March 4, 2004
The Onondaga Nation’s minor lacrosse program (Onondaga Minor Association) is no longer apart of the Ontario Lacrosse Association. For the past few months, members of the OMA have been meeting with OLA officials to find a solution to keep the OMA in the league. Unfortunately, there was no resolution and the OMA and the OLA have parted ways.
The difficulties arouse not on the playing field but in the boardroom. The OLA is insured by Lloyds of London. The insurance company was not willing to allow Canadian players to cross the Canadian boarder to come and play Onondaga. The OLA offered to keep the Onondaga Jr. Red Hawks in the league if Onondaga played all of their games in Canada. The Onondaga Nation is located just south of the city of Syracuse, NY and its coaches, players, parents, and fans would need to travel 3 hours for their home games.
OMA’s Athletic Director Shirley Hill stated about the prospect of playing an entire season of away games, “That was out of the question. Our new multi-million dollar arena was not built so that we could call Canada our home. Home for us is here at Onondaga.” Mrs. Hill also added, “It’s sad to hear that after 17 years we are no longer invited to sit at the same meeting table with our fellow ‘friends’. For the Canadian Associations that did welcome us with open arms and continue to welcome us, I thank them for their friendship and understanding. Maybe these same people should have a position on the OLA board.”
Since the beginning of the Jr B team, the young Onondaga players have had chance to play box with and against players of their age bracket. Before the inception of the Junior B team, players had to wait until they turned 19 to play on the Men’s Senior B team or try to play for another team in a different community. OMA official Brian Phillips Sr. said about the change, “It’s too frustrating to comment about at this time.”
Since joining the OLA in 1998, Onondaga has enjoyed much success in the league. The Junior B Red Hawks played in the Eastern division with teams from Akwesasne, Nepean, and Gloucester. Players have put up impressive stats and have been recognized by the league for their outstanding play. In the first 2 years the Red Hawks have won the division and moved deep into the playoffs losing the Oshuwa in the regional finals. The 2003 campaign was the only season which the Jr. Red Hawks did not play in the conference finals.
Our minor system has also enjoyed playing in the OLA. Our teams have enjoyed traveling to tournaments in Ottawa such as the Ray Broadworth and the Nepean Knights tourney as well as the Ontario Provincial Championships at the end of the season. In the past 5 years, the OMA has accumulated 3 Provincial crowns with the 2000 Bantam, 2000 Novice and the 2002 Pee-Wee teams.
OMA Coach Brad Powless states, “It is just a shame that the kids are getting the short end of the stick on this. They just want to play.”
The Onondaga Nation has built a multi-million dollar facility on the Nation called Tsha-Honyon yen-dakwha’ in 2000 to help promote lacrosse in the OLA. For many decades before this, box lacrosse at Onondaga was played in an outdoor facility on a harden earth floor. Unfortunately our outdoor box did not meet the requirements for the OLA, so many facilities in the Syracuse arena were used for sanctioned Junior B games.
Lacrosse is a part of the fabric of the lives at Onondaga as well as all of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nation’s communities). Lacrosse is a gift that supercedes bureaucracy and insurance and forever will be played at Onondaga.
The OMA is now beginning to create a new league with the other Haudenosaunee teams affected by the OLA’s ruling. The Onondaga community looks forward to build a league to highlight the play of our youth at the continued high level. It is just unfortunate that some of our relationships with the teams in Ottawa ended so abruptly.