The Israel men's national lacrosse team scored a major goal this summer when it medaled for the first time in international play, taking the silver in the 2016 European Lacrosse Championships. It was only the second time that Israel had competed in this prestigious tournament. Lacrosse, an ancient sport originally developed by the Native American Iroquois people, had virtually no presence in Israel until about a decade ago. Today, the sport is played by hundreds of children and adults, thanks to the efforts of the sport's governing body in the country, the Israel Lacrosse Association. The association's ambitious initiatives include programs for youth at risk; coexistence programs to bring Arab and Jewish youth together; Taglit-Birthright Israel trips and Masa Israel Journey internships, which bring players and coaches from North America; scholarships to provide advanced training for the most promising players; the procurement of second-hand equipment so that every child who is interested, regardless of socio-economic background, can afford to play the sport; and cooperative projects with players in other countries, helping to bring lacrosse to the wider region. In this episode of Israel Hayom Insider, Israel Lacrosse Association Director of Youth Development David Lasday and men's national team player Matt Flapan speak with Opinion Editor Steve Ganot about developing and growing the "fastest sport on two feet" in Israel. Anchor: Steve Ganot. Camera: Gil Kremer. Makeup: Rona Ben-Ezra. Archive: Hannah Epstein.
