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. Praise for The American Game : “Two groups—the Native Americans who invented the sports and the lax bros who have become most associated with it—serve as tentpoles in Price’s book. But he touches on so much more in between . . . Price pulls it off masterfully.”— Sports Illustrated " 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 "Lacrosse is a uniquely American sport . . . The sport and the country is imperfect, but it's working toward a more perfect union and a more perfect sport."— PBS News Hour “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 s