We had the privilege of conversing with Darcy Powless, a Native lacrosse coach with deep roots in the sport's rich history and culture. Darcy shared his journey from a young player in Six Nations Minor Lacrosse to becoming the Head Coach of the Six Nations Snipers and General Manager of the Haudenosaunee Nationals. Through his narrative, we delve into the profound significance of lacrosse for Native communities, the challenges and triumphs of coaching at various levels, and the importance of respecting the game's Indigenous origins. Darcy's insights offer a unique perspective on lacrosse, not just as a sport but as a vital component of cultural heritage and identity. Take a look at the Q&A below:
PNWNL: Can you share with us how you first got involved in lacrosse and what the sport means to you as a Native person?
Darcy: I started playing organized lacrosse when I was 5 years old for Six Nations Minor Lacrosse. All our family has always played. We always had lacrosse sticks in our hands growing up. The sport is ours to share with the world, to see its growth across the globe; knowing where the game originated is very humbling, but it also makes you feel proud to be a small part of that.
PNWNL: What has been your journey in becoming the Head Coach of the Six Nations Snipers and General Manager of the Haudenosaunee Nationals? How has your cultural background influenced these roles?
Darcy: I began coaching my older son Dougie's teams when he was 3 while we lived in Akwesasne and continued when we moved back to Six Nations. Then, I just continued to climb the coaching ladder as he progressed through his career.
I have coached all minor box lacrosse divisions, as well as junior b in Akwesasne, London, and Six Nations, Junior C, Senior B, and the ALL( snipers). I also coached field lacrosse as my son became interested in playing that as well. I was a part of the staff for the First Nations minor team that plays in the Canadian nationals. We won the bronze in the 2015 Bantam tournament in Saskatoon. I won the 2022 Ontario Senior B Championship with Six Nations Rivermen and a Bronze medal at the Presidents Cup in Edmonton.
The Haudenosaunee position came to me as assistant GM for the World Games in Alabama in 2022. Brian Wong, whom I had met through some minor tournaments as I was coaching Dougie, reached out and asked if I would come aboard to help out. Then, when the time came for the San Diego application, I put my name in and was fortunate enough to get the GM position.
I was fortunate to have some great coaches growing up to learn from and coach with some great guys along the way.
The Native background of coaching or being a part of any of the mentioned teams has definitely helped. All the teams I have coached have been Native community-based, so we want to provide the players with the best opportunity to succeed and teach them as much of the game as we can. The game is always evolving, and as Native coaches, we have to be able to balance that evolution and keep the grassroots fundamentals of the game.
PNWNL: Winning the Arena Lacrosse League championship in 2022 must have been a remarkable experience. Can you tell us about that journey and what it meant to you and your team?
Darcy: The Snipers team is owned by the league. Myself, Vince Longboat , Nick Skye took over the Snipers team in 2018. The former coaches were stepping down and the league president reached out to me and see if i would be interested in being the GM and Head Coach.
We began to rebuild and put together a great team that took 4 yrs to build. We had high player turnover that first year and a half.
We had a very young team compared to the rest of the league. On paper, we had ¾ of the team for 3 years. It took a little while for them to believe in what we wanted as coaches and what we wanted the Snipers team to be. Once they began to see what we were doing and they bought into the system, We began to have success. We wanted guys who were dedicated not only to the team but to each other to make something special.
Through the draft, some trades, and free agents, we were able to put together a great team. The biggest influence that season was having the 1st overall draft pick from a previous trade; we were able to draft Johnny Powless. His veteran leadership and NLL championship experience is what helped get us to the top. With us having such a young team, a lot of our guys watch him play and win in the NLL, and to have him playing on the same team was a huge deal for everyone.
( the almost same roster we had for snipers we rolled through the 2022 summer SR b season with the Rivermen and won the league and bronze medal with)
To see them have the success we did in 2022 was fantastic as a coach and staff. I was proud of the work and dedication they had done to make it all possible. The ALL is a development league for the NLL professional league. We had 6 guys get the NLL opportunity off of this championship team and a few more from the Rivermen team that season.
PNWNL: How does your Native heritage influence your approach to coