A NATIVE American sport which is catching the attention of youngsters has been reintroduced into a North-East school after an absence of 120 years.
Girls at Barnard Castle School have taken up the challenge and are now playing lacrosse.
The sport was invented by Native Americans and is a cross between football, hockey and basketball. Twelve players a side aim to score in a goal 6ft square using a stick with a net on the end.
Men's lacrosse is played in a similar fashion to ice hockey while the women's game is closer to the original, is less physical and uses more finesse.
About 100 girls, aged 11 to 18, have taken up the sport and, to give them the best possible chance of success, Barnard Castle School has employed the services of American coach Erin Maturo, from Michigan.
She said: "It has certainly started to grow in popularity. Lacrosse has already been sold in the South of the country so we are trying to pick it up and make it a staple sport in the North.
"I was hired through the English Lacrosse Association and they placed me here because Barnard Castle was looking for a coach. The girls seem to be enjoying it and are certainly very athletic."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article