Engraving of Choctaw Indians Playing Stickball 1861

Choctaw stickball, the oldest field sport in North America, was also known as the "little brother of war" because of its roughness and substitution for war.

When disputes arose between Choctaw communities, stickball provided a civil way to settle issues.
The stickball games would involve as few as twenty or as many as 300 players.