http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=3289

Native American Players Flourishing In NLL

Record number of Indigenous Peoples playing in league in 2008

02/12/2008

As the NLL continues to grow, teams continue to find star players in the
origins of the game. There are currently 22 Native American players in the
National Lacrosse League, making up a far higher percentage than any other
professional sports league and showing the bond to the origins of the game
still exist today.

If recent results in international competition are any indication, that
number will continue to grow.

The Iroquois Nationals took the favored Canadian team to overtime in the
2007 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. Despite dropping a 15-14
decision, the team showed the world they were a force in the sport. Buffalo
Bandits goaltender Mike Thompson earned a spot on the All-World team for
his performance.

What makes this so remarkable is the limited number of Native American
players there are to draw from. The Iroquois Confederacy provides the bulk
of the players from a population of roughly 100,000, including women,
children and elderly. Still, they produce enough world class players to
field competitive teams for international competition.

The simple explanation is that the game is such a large part of the culture
and a source of pride for the entire community. Native Americans believe
lacrosse was a gift from The Creator, and was used to settle disputes
between tribes, train warriors in teamwork and allow men to prove their
bravery. Children are taught the game from an early age and important games
are attended by the entire community.

The sport is especially flourishing at the Six Nations reservation outside
of Brantford, Ontario. In a testament to the strength of the Six Nations
youth programs and developmental system, the junior team has qualified for
the National Championships in each of the last four years, winning the
title in 2007.

"There should be 5 to 10 players coming from those Junior teams in the next
few years," said Bandits head coach Darris Kilgour, who coached the
Iroquois Nationals in the 2003 World Championships. "[Minnesota forward]
Craig Point is just the first to come in and do well. These kids have grown
up with a lacrosse stick in their hands. They play all the time and it
shows in their stick skills and understanding of the game. The kids coming
out now are better athletes, more athletic."

Point, who led Onondoga Community College to a perfect 18-0 record and a
National Championship in 2006, currently leads all rookies in scoring with
13 goals and 20 assists.

"He's got all the tools," said Swarm head coach Duane Jacobs, who coached
Point on the National Team at the 2007 World Championships before acquiring
him at the 2007 Entry Draft. "'He's got the good shot, he's good inside -
he's a complete offensive player."

Several NLL players offer their services as coaches or volunteer to work
with kids on the reservations. While in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the 2007
World Championships, the National team visited local reservations and
donated sticks to the kids.

"None of the kids had met a professional lacrosse player before," said
Bandits forward Delby Powless, who played four years at Rutgers University
before being drafted into the NLL. "I think it was a great influence on
them to see they could play this game at this level. Growing up I looked up
to the Kilgour brothers because they were in the league, but now the kids
have lots of players to look up to."

--Cubby Phillips/NLL.com