Local laxers picked for first Traditions Cup
Tryouts for the U18 Haudenosaunee Junior Nationals team that will compete at next month’s Traditions Cup box lacrosse tournament were well attended, with many vying to represent the Confederacy. Courtesy Haudenosaunee Junior Nationals Lacrosse Team
Darris Jones and Tioháhes Morris will be representing the Haudenosaunee Junior Nationals in early January, taking part in the inaugural Traditions Cup box lacrosse tournament at the recently opened Mary C. Winder Community Center in Oneida.
For Jones, this tournament is an opportunity to play box lacrosse after focusing on field lacrosse training in recent months.
“That’s what I’m going there for, to suit up, play the game, and have fun with some people I don’t always get to see,” said Jones, who will also get to play for his father, coach Al Jones.
Playing for the Nationals always has a cultural significance too, he said.
“It signifies that people are still here and thriving,” said Jones.
A lot of friendships are formed playing tournaments like this one, Jones said, which builds chemistry between games and during them.
“We’re all Indigenous players. We all come from pretty much the same background. We do, arguably, the same things every day. So, it makes for a pretty unique bond. No one is really above anyone else,” said Jones.
That contributes to a healthy team dynamic, where players are not trying to one up each other by saying what school they are committed to or what tournaments they’ve played in before, for example.
“We don’t really have room for players that think like that at all on the Haudenosaunee teams. That really just destroys the whole meaning of the team. You’re not playing to show off, you’re playing to represent your community,” said Jones.
“You show up, you know the guy to the left you, you know the guy to the right of you, and you just play for that logo in front of you.”
This will be Morris’ first time ever playing for the Nationals, having never played even for a provincial team - he said he had tried out for Team Ontario once a few years back, but had been cut.
“It’s not every day you get that opportunity to represent your people,” said Morris.
Morris said he learned about the tryouts from a friend, who sent him the advertisement for it online.
“I jumped all over the opportunity right away. As soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘Mom, we have to go to this,’” said Morris.
He said that at the tryouts, he could see that the skill level of all the players present was high, but that did not deter him.
“Throughout it, I stood my ground, played my own game, and just had an amazing tryout, especially being away from the game a little bit,” said Morris, who has been focusing on hockey in the last few weeks.
“Coming back, I felt better than I did before,” said Morris.
Morris and Jones know each other from their time in the Kahnawake Mohawks Minor Lacrosse Association.
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“He’s a great player. He’s very smart, and I think he has a great opportunity. As far as I’ve seen, Tioháhes gives us a lot of heart and a lot of compete,” said Jones of his teammate.
The Traditions Cup will also feature a Club 24 HEAT team in the men’s division. The tournament will be played from January 9-11.
