Background
Sinclair, was born in Russia in 1890 and educated in Philadelphia, before attending Street Leonards School in Street Andrews, where women"s lacrosse had been introduced by Louisa Lumsden.
Sinclair, was born in Russia in 1890 and educated in Philadelphia, before attending Street Leonards School in Street Andrews, where women"s lacrosse had been introduced by Louisa Lumsden.
After leaving Street Leonards School in 1910, Sinclair attended Madame Bergman Osterberg"s College of Physical Training in Dartford, England.
She was the first woman to be inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Lumsden brought the game to Scotland after watching a men"s lacrosse game between the Canghuwaya Indians and the Montreal Lacrosse Club. She then taught at an all-girls school in Yorkshire and in 1919 accepted a post at Chelsea Physical Training College.
In 1922she left for the United States.
She introduced lacrosse to the all-girls school in 1926. She would continue teaching there and serve as Athletic Director from 1925 to 1951.
Women"s lacrosse differs greatly from the men"s version, and with emphasis on stick skills and proficiency. Sinclair believed the game should be played with feminine refinement, stating:
Sinclair"s legacy remains as being responsible for the growth of women"s lacrosse in the United States.
In 1931, she helped form the United States Women"s Lacrosse Association, which later was consolidated into United States Lacrosse.
Even after her retirement from the Bryn Mawr School, she remained involved in the development of women"s lacrosse. In 1978, the Bryn Mawr School renamed their athletic fields in honor of Sinclair shortly before her death in 1981.