In 2017 the World Games were held in Poland, and women’s national lacrosse teams from six nations competed for the championship. The World Games were held right after the FIL World Championships, and countries sent over top level teams to compete.
In 2021, lacrosse’s role in the World Games expands!
Evidently, women’s lacrosse had a really great outing at the 2017 games, because not only have the women been invited back to compete as an officially sanctioned sport, but the men have also been invited to compete in 2021 as an invitational sport, as the women did in 2017. On top of all that, Wheelchair athletes will also be competing in the 2021 World Games, and Wheelchair Lacrosse is one of the sports on their list! So it’s not just the women’s game anymore. It’s now women’s, men’s and wheelchair lacrosse.
Look at this way, if you will:
In 2013, there was no lacrosse played at the World Games – NONE. So to have three different levels and versions of the sport played in 2021 is a big move in a very short period of time. Historically speaking, very few sports have been able to add themselves in this quickly, and for team sports, it can be even harder. Add in the fact that men’s and women’s lacrosse are played by different rules, and this rapid acceptance by the World Games is even more impressive.
But beyond just the speed at which World Games inclusion happened, why is it such a big move?
The World Games are part of Sport Accord. Sport Accord is the international sports body that oversees international competition. In order to get into the Olympics, a sport needs to be fully sanctioned by Sport Accord. In order to receive fully sanctioned status, playing your sport at the World Games becomes super important. It’s almost like an Olympic trial or test run arena, where different sports can make their case on the international stage, without going full Olympic status.
If lacrosse had not been invited back in 2021, it would have been a HUGE blow to the current Olympic movement being pushed by the FIL and others, so this must be a relief for those in charge of the effort. Their plan is moving forward nicely, and quickly, and progress is being made. It’s a good sign when the World Games invites a sport like lacrosse back, but the fact that they added TWO new versions to the women’s game (men’s and wheelchair) speaks volumes about how serious this all could be, especially as we move forward and Olympic talk gets louder.
The 2021 World Games will be played in Birmingham, Alabama. This is the first time the US will host the event since 1981, and the 11th such event held under the World Games banner. Over 3,500 athletes will come to Alabama, from over 100 countries, playing 30 different sports. It’s going to be a huge international sporting event, and lacrosse is going to be there, served up three different ways!
I am VERY curious to know which countries will be invited to play in the “invitational” men’s event. The host country (in this case the US) is always included, and for the women, they took the next 5 best countries to compete alongside Poland.
For men’s lacrosse, that includes the Iroquois, so I am VERY curious to see if they are allowed to play. If they are, it’s a good sign for Olympic lacrosse being done the right way. If the Iroquois are not included and allowed to play, then it raises some very serious questions about the long-term plan for including the Iroquois whenever their game is played on the international stage. We made that mistake in 2010, let us never make it again. This is their game after all, and if we can’t find a way for them to play on the world stage, then should we play the game on the world stage at all? It’s a fair question to ask, at the very least, and so far we have not heard any good answers. That being said, these things can take time. My only hope is that it is being worked on now, and not left to the last minute, as that approach could be potentially disastrous.
As lacrosse continues to push for Olympic inclusion, these are the kinds of events that can make or break the process – so pay attention to what’s going on with the World Games.
