Which country was first: Basketball, Lacrosse, and Hockey?

Before we start do you know what The NBA, NLL, and NHL stand for. N=National and L= League the middle letters B=basketball, L= Lacrosse, and H= for hockey. National is a fancy way of saying Country. the words “League” and “Association” is just a fancy way of saying team.

🏀 NBA – National Basketball Association

• N = National → the whole country (United States, and includes Canadian teams too)
• B = Basketball
• A = Association → a group of teams (a type of league)

🥍 NLL – National Lacrosse League

• N = National
• L = Lacrosse
• L = League

🏒 NHL – National Hockey League

L = League

N = National

H = Hockey

Ask your parents if they know what they all mean and if they have a favorite.

Did you know some of your favorite sports were invented before your country had a name?
It’s true!
When your parents were little (and even way before that), people were already playing games like:

• Basketball — Invented by a Canadian in the United States!
• Lacrosse — First played by Indigenous Peoples long before there was a Canada or a USA!
• Hockey — Started by Indigenous and early Canadian players on frozen lakes and ponds!

🌎 What Does “North America” Mean?

Some adults say “Canada and the United States” when they talk about North America.
Some say “The United States and Canada.”.
It sounds silly, but sometimes people really argue about who played the game first or which country is better!

🗣️ Sometimes, when someone wins just one game…

• Some adults forget their manners.
• Instead of saying “Good job!”, they brag and call names like bullies not friends.
• Instead of saying “Better luck next time”, they act like babies if their team loses. Some adults break the equipment a child would love to have played with.

🧠 But here’s the truth:

If you blame the goalie or the referee, they might stop playing…
And then guess what?
Nobody gets to play.

If someone on your team makes a mistake it’s okay. Mistakes are how all games with points are won and lost.
Losing is always a team effort.

🧠 What You Can Remember:

When you grow up, you’ll pick your favorite foods, sports, and teams.
You’ll love things your parents don’t even understand (and that’s okay!).

But what matters most is:

• Playing fair.
• Cheering loud.
• Laughing when you win or lose.
• Making good memories with good friends.

Because the best part of any game isn’t winning —
it’s sharing the fun.