It wouldn’t be a stretch to claim that lacrosse is the oldest sport in America.

So old, in fact, that Native Americans were playing a game very similar to it before Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492.

Yet so “new” that Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, lauded by many as the greatest player ever in the NFL, was a great lacrosse player at Syracuse University before gaining his glory with the Cleveland Browns. According to the 1981 book “Sports Firsts,” lacrosse “is one of the few games whose roots are entirely in North America. ... The Indians may well have been playing baggataway (their name for it) for centuries before the French discovered their game (in 1705).”

No matter what it’s called — coach Eric Seelbach says it’s the fastest game on two feet — lacrosse was an Olympic sport in the 1904 and 1908 games.

Now, the sport is being played in Rio Rancho — with a six-team, round-robin tournament slated for Saturday on the Rio Rancho High School football practice fields on Loma Colorado Drive.

It’s not an official sanctioned sport of the New Mexico Activities Association, which qualifies it more of a club sport, such as bowling and hockey. The Rio Rancho Lacrosse Club goes by that proper name, choosing not to take “Rams” as its team name, although all of the players attend the high school.

Seelbach, in his second year teaching U.S. History at RRHS, decided it was time to introduce the sport here.

“It’s something I grew up playing in Colorado,” he said. “(Then) I went east to Roanoke College — I chose not to (play lacrosse); high school and college sports there are very different. But I maintained a love for the sport.”

He learned another teacher had tried to interest kids in the sport but hadn’t attracted a lot of interest.

Heading into the tournament this weekend, after a game at Bosque Prep last Saturday, Seelbach has more than enough lacrosse players to field a boys team — and he’d like to find someone to coach a girls team, too. (Call him at 896-5697 if you’re interested in coaching a girls lacrosse team.)

“It is full contact,” he said of the sport, which resembles hockey — players have sticks and pass the ball, rather than a puck, to each other, trying to throw the ball into the net for a goal — although there are more players on both teams and some are restricted on where they can be on the field.

“It looks a little more crazy than it is,” Seelbach, 26, noted. “We’ve had a lot of interest; 30 kids.”

“I haven’t strapped on any pads yet,” he said, when asked if he’s been inclined to show them how to play. Not all of his team members are from New Mexico. He has students from Pennsylvania and Texas who knew something about the game.

“For the most part, the kids are picking up the sticks and doing what I’ve taught them. There’s plenty of strategy,” he said.

Among the teams expected here Saturday (games will start at 9 a.m., the last games will begin at 4) are La Cueva, Santa Fe Prep and Bosque Prep.

There is no charge for admission; bring your chair.

“We’ll have three fields going at once,” Seelbach said.