An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking on a track. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a dark blue long-sleeve jacket, black shorts, and black shoes.

Nykeem says HEY EVERYONE.
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB,
WHERE SPORTS AND SCIENCE
ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR
GOOD OLD FASHIONED FUN.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

Nykeem appears on screen standing in front of a lacrosse goal and wears a blue jersey that reads "Sports Lab."

Nykeem says MY NAME'S NYKEEM AND TODAY
WE'RE GOING TO PLAY THE
OLDEST SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA.
WE'RE NOT TALKING HOCKEY.
THAT'S IT. LACROSSE.
(WHIRRING AND HORNS)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Lacrosse."

Nykeem stands on the lacrosse field with kids playing behind him and a caption reads "Six Nations Sports Fields, Oshweken, Ontario."

Nykeem says THE FOUNDATION FOR LACROSSE
WAS LAID THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO
BY NORTH AMERICA'S
FIRST NATION'S PEOPLE.
TODAY ON THAT SIX
NATION'S GRAND RIVER,
WHERE INHERITORS OF THE
FIRST NATION'S COMMUNITY
PRACTICE, PLAY,
AND LOVE LACROSSE.

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She has straight, dark brown hair and wears a pink shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says VERY COOL NYKEEM.
LACROSSE IS A SPORT RICH
IN HISTORY AND IN POWER.
LUCKILY THERE ARE PLENTY OF
WAYS TO HARNESS THAT POWER.
FROM THE ANGLE OF THE SHOT
TO THE FLEX OF YOUR STICK.

Back on the field, Nykeem says SO GET COMFORTABLE.
SPORTS LAB IS ABOUT
TO FLEX ITS MUSCLES.
(UPBEAT MUSIC)

Now Lindyn appears on screen with a caption that reads "Lindyn." Lindyn has shot brown hair and wears a black T-shirt.

Lindyn says HI, MY NAME IS LINDYN.
I'M ELEVEN YEARS OLD.

Clips of Lindyn playing lacrosse appear on screen.

Lindyn says I STARTED PLAYED LACROSSE
BECAUSE MY COUSINS
AND RELATIVES WERE
PLAYING LACROSSE.
I LOVE LACROSSE BECAUSE
IT IS REALLY FAST PACED
AND SO INTENSE.

Nykeem walks up to Lindyn and says HEY LINDYN. WELCOME
TO SPORTS LAB.

Lindyn says HI NYKEEM.

Nykeem says IT'S TERRIFIC HERE.
SO TELL ME, WHY IS LACROSSE SO
IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMMUNITY?

Lindyn says IT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
IT IS THE WAY OF LIFE.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN PLAYING
SINCE THEY WERE BORN.
WHEN A COMMUNITY WANTS
TO HAVE A FUN GAME
WE ALL BRING OUR
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
AND WE ALWAYS PLAY ALL
THE WAY TILL DARK TIME.

Nykeem says HOW LONG HAVE YOU
BEEN PLAYING LACROSSE?

Lindyn says SINCE I COULD WALK.

Nykeem says ARE YOU THE FIRST PLAYER
IN YOUR FAMILY TO PLAY?

Lindyn says UM. NOPE, NOT EVEN CLOSE.
I'VE GOT A LOT OF RELATIVES
THAT PLAY PROFESSIONAL LACROSSE.
AND I LOOK UP TO THEM.
THEY'RE MY ROLE MODELS.
AND PRETTY SOON I WANT TO
PLAY PROFESSIONAL LACROSSE
AND BE ROLES MODELS
TO MY YOUNGER COUSINS.

Nykeem says ALRIGHT LINDYN, YOU'VE BEEN
PLAYING THIS GAME FOR YEARS.
HOW ABOUT WE LEARN ABOUT
HOW THE GAME WAS FORMED?

Lindyn says SURE.

Nykeem says THEN LETS LAUNCH
INTO THE HISTORY OF

Lindyn says LACROSSE.
(BUBBLING, WHIRRING, AND HORNS)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Lacrosse."

