Co-founder & President of the Premier Lacrosse League | Author of The Way of the Champion
Lacrosse is a gift from the Creator meant to be shared. Last week we hosted our Indigenous Heritage weekend from the land of ten thousand lakes. Some highlights… I learned the rules of baaga’adowewin, or traditional stickball from Tom Howes — stick maker on the Fon Du Lac Nation. The skill it takes to get the ball down the field with precision is insane. The goals are posts and points are scored when you hit them. Legendary Onondaga stick maker Alfie Jacques crafted over 80,000 sticks — a brilliant man and an ambassador of the game around world. We commissioned Alfie’s protege, Jack Johnson, of the Akwesasne Nation to make these sticks as a gift for those who help grow the game. You can meet Jack at Premier Lacrosse League games this season. Ojibwe artist Patrick Hunter drew the logos for our Indigenous Heritage jerseys — each team has a Medicine Wheel patch, the Anishinabe Thunderbird patch, and an Every Child Matters patch. These were 8 of the coolest jerseys — with meaning and intention — I’ve seen in lacrosse. Former championship game MVP Zed Williams of the Seneca Nation began the game with a traditional stick to honor his ancestors. The Maryland Whipsnakes upset the New York Atlas on the heels of Zed’s performance. Haudenosaunee Nationals team captain, my former teammate and dear friend Jeremy Thompson joined ESPN in the booth to call the games on Friday night. Today’s game is played in over 91 countries — from the US to Nicaragua, to Jamaica and Uganda, New Zealand, Japan and Hong Kong. Wherever in the world you are, however you play the game, there will always be a connection to its past. I hope you can feel that. This past weekend reminded us that there’s so much to celebrate and be grateful for.
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Paul, you introduced me to Alfie Jacques in Baltimore. He was an interesting and kind man and your post is my first information that he passed. I have often thought of him and I have often thought of asking him if he would me willing to make a stick for me. I am sorry I let that window close, but am glad to learn from you that Jack Johnson carries Mr. Jacques’ torch forward. Thank you for being such a powerful and kind messenger for lacrosse.
This is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in sports and part of what makes lacrosse so much fun.
Bryan I.
3mo
This is officially my favorite weekend aside from the championship. Honoring the game and those that gave it to us is one of the many things that separates lacrosse from other sports. The jerseys are just the icing on the cake. I thought last years were amazing - this year they are even better!
Wyatt C.
3mo
The gift that keeps on giving 🥍 ❤️🙌
Paul, I hate to use the buzzword "authentic" but your genuine love of the sport is something that can't be replicated by slick marketing. It's not all that common in business, but it is common in the great ones. Best of luck, I'm rooting for you.
Amanda Osovitzky
2mo
It's inspiring to see lacrosse's rich Indigenous heritage celebrated through traditional stickball, skilled craftsmanship, and meaningful jerseys. Zed Williams' tribute and Jeremy Thompson's commentary added such special touches. Thanks for sharing these highlights and honoring the roots of the game!
Jenny Scheer
3mo
The games were a blast to watch - so much great energy in that stadium, top notch players and coaches….fun sitting behind the bench watching the legend Bill T coach Philly!
Ron Weber
3mo
Paul: you continue to make all other sports league commissioners look bad because you do everything right!
Davis Filippell
3mo
This is great Paul Rabil. Cheers to the entire PLL organization for honoring the rich history of the sport.
Data Driven Leadership | Entrepreneur | Data Analytics | Ai - ML
3moLacrosse helped me through highschool, college and continues to be my greatest network of friends. It is my outlet for stress and keeps me in shape. Would be a different life without it.