Significance and Tradition of Championship Lacrosse Rings

The Significance of Lacrosse Rings

Lacrosse rings have become an iconic tradition within the sport, symbolizing team unity, championship victories, and career accomplishments. As the popularity of lacrosse continues to grow, especially at the college and professional levels, lacrosse rings have taken on greater meaning for players, coaches, and fans alike.

The History of Championship Rings

The tradition of awarding championship rings began in professional sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, and MLB. Lacrosse, as a steadily growing college and professional sport, adopted this tradition only in recent decades. Now, lacrosse teams at all levels of competition have made rings a part of their culture.

College lacrosse programs award customized rings to players and coaches to commemorate conference championships, final four runs, and national titles. Famed NCAA lacrosse powers like Syracuse, Maryland, North Carolina, and Princeton have long included lavish rings as prizes for their successful seasons.

In professional lacrosse leagues like the NLL, PLL, and MLL, championship rings are also awarded to players and staff. As the quality of pro lacrosse play continues to improve, these rings have become more elaborate and valuable.

Custom Lacrosse Rings

Lacrosse rings are typically customized with the team name, season, and type of championship won. For college programs, the rings often incorporate the school name, colors, and logos within intricate designs that reflect the uniqueness of that lacrosse program.

Professional league rings follow similar conventions, including the league logo and colors within multi-diamond displays. Top jewelry companies like Jostens and Baron Championship Rings are now regularly commissioned to design iconic lacrosse rings.

The level of personalization and extravagance of these rings has grown substantially in recent years. Team captains, tournament MVPs, and All-Americans often receive specially embellished rings boasting premium materials, intricate details, and expensive diamonds and precious gemstones.

Lacrosse Ring Ceremonies

The ceremony in which players actually receive their coveted rings has also become an important lacrosse tradition. College teams frequently organize formal events after their seasons where team awards are presented. The ultimate climax is the unveiling of the massive championship rings, which are handed out joyously to players and coaches.

These ceremonies reinforce the notion that a player only gets to wear the ring after properly earning it through collective struggle, perseverance, achievement, and hard work with teammates. It's an emotional and meaningful event for any program or lacrosse athlete.

Professional lacrosse leagues have followed suit by conjuring ring presentation rituals of their own. The rings not only recognize past greatness but motivate younger athletes chasing the same dream.

The Waterdogs Ring Ceremony

The Waterdogs team ring ceremony represented a watershed moment for professional lacrosse. As Paul Rabil's successful new league attempting to elevate pro lacrosse, the PLL spared no expense with their lavish rings commemorating the league's inaugural season.

Viral photos emerged of gargantuan Waterdogs rings covered by hundreds of diamonds and displaying intricate craftsmanship. League founder Paul Rabil and star players like Connor Fields were emotional as they finally claimed their rings.

The images made waves on lacrosse social media forums and helped establish early on that the PLL aimed to create meaningful traditions. With growing broadcast viewership and attendance figures, pro lacrosse culture finally has a sustainable foundation it has lacked.

A New Era

As evidenced by the gorgeous Waterdogs rings, Paul Rabil's PLL generated an upswing in interest and engagement across the lacrosse landscape. The league's early success seems to portend greater growth, higher salaries, superior play, and increased meaning attached to pro lacrosse championships.

Moving forward, a PLL ring may carry just as much prestige as one from a perennial NCAA powerhouse. If one league can create financial stability for professional lacrosse, others will follow, multiplying the achievements deemed ring-worthy for generations of future players.

The trajectory seems brightly pointed upwards, so lacrosse fans can look forward to more stunning ring unveilings and ceremonies as the game continues expanding its cultural footprint. Iconic pro players will soon have their own collection of hardware to show off alongside their college accolades.

FAQs

When did lacrosse teams start using championship rings?

The tradition of awarding championship rings began fairly recently in lacrosse. Over the last 20-30 years, as college and professional lacrosse have grown tremendously in popularity and profitability, commemorative rings have become an iconic tradition adopted from other major sports leagues.

How are lacrosse rings designed and customized?

Lacrosse rings incorporate team names, logos, colors, mascots, and other program identifiers. They display the year/season and type of championship won. Significant jewelry companies design them to have unique configurations covered in diamonds, gemstones, and precious metals.

Who gets honored with lacrosse rings?

The entire team roster and coaching staff receive rings to symbolize the unified achievement. However, certain special roles like captains, tournament MVPs, and All-Americans often warrant additional embellishments and personalization for their rings.

Why are ring ceremony rituals important?

The ring ceremony allows teams to formally commemorate past greatness while motivating younger generations to reach the same pinnacle through hard work and perseverance. The ceremonies make winning rings more emotional and meaningful.