Nykeem says LACROSSE BEGAN WITH
THE FIRST NATION'S
PEOPLE OF NORTH AMERICA.
BACK THEN GAME FIELDS
COULD STRETCH FROM
ONE VILLAGE ALL
THE WAY TO ANOTHER.
GOALS WERE SOMETIMES ALMOST
TEN KILOMETERS APART.
GAMES COULD TAKE DAYS TO PLAY
AND THERE COULD BE
UP TO 1,000 PLAYERS.
TRY KEEPING SCORE OF THAT.
PLAYERS WOULD OFTEN DUNK
THEIR STICKS IN WATER
BEFORE PLAYING, HOPING
TO BRING GOOD LUCK.
THERE WERE MANY CEREMONIES
DURING LACROSSE GAMES
INCLUDING DANCING,
BODY PAINTING,
AND AFTER THE GAME A
WELL DESERVED FEAST.

Back on the field, Nykeem says ALRIGHT LINDYN, THAT WAS FUN.
BUT WHAT COULD BE BETTER?

Lindyn says PLAYING LACROSSE.

Nykeem says LET'S GO.

Nykeem and Lindyn team up with other lacrosse players and they all start playing.

(MOVING DRUMS AND GUITAR)
(GENERAL CHATTER)

Nykeem says HERE WE GO.
NICE MOVE.
(CHEERING)
(MUSIC CONTINUES)

After they play, Nykeem and Lindyn sit together off the field.

Nykeem says THANKS FOR HELPING
ME WITH MY GAME.

Lindyn says YOU'RE WELCOME.

Nykeem says LACROSSE MOVES REALLY FAST.
HOW DO YOU MAKE SUCH
QUICK DECISIONS?

Lindyn says YOU'VE GOT TO PRACTICE A LOT
AND LET YOUR
INSTINCTS TAKE OVER.

Nykeem says SO LET ME ASK YOU THIS,
WHENEVER YOU'RE
PLAYING LACROSSE,
YOU EVER GO, "HMM,
HOW DOES THAT WORK?"

Lindyn says YES. TO GET A POWERFUL SHOT,
YOU KEEP YOUR HANDS DOWN LOW.
WHY DOES THAT WORK?

Nykeem says I'M NOT SURE. WE NEED
TO CHECK INTO THE LAB.
HEY DOCTOR HEATHER.

Nykeem looks at his watch and Dr. Heather appears on screen.

In the sports lab, Dr. Heather says HEY GUYS, I THINK
WE'RE LOOKING AT
SOMETHING TO DO
WITH ROTATION, HERE.
BUT TO MAKE SURE,
I'LL NEED A HAND.

Dr. Heather catches a ball in her lacrosse stick and says HEAD BACK TO THE GOAL.

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says ALRIGHT, LETS GO.
POP QUIZ TIME.

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER IS B.

Nykeem says THE CROSS.
THE GAME WAS NAMED BY
FRENCH MISSIONARIES
WHO THOUGHT THE
STICKS BEING USED
LOOKED LIKE BISHOPS' CROSSES.
(ENERGETIC BEATS)

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."

Now Kelsey appears on screen with a caption that reads "Kelsey." Kelsey has shoulder-length, straight brown hair, and wears a black jersey.

Kelsey says HI I'M KELSEY
AND I'VE BEEN PLAYING
LACROSSE FOR TEN YEARS.

Clips of Kelsey playing lacrosse appear on screen.

Kelsey says MY FAMILY'S ALWAYS BEEN
INVOLVED IN LACROSSE.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN
SURROUNDED BY IT,
SO ME GETTING INVOLVED WAS
JUST LIKE SECOND NATURE.
I REALLY LOVE THE TEAM
ASPECT OF LACROSSE.
YOUR TEAMMATES ARE AN
EXTENSION OF YOUR FAMILY
SO IT'S GREAT SHARING
THE SAME COMMON PASSION
WITH 18 OTHER PLAYERS.

