Lacrosse Making Leaders

Lacrosse is in an Oneida’s blood. It teaches leadership, discipline, and focus. For a small group of Oneida boys, those traits were focused on during the LAX-4-LIFE Lacrosse Camp in Cloquet, MN.

The weeklong camp, held on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation during the last week in July, is strictly devoted to Native American youth from the Midwest. The camp is looked at as an opportunity to offer healthy alternatives and options instead of gangs, drugs, and violence.

Oneida Police Department Officer Matt Ninham hand-picked kids from Oneida to participate in the camp hosted by the Minneapolis Police Department, U.S. Marshals and Minnesota Swarm professional lacrosse team. Antonio Doxtator, the tribe’s new Gang Task Force Coordinator, also joined Ninham.

“I picked up four kids from our neighborhoods because I thought they could be leaders and asked if they would be interested in going,” said Matt Ninham, Oneida Police Officer. “We spent 24-7 with these boys. At first I thought it might not work but their leadership skills from the day we started to the end were phenomenal.”

Eddie Powless, Daniel Arcee, Jonathan Danforth, and Dee Jay Baird also caught the eyes of staff overseeing the camp.

“They said there was something about them; their swagger, and they are leaders. They could see the other boys looking up to these boys,” Ninham said.

Though the camp places an emphasis on building leaders in troubled neighborhoods lacrosse skills are also honed.

“They were some of the best, if not the best, players there,” Ninham said.

The Swarm staff took special notice and wants the kids to participate in their camps and clinics to further develop their skills.