It wasn't all that long ago that I met two men who truly define what the saying "art of lacrosse" really mean.  Alf Jacques and Vincent Ricasio are two men who have kept the sport of lacrosse alive in two different ways, all bound together by the word art.

Jacques is known as the "Stick maker of the Iroquois" and one of the few people left still making authentic wooden lacrosse sticks.  The time and effort Jacques puts into making a stick is truly an art form and is something one must see in person to truly understand how much this means to Jacques.  He puts his heart and soul into every stick.  That could be why it takes him months to make just one stick.  

As for Ricasio, he has been drawing up some of the most authentic lacrosse portraits ever since he graduated college.  It wasn't until his lacrosse teammates asked the question, "Vinnie, is your artwork for sale?" that he started to sell his most prized possessions.  

Ricasio is a graduate of the Pratt Institute of Art and Design in Brooklyn, New York.  An avid lacrosse player and fan, Ricasio combined his love for the sport with his ability to draw and has started his own website and business, "The Art of Lax."  Below, find a painting Ricasio did for former Colgate Red Raider and current MLL face-off great Chris Eck, fittingly titled, 'The Eck Factor."  

I will be catching up with Ricasio in the coming month and will have more on his upcoming paintings.  As for Jacques, if you ever get a chance to meet him or listen to him speak about the sport of lacrosse and the art of making sticks, dont take it for granted.  The man is a legend when it comes to wood stick making and knows more about the "medicine game" and what it truly means to him and his family than any textbook or website will tell you.

The Medicine Game Trailer - SD from Lukas Korver on Vimeo.

**I apologize to everyone for taking pretty much the summer off from blogging.  Something came up that gave me close to zero time to blog and write about the sport I love.  I am truly sorry and look to get my readership back up as fall ball gets under way in coming days and weeks.  With that being said, I will be excited to introduce another writer to the site, one who will help me cover Women's college lacrosse and give her take and thoughts on the women's NCAA game.

Thanks for following and sticking with us.