls high school players has more than quadrupled since 2002.
An interesting stat to take away from the article is that since 2003 baseball participation has dropped 9% while lacrosse increased more than 42%. Hat tip to @CitylaxNYC for letting us know about this great piece. Continue reading at the WallStreetJournal.com.