From "the master of new journalism [who always] hits it over the fence" (New York Times) and "one of the finest writers on sports anywhere" (USA Today), the scintillating story of lacrosse-the game invented by the Haudenosaunee, played with more passion than any other, that stubbornly mirrors America's ongoing struggle with inclusivity
Nearly a millennium ago, Native Americans created lacrosse as a means of training warriors and settling disputes. Co-opted by whites in the late 1800s, played for a century largely at elite east coast colleges, over the past thirty years lacrosse has exploded around the world, becoming the fastest growing sport in the U.S. while exposing the fault lines of prejudice and privilege that continue to dog its image. At the same time, the spiritual nature and dazzling style of the Native game has been elevated to center stage as the brilliant Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) play as a nation unto themselves, maintaining their deep traditions and hoping for inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.
Based on seven years of research and observation and crafted with consummate skill, The American Game takes readers inside a unique cultural landscape that nonetheless reflects the wider world. Fluidly weaving in compelling action on the field from World Championships to tense NCAA tournaments, Price also chronicles the controversies and anomalies that have in many ways defined lacrosse. Racism stubbornly persists-and the Haudenosaunee have endured plenty in their rise-yet few mainstream entities have done more than lacrosse to champion the Native American experience. The Duke rape case and the murder of Yeardley Love still resonate, reinforcing the sport's elite "laxbro" image, yet women remain the core force powering its astonishing boom. Lacrosse's longtime link with Wall Street endures, but its bond with elite military service is just as remarkable.
Price introduces legendary individuals from Jim Brown (some say he was even better at lacrosse than football), Black superstar Kyle Harrison and the brilliant Iroquois stickman Lyle Thompson, to famed coaches Lars Tiffany and Kelly Amonte Hiller and Onondaga faithkeeper Oren Lyons. All of them, and all who play the game, pay homage to the mystical qualities of the lacrosse stick, which American coaching icon Bill Tierney calls "the thing that makes you special." A masterpiece of narration and investigation, The American Game is the powerful story of a sport that, perhaps more than any other, captures the complexity of America in its ongoing effort to achieve a more perfect union.
Rezensionen / Stimmen
Praise for The American Game:
"The American Game, by sports writer S.L. Price, is one of the
year's best, a look at the colonialism, elitism and the future of
lacrosse, from its WASPy image to an Iroquois team intent on entering
the 2028 Olympics under their own Native flag."-Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune
"Unflinching storytelling . . . Price delivers a heavily researched and
well-crafted history of the sport, from its Native American origins as
the "Medicine Game" - so called because it is said to heal the body and
spirit - to its ascent to the upper echelon of US sports."-Bailey Lipschultz, Bloomberg Weekend
"Mr. Price is no stranger to sports books of consequence . . . His latest book, the product of a seven-year voyage of discovery through "the Country of Lacrosse," takes us from indigenous lands where the game has a sacred element to the present-day capitals of the collegiate game . . . Lacrosse is a sport of contrasts, with both a frat-house image and a rich spiritual heritage. The Haudenosaunee regard it as a form of "medicine" and a way to "honor the Creator." In the end, it really may be America's game, in all its glorious complexity."-David Shribman, Wall Street Journal
"S.L. Price's recent book The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse offers a primer on that sport's storied history. A decorated former staff writer for Sports Illustrated, Price captures how the game created prior to Western contact remains a nexus for exclusive competitive sports and inclusive Indigenous culture. Exploring how lacrosse transformed from a medicine game that any Indigenous male could play "to deal with personal strife" to a game that is often associated with privileged, upper-class white players, Price centers his work in the reality that the Haudenosaunee have used the game to uphold their sovereignty. For the first time since 1908, lacrosse will be included in the 2028 Olympic games and the Haudenosaunee Nation's team is seeking to compete under their own flag. Grounded in archival research, sports scores, and a multitude of interviews, Price's text offers reasons why the sport remains an expression of Indigenous cultural affirmation."-Ryan Winn, Tribal College Journal
"Price meticulously elaborates on players past and present, social issues surrounding the game, and the racism that has plagued the sport throughout its history and persists today. Brimming with profiles of players and revolutionary coaches as well as match highlights, The American Game weaves the history and struggles of Indigenous and minority players of the not-so-distant past with the present state of a game that is the fastest growing sport in U.S. Price details the efforts of those who worked to broaden the appeal of the sport and move it away from its collegiate elitism and misogyny. A thorough and honest accounting of a sport with a checkered past but promising future, this book should be mandatory reading for every lacrosse player, parent, and coach."-Craig Clark, Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)
"A rich cultural history of lacrosse . . . Price excels at untangling how colonialism, class, and gender have shaped lacrosse's history, and he offers a poignant account of how the Haudenosaunee Nationals' ongoing campaign to play in the 2028 Olympic Games under their own flag is bringing renewed attention to the game's Indigenous roots. This one's a winner."-Publishers Weekly
"A thorough look at a sport's storied past, troubled present, and perhaps promising future."-Kirkus Reviews
"The remarkable writing and reporting in this book should be required reading in every English class in this country. ?S.L. Price? at the absolute peak of his storytelling powers."-Armen Keteyian, 11 time Emmy award winner and six-time NYT best-selling author.
"Highly recommended. The book lacrosse needed."-Glenn Stout, author of Young Woman and the Sea
"If sport is a way for us to interpret our country, and story a way to understand our lives, this glorious book marries the two-illuminating America through one of its most original games and the generations who have played it. S. L. Price's reporting weaves narratives that help to explain our confounding selves and our competitive spirit. In knowing these stories, we emerge as the winners."-Tom Rinaldi, New York Times bestselling author of The Red Bandanna, Emmy-award winning Fox Sports reporter
"A sweeping, exquisitely-written, exhaustively-reported, authoritative book that, inevitably, will be filed under 'sports' but is only peripherally about sticks and balls. S. L. Price holds a mirror to America-present and past-and deftly shows how this ascending sport explains and encapsulates so much."-Jon Wertheim, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, correspondent for 60 Minutes
S. L. PRICE, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated for 26 years, is the author of four previous books, including Playing through the Whistle and Pitching around Fidel, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Price has also written for Vanity Fair, the New York Times, TIME, and The Oxford American. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his family.
