World News for Students of English

18-09-2025 07:00

Lacrosse, one of North America’s oldest sports, is now the world’s fastest-growing team sport and will return to the Olympics in 2028 after a century-long absence.

The game has grown quickly, with participation up by over 200% each decade and more than 90 countries now playing. In the US, it has spread far beyond its traditional base in the Northeast, reaching states like California and Florida. Professional leagues are also helping: the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL), launched in 2018, merged with Major League Lacrosse in 2020 and now has media deals with ESPN, an American sports television and media company, which invested in both men’s and women’s leagues. Investors have put in over 100 million dollars.

However, challenges remain. Lacrosse is still seen as a sport for the wealthy, because equipment is expensive and many top players come from elite schools. Around 60% of PLL fans have net worths above 1 million dollars. While there are 48 million fans worldwide, TV audiences are modest. Experts say that despite Olympic exposure, mainstream success could take decades.

Difficult words: elite (a group seen as superior compared to the rest of society), net worth (the difference between total assets and liabilities, showing the overall wealth of a person or company), exposure (public attention or visibility).

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