Ever wondered what the fastest-growing sport in America is? Probably not, but it is lacrosse.
Lacrosse, a sport relatively foreign to the deep south, is very similar to ice hockey, except for the ice skating part.
Each team has 10 players on the field at a time: a goalkeeper, three defensive players, three midfielders and three attack men. Each player possesses a long stick, which he uses to catch a little rubber ball. The lengths of the sticks vary depending on position. Attackers generally use a shorter stick, while midfielders and defenders tend to carry a longer stick.
The game begins with a face-off at the center of the field and normally consists of four 12-minute quarters. Lacrosse is much like soccer; only the goalie can touch the ball with his hands. Obviously, the team that has scored the rubber ball in the net the most times at the end of the game wins.
The sport is also full of contact. Lacrosse rules require players to wear special padding all over their bodies.
Lacrosse has recently come under pressure from the public because of the risk of head injuries, much like football. The risk of concussions has sparked a major debate about the safety of the sport not only for children, but also for adults.
Aside from that, the game is catching on like no other. From 2010 to 2011, the sport saw a 37.3 percent jump, and over the past 10 years, it has seen a 218.1 percent leap in participation. 
The same can be said for lacrosse at Mississippi State. The lacrosse club program has made significant strides since its birth two years ago.
The team’s vice president, Andrew Banker, said lacrosse has been going on at MSU for more than just two years.
“We’ve been a full team for two years, and this will be our third. Before that, they scrimmaged off and on for about 10 years,” Banker said.
The club consists of roughly 25 to 30 members and has two coaches, one of whom is philosophy professor Bart Moffatt.
Moffatt, who played lacrosse collegiately and won a national title at North Carolina in 1991, said he thinks this should be the club’s best season ever after coming off its first winning season last year.
Moffatt also said his playing experience has helped some of the players.
“The culture of winning is you have to learn how to win. We’ve been getting a lot better,” he said.
Banker and Moffatt were drawn to the sport for different reasons. Moffatt could not ice skate very well growing up in the north and was pulled to the field, whereas Banker just wanted to try something new.  
A Memphis native, Banker said he fell in love with the sport at an early age.
“It was a new sport, and I wanted to learn. I took private lessons from a professional,” Banker said. “It also has an intellectual part of the game some people don’t realize”.
Club president Ben Hester said his reason for playing lacrosse was simply because he was bored with baseball.
“I was originally drawn to lacrosse because of the breakneck pace of the game. After watching my brother’s lacrosse team, I decided to give it a try,” Hester said. “I never looked back.”
Although the sport has taken many steps forward over the past 20 years, it still is not part of mainstream public viewing yet. Because of that, it still remains a club sport here in Starkville and at most places in the South.
The team relies on dues, sponsorships and donations to stay funded.
Banker said the team started at $100 and worked its way up. The players go out across town and ask businesses to help keep their club going strong. The club now has a package deal where any business can put its logo on a poster or banner.
The team plays most of its games in the spring but also a few in the fall.
The sport of lacrosse still has a long way to go in terms of mainstream popularity, but if it continues on this path, the future looks bright for this fresh up-and-coming sport, both nationally and here in Starkville.