Nykeem and Lindyn walk over to Kelsey on the field.

Nykeem says HI KELSEY.

Kelsey says HI NAKEEM.

Nykeem says THIS IS LINDYN.

Kelsey says HI LINDYN.

Lindyn says HI KELSEY.

Nykeem says SO YOU GUYS ARE BOTH FROM
SIX NATIONS GRAND RIVER.
KELSEY, HOW MUCH FUN IS IT TO
MEET YOUNG LACROSSE PLAYERS
FROM YOUR COMMUNITY?

Kelsey says IT'S GREAT TO SEE
THE PASSION AND LOVE
THAT THEY HAVE FOR THE
GAME BEING PASSED DOWN
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION.
YOU KNOW, IT'S
REALLY SOMETHING TO
TAKE A DRIVE DOWN
THE ROAD AND SEE KIDS
PLAYING BACKYARD LACROSSE
AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
SO IT'S PRETTY
AWESOME AND I MEAN,
WE GROW UP IN THIS COMMUNITY
AND WE'RE SURROUNDED BY
LACROSSE ALL THE TIME.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY GREAT.

Nykeem says LINDYN, YOU GREW UP
WITH PLAYERS LIKE KELSEY.
HOW DID THAT HELP
YOU LEARN THE GAME?

Lindyn says JUST BY WATCHING
PLAYERS LIKE KELSEY
AND PLAYING WITH
PLAYERS LIKE KELSEY
JUST MADE ME A BETTER PLAYER.

Nykeem says OKAY LINDYN, WHY
DON'T YOU TELL KELSEY
HOW SHE CAN HELP US TODAY.

Lindyn says CAN YOU TAKE A
FEW SHOTS FOR US?

Kelsey says I'D LOVE TO.
SO FIRST WHAT YOU WANT TO
DO IS TAKE YOUR BOTTOM HAND
AND PUT IT AT THE
BOTTOM OF YOUR STICK.
YOUR TOP HAND'S GONNA
GO TOWARDS THE MIDDLE.
NOW WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR SHOT,
YOUR TOP HAND IS GOING TO
SLIDE DOWN A LITTLE BIT
AND THAT'S GOING TO
GIVE YOU YOUR POWER.
AND THEN YOU JUST FOLLOW THOUGH.
WHY DON'T YOU GUYS STEP BACK
AND I'LL TAKE A COUPLE SHOTS.

Nykeem says ALRIGHT, HERE YOU GO.

Kelsey takes a couple shots into the goal.

Nykeem says WOW, NICE FOLLOW THROUGH.
TAKE ANOTHER.
WOW.

Kelsey takes a few more shots.

Nykeem says NICE.

Kelsey takes another shot and says I GOT ONE MORE.
(ENERGETIC MUSIC)

Nykeem looks at his watch and says DOCTOR HEATHER,
YOU GETTING THIS?

Back in the sports lab, Dr. Heather says HEY TEAM. KELSEY GRIPS
HER STICK AT THE BOTTOM
BECAUSE OF HER AXIS OF ROTATION.
SAY IT WITH ME.
AXIS OF ROTATION.
THINK OF KELSEY'S
SWING LIKE A CIRCLE.
AT THE VERY CENTER OF THE CIRCLE
IS HER AXIS.
IN THIS CASE, KELSEY'S
AXIS IS HER BAT.
TO TAKE THE SHOT,
KELSEY ROTATES THE STICK
AROUND THE AXIS AND
RELEASES THE BALL.
NOW THE FURTHER AN OBJECT IS
AWAY FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION,
THE MORE VELOCITY IT CAN HAVE.
SO KELSEY USES THE LENGTH OF
HER STICK TO HER ADVANTAGE.
WHEN SHE TAKES A SHOT,
SHE KEEPS HER HANDS
LOWER ON THE STICK.
THAT USES THE LENGTH OF THE
STICK TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
THE LONG STICK COMBINED
WITH THE LENGTH OF HER ARMS
KEEPS THE BALL FURTHER AWAY
FROM THE AXIS OF ROTATION.
THAT GIVES KELSEY MORE POWER
WHEN THE BALL DRIVES
TOWARDS THE GOAL.
SO MAKE YOUR ROTATION
BIGGER TO STAY ON TARGET.
AND REMEMBER, KEEP BOTH
HANDS ON THE STICK.

