Indigenous peoples have been playing stickball for centuries.
Pearl River's Kanyon Jimmie sprints with the"towa," or ball, while pursed by teammates and a Koni Hata defender during the Men's Division of the World Series of Stickball title game, hosted by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, Saturday, July 13, 2024, in Choctaw, Miss. With the exception of some wearing mouth guards, the players wear no padding in the full-contact game, which is the precursor to lacrosse.
Stickball fans say it remains pure. There are no pads, no timeouts and no mercy. Players typically don’t even wear shoes. It is not uncommon for people to leave the stickball field with broken bones from full contact, or gashes from taking a stick to the face. Any player possessing the ball can expect to be tackled or torn down by their jersey or breechcloth.
Variations on stickball have traditionally been played by several tribal nations using rules created by the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. This year, Koni Hata, the 2023 men’s champion and one of the most dominant teams in the modern era of stickball, defended its dynasty in both the men’s and women’s title games against neighboring Choctaw communities such as Pearl River and stickball powerhouse Bok Cito.
Pearl River had no trouble scoring during tournament play, racking up an impressive 41 points in its first three games. They scored in the first half, but the point was negated for having 31 players on the field. Koni Hata scored in the second half but that point was also taken away for having too many players on the field. But Pearl River scored late in the fourth quarter and took home the ceremonial drum presented by Chief Ben.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Physicality and endurance win the World Series of perhaps the oldest game in North AmericaIndigenous peoples have been playing stickball for centuries.
Read more »
Short North business manager, pastor walking the Short North this weekend to deter crimeA Short North business manager and Columbus pastor are planning to have a presence in the Short North overnight this weekend to make it clear crime is not welco
Read more »
Shark bites 14-year-old boy at North Topsail Beach in North CarolinaA shark bit a boy swimming in the ocean in North Topsail Beach over the weekend.
Read more »
Police seek suspect, offer reward after series of shootings across Charlotte, North CarolinaA series of shootings was reported around Charlotte in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Read more »
North Pacific rattled by series of earthquakes, largest measures at 6.4 magnitudeThe North Pacific by Vancouver, Canada was rattled by a series of earthquakes Thursday morning, the largest quake measured as 6.4 magnitude.
Read more »
VOTE: What is the most urgent issue to tackle along Seattle's Aurora Avenue North?Police responded to Aurora Avenue North in north Seattle Monday morning.
Read more »