In the past, lacrosse also served to vent aggression, and territorial disputes between tribes were sometimes settled with a game, although not always amicably. A Creek versus Choctaw game around 1790 to determine rights over a beaver pond broke out into a violent battle when the Creeks were declared winners.The game of lacrosse became known when European missionaries began visiting North American Men in the 1600s, US Lacrosse states. The very first lacrosse equipment used by Native Americans included a wooden carved stick with a small pocket at the end, according to LacrosseCentral.com. The rules, equipment and playing style of lacrosse differed between various tribes in North America. Europeans began playing lacrosse during the 1800s. Europeans residing in Canada caught onto the game during this time, forming teams through the Montreal Olympic Club to play lacrosse games against Native American teams in 1844, 1848 and 1851. In 1856, the Montreal Lacrosse Club was established and produced the first official rules for the sport. A dentist named George Beers revised the rules in 1867, and also refined the lacrosse stick's design and introduced the use of a hard rubber ball instead of one made from deerskin stuffed with hair. Throughout the 1900s, lacrosse equipment continued to evolve in leaps and bounds, with the emergence of aluminum sticks with plastic pocket frames and protective pads for players. By 2005, lacrosse was deemed the fastest-growing sport in North America for all ages
