Last month (September) I was privileged enough to
participate in the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Syracuse, NY on the
Onondaga Nation. Though I played for Team Serbia, there were 12 other countries
there to compete as well from all over the world. The Onondaga residents played host to us for two weeks and took major pride in making our visit as good as it could possibly be. The event was set up not only
to play lacrosse but also for all of the competitors (and their families, friends, etc.) to spend time with each
other and learn about their different cultures. This included food and drinks,
music and dancing, as well as just spending time at the hotels together. There were programs put in place and were well facilitated by the Federation of International Lacrosse as well as informal activities that teams themselves set-up. For
example, since I play for the Six Nations Slash back home, a semi-professional
indoor lacrosse team, I was able to take great pride in introducing some of my Serbian teammates to their favourite Native players on Team Iroquois who were my friends from home.
The hotel we stayed in couldn’t have been more
lacrosse-friendly hospitable to us. This was due to the Federation of
International Lacrosse having met with them beforehand and explaining the type
of setting we needed to be successful. Everywhere in the hotel lobby and
conference center, players from all teams would watch game film, string sticks;
perform stick tricks, work on equipment, and the list goes on. We were provided
lists with places to go to eat, attractions to see, and bars for entertainment.
Information was constantly at the ready for not just players, but fans and
other attendees as well. Everything from the best hotels to stay at, directions
from the airport, train & bus terminals, and directions to all playing locations.
The athletic pavilion was truly something special that the
people of the Onondaga Nation had constructed for us. The event planners put in a lot of thought
and consideration into what would be required. We first arrived for a
ceremonial dinner there before the opening ceremonies at the War Memorial in
Syracuse.
The pavilion was immense. It had a great hall for special
meals and events, a vendors’ village where people could make purchases from a
variety of companies, food vendors for the public, and an athletic facility
strictly for athletes. In the athletic facility no expense was spared. There
were separate rooms for every team with monitors, seating, and tables
throughout its entirety. Medical and training equipment was available in front
of every team’s room as well. There was a kitchen for meals as well as a
conference room for interviews and other television opportunities.
All of our games were televised and streamed online. Special
guests would attend games and events as well and speak with anyone who wished to speak to them. Some of them included Al Gore,
Joe Brown, andOren Lyons. This made the athletes and coaching staffs feel
special. For me personally, playing in front of a legend like Oren Lyons (the
spiritual advisor to Iroquois Lacrosse) gave me a greater sense of purpose to
play lacrosse. The opportunity to speak with him and watch a lacrosse game again further solidified my feelings for the game I love.
All of the events we attended were strategically planned to
the last detail. Everything went more than smoothly when it came to people
getting food, receiving awards, accessibility, line-ups, transportation, media handling, etc. The volunteers
were clearly well trained and took their positions seriously. There was no
visible dissatisfaction between anyone who attended the events provided by the
tournament. I will honestly never forget my experience at this almost surreal event and I'm counting down the days until the next one in Langley, BC, Canada.
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