The American Game

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 seeking to compete under their own flag. Grounded in archival research, sports scores, and a multitude of interviews, Price’s text offers reasons why the sport remains an expression of Indigenous cultural affirmation.”—Ryan Winn, Tribal College Journal

“Price meticulously elaborates on players past and present, social issues surrounding the game, and the racism that has plagued the sport throughout its history and persists today. Brimming with profiles of players and revolutionary coaches as well as match highlights, The American Game weaves the history and struggles of Indigenous and minority players of the not-so-distant past with the present state of a game that is the fastest growing sport in U.S. Price details the efforts of those who worked to broaden the appeal of the sport and move it away from its collegiate elitism and misogyny. A thorough and honest accounting of a sport with a checkered past but promising future, this book should be mandatory reading for every lacrosse player, parent, and coach.”—Craig Clark, Booklist (STARRED REVIEW)

“A rich cultural history of lacrosse . . . Price excels at untangling how colonialism, class, and gender have shaped lacrosse’s history, and he offers a poignant account of how the Haudenosaunee Nationals’ ongoing campaign to play in the 2028 Olympic Games under their own flag is bringing renewed attention to the game’s Indigenous roots. This one’s a winner.”—Publishers Weekly

“A thorough look at a sport’s storied past, troubled present, and perhaps promising future.”—Kirkus Reviews

"The remarkable writing and reporting in this book should be required reading in every English class in this country. S.L. Price at the absolute peak of his storytelling powers."—Armen Keteyian, 11 time Emmy award winner and six-time NYT best-selling author.

"Highly recommended. The book lacrosse needed."—Glenn Stout, author of Young Woman and the Sea

“If sport is a way for us to interpret our country, and story a way to understand our lives, this glorious book marries the two—illuminating America through one of its most original games and the generations who have played it. S. L. Price’s reporting weaves narratives that help to explain our confounding selves and our competitive spirit.  In knowing these stories, we emerge as the winners.”—Tom Rinaldi, New York Times bestselling author of The Red Bandanna, Emmy-award winning Fox Sports reporter

“A sweeping, exquisitely-written, exhaustively-reported, authoritative book that, inevitably, will be filed under ‘sports’ but is only peripherally about sticks and balls. S. L. Price holds a mirror to America—present and past—and deftly shows how this ascending sport explains and encapsulates so much.”—Jon Wertheim, senior writer for Sports Illustrated, correspondent for 60 Minutes