There's nothing like your grandchild – star of the team – scoring a point. But it may no longer be the home run or touchdown you are used to. Today, kids have a nearly infinite choice of sports, making it difficult for spectators to keep up with the rules and regulations of the game.

Let's go through a few of the new sports you may be asked to observe. We'll offer a quick overview of the philosophy of each game so you know when to cheer.

Lacrosse
One of the most popular up-and-coming sports is lacrosse. Lacrosse was actually the first North American sport dating back before the European settlers landed. Originally the sport of Native Americans, the French Jesuits and explorers redefined the sport to a modern version, thus; you'll notice the French terms used. Currently the fastest-growing sport in the Americas, player numbers have doubled since 1999. Lacrosse is a combination of the more familiar sports of soccer, hockey and basketball.

The crosse – the stick used to play lacrosse – is used to catch and throw the ball as well as scoop and carry. Lacrosse player Kyra Friedell, of Minneapolis, Minn., explains that goalies have a different kind of stick than the rest of the team members. The players use the crosse to score the ball, and only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball with the hands. The object of the game is to score a goal and prevent the opposing team from scoring on your goal.

How's it different from soccer? "In lacrosse, the goal area is smaller, but the games are typically higher scoring than in soccer or hockey games," says Friedell, a novice to lacrosse but a seasoned young soccer player.

The two teams of 10 players each play on a field of a little more than 100 meters in length, although when the Native Americans played, the field could be up to 15 miles long, which made cheering on the local team a little trickier for the spectator. The boys' and girls' Lacrosse games are very different from each other. The girls' rules are similar to the sport played by the Native Americans, while the boys' sport requires lots of gear and padding. Friedell reports that Lacrosse requires lots of running and strength because it takes the whole body to throw, shoot and catch. Spectators enjoy the speed and action of this sport.

Skateboarding
Skateboarding was a way for the surfers of the 1960s to practice their sport on land. Now skateboarding, along with the popular in-line skating and extreme biking, has emerged as a sport to watch. First featured on "The Wide World of Sports" in 1965, the exciting flips and spins combine daredevil with skill. Since that time, skateboard parks have cropped up, along with televised competitions and national rankings of the athletes.

The current surge of skateboarding began with pioneer Allan "Ollie" Gelfand in 1978 inventing the move known as the "Ollie" – a stepping on the tail of the board that allowed the boarder to go over obstacles such as curbs and benches. The endorsement of the Boy Scouts in the 1980s also brought respectability to the sport.

Skills are given points based on airtime, difficulty of the skill and degree of spin. Current skateboard hero Tony Hawk has brought skateboarding to the forefront of sport competitions. So if you want to impress a young skateboarder with your knowledge, be sure to mention Hawk's name.

Snowboarding
A combination of skiing and skateboarding, snowboarding is becoming a popular alternative for downhill enthusiasts. Developed in the 1970s from a child's toy, the original snowboards were unpredictable and difficult to control. As new technology improved the quality of the equipment, two groups of snowboarders developed. The skiers adapted the board to racing events, and the skateboarders showed off a freestyle trick sport.

In 1998 snowboarding became an Olympic sport with events from each group represented. The racing events, of course, are based on time and speed, while the freestyle events are judged on height, distance of the skill and difficulty of the trick.

Trampoline
Trampoline was a new sport during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. The trampoline was first introduced by George Nissen in 1935 at the University of Iowa. Used for training pilots and Naval Cadets during World War II, the trampoline became a popular activity at YMCAs during its early years.

The sport of trampoline is very different than backyard jumping. Now a member of USA Gymnastics, the sport of trampoline has become wildly popular in Europe and Asia and is growing steadily in the Americas.

During competition, each trampolinist performs a routine of 10 skills. Each skill is scored from one point and may not be repeated during the routine for a total of 10 possible points. A panel of judges scores the routine, along with a head judge who determines interruptions (a repeat of a skill, touch down of the hand, bouncing in between skills or touch off the bed of the trampoline).

The judges' scores are combined, and in higher levels of trampoline, added to a "difficulty" score. The difficulty is determined by the number of rotations in each skill. For example, a jump up and down would have no difficulty score because it doesn't rotate. A backward somersault would earn a difficulty point. When you see Olympic athletes doing routines with difficulty scores of 15 points or more, you can easily determine that each of those 10 skills has lots of somersaults or twists. It’s no longer just the backyard trampoline!

Rugby
Rugby is one of the NCAA's top 10 emerging sports. In play that resembles a cross between American football and soccer, rugby has two teams of 15 players each. The object of the game is to score points by kicking, passing, carrying or grounding the ball across the goal line of the opposing team.

This fast-moving game has several unusual terms that best explain the rules and purpose of the game. To begin, the ball may not be dropped forward (called a knockdown) or passed forward. It can advance forward only by running the ball or kicking.

To restart play, a scrum (players linked together around the ball) uses the center player (the hooker) held up on either side by players called props to get the ball away from the opposing team.

There are several ways to score points. The "Try" – when the ball is grounded (fallen on or pressed down with the hands or arms) across the goal line – is awarded five points. A goal scored after a Try is awarded two points; a goal scored from a penalty or drop kick is awarded three points, and a dropped goal obtained in a way other than the free kick is awarded three points. There you go: rugby!

What to Watch For
Other up-and-coming sports to watch are horseshoes, curling, squash, synchronized swimming, badminton and team handball. For more information, check out Web sites from each sport or collectively check out www.ncaa.com or www.sportsillustrated.com. And good luck!

Want to see more?

• Parent Rage in Youth Sports: Giving the Game Back to Our Children
• Fair Play: Give the Game Back to the Kids
• Down the Road: Travel Teams and Your Preteen
• Talk about it!