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New L.B. teams inspire lacrosse rebirth
By Samantha Gonzaga, Staff writer

LONG BEACH — Lacrosse, arguably the country's oldest sport, could be experiencing a rebirth as its "newest."

The game has been credited to Native Americans, who used it for recreation and a way to resolve tribal issues. It's popular in Canada and on the East Coast, though the United States didn't form Major League Lacrosse for its six professional teams until 2001. California is expected to join with Los Angeles and San Francisco teams in the near future.

"I think there's a trickle-down process from that," said Long Beach resident Glenn Styron, director of Long Beach Lacrosse. "And my kind of perspective is that kids want something that's fast-action."

Styron, anticipating a lacrosse boom in the next few years, is looking to bring the sport to Long Beach youth by developing a lacrosse league for children as young as third-graders and for high school students. For the last few Sundays, he and a team of coaches have been offering free demonstrations at Whaley Park near Cal State Long Beach, where they attract about a dozen children. His long-term goal is to see the city emerge with its own league, separate from the Orange County Lacrosse Association umbrella under which it currently operates.