NLL Insider

The Iroquois Nationals will play Canada on Thursday night for the right to advance to the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) U-19 World Field Lacrosse Championship final. As Iroquois’ seniors passionately share, however, lacrosse is more than just a game for the Iroquois.

“It’s the creator’s game,” said Iroquois’ head coach Tony Gray – also a member of the men’s national team and son to a traditional medicine keeper of the Mohawk Nation.

“Everybody wants to win, but it’s more about playing for the creator. It’s already predetermined who’s going to win so the boys just want to put on a good show,” added Gray in conversation last week.

“We have a spiritual advisor and he blesses all of the kids before each game. It’s just to have a good show, ensure no one gets hurt and have piece of mind.”

“From a traditional field lacrosse standpoint it is fun to watch,” added Gray on the Iroquois’ style of play; up-tempo with dazzling stick skills. “I think where these guys excel is they know what they’re going to do before they catch the ball.”

“It’s good to sit back and watch them play, it is pretty impressive.”

“I would say that lacrosse for the Six Nations is a way of life,” adds Chief Oren Lyons – also a chairman of the Iroquois Nationals’ board and member of several lacrosse Hall of Fames. “We think with one mind when we’re on the field.”

“Reservations aren’t big, they’re small. And when you’re little everyone’s playing lacrosse, so you just keep teaching the young kids,” says Emmett Printup III (the third) who, like Lyons, played NCAA D1 lacrosse at Syracuse.

Emmett’s son, Emmett Printup IV is on the Iroquois U-19 national team, and leading the tournament in goals with 27 in six games.

“Lacrosse is the sport on reservations,” adds Printup III, who broke into the field game based predomitely on his box lacrosse skills. Printup’s Aunt called the Syracuse coach on Printup’s claim that he could play at the NCAA level. The coach had a look at the eventual pro player and got him in.

Now the Iroquois Nationals start practicing field lacrosse at younger ages and it’s begining to show. The Iroquois were tied 12-12 late in the fourth quarter of their earlier round-robin game with Canada, and played the Americans close too.

“We start our kids at the age of four – in box and now field,” said Lyons. “It’s full-floor, full-equipment.”

That is opening up the door for more Iroquois Nationals to pursue exciting opportunities. Since their inception in 1983 as the Iroquois Nationals, over 95% of the program’s players have gone on to play major collegiate lacrosse or professionally.

“It’s good to see a lot of other Natives wanting to continue their education,” adds Printup III. “They’re setting higher goals now, and college really helps with that so it’s good to see a lot of Natives playing in college.”

Lyons father also played goal at the NCAA D1 level; he says just last week he saw a picture of his dad playing in goal against Syracuse from the early 1930s.

“There’s dynasties in the Six Nations. There’s grandchildren that goes right on down and all the way back,” adds Lyons. “This is a family tradition. All these kids you see here they come from that heritage.”

And the dynasty continues beyond the game.

“It’s way beyond the game for us,” says Lyons. “In our cosmology of the history of the Iroquois, the game starts playing on the other side, and it ends there. When death comes to us and we step to the other side, the first thing we do over there is captain the team for the next game of that day – so it goes on.”

“For us, it’s a way of life.”

Rate This Story:

(+76 rating, 17 votes)

 Loading ...