Back on the field, Nykeem says SO THE FURTHER AWAY
YOU ARE FROM THE BALL,
THE MORE TORQUE.
LINDYN, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Lindyn says IT'S MY TURN.

Nykeem says GO FOR IT.

Lindyn takes a shot into the goal.

Nykeem says NICE.

Lindyn says YOU'RE UP NYKEEM.

Nykeem says HERE I COME.
ONE, TWO, THREE,

Nykeem takes a shot.

They all say SPORTS LAB.

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Nykeem appears on screen and says THIS LACROSSE STICK
IS MAKE OF HICKORY,
ONE OF THE EARLIEST
MATERIALS USED.
NOT SO MANY TEAMS
USE HICKORY ANY MORE.
THEY USE STICKS
MADE OF COMPOSITE
AND THAT HELPS WITH FLEX.
FLEX MEANS "TO BEND."
WHEN YOU SWING A LACROSSE
STICK WITH A LOT OF SPEED
IT WILL FLEX.
IF THERE'S TOO MUCH FLEX,
HICKORY COULD BREAK.
COMPOSITE STICKS CAN FLEX MORE,
SO THEY WON'T BREAK AS MUCH.
THEY'RE ALSO LIGHTER,
SO IF YOU GET HIT BY ONE
IT WON'T HURT AS MUCH.
LETS HEAR IT FOR FLEX.

Lindyn and Nykeem appear on screen back on the field.

Nykeem says LINDYN, IT WAS GOOD TIMES TODAY
PLAYING LACROSSE WITH
YOU AND YOUR COMMUNITY.
BUT I THOUGHT WE'D END
THE DAY WITH SOMETHING
A BIT MORE CHALLENGING.

Lindyn says WHAT DO YOU GOT IN MIND?

Nykeem says LETS SHOOT FROM HERE.
(BIRD CAWS)

They both look at the goal from halfway across the field.

Lindyn says YOU GO FIRST.

Nykeem says I THINK I CAN DO IT.

Lindyn says KAY.

Lindyn and Nykeem try and shoot the ball into the goal from far away.

Nykeem says SO CLOSE.
(CHEERING)

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Kelsey appears on screen and says ONE THING THAT REALLY
HELPED ME WHEN I WAS LEARNING
HOW TO PLAY LACROSSE
IS CATCHING THE BALL.
I WAS TAUGHT THAT YOU SHOULD
TREAT THE BALL LIKE AN EGG.
AND YOU WOULDN'T
WANT AN EGG TO BREAK
IF YOU WERE CATCHING IT,
SO YOU NEED TO HAVE SOFT
HANDS AND ABSORB THE PASS.
IF YOU DON'T, THE BALL COULD
BOUNCE OUT OF YOUR STICK
AND IT WILL BE ROLLING
AROUND ON THE GROUND.
AND WHAT FUN IS THAT?
MY NAME IS KELSEY,
AND THAT'S MY PRO TIP.

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking across the field and says TODAY WE DISCOVERED
THE POWERFUL EFFECT
THAT SPORTS CAN
HAVE ON A COMMUNITY
AND HOW YOU CAN USE
YOUR AXIS TO ATTACK.
THAT DOES IT FOR
ME, BUT NOT FOR LONG
BECAUSE IN THE SPORTS LAB,
THERE ARE ALWAYS GOALS TO SCORE
WHILE WE LEARN MORE.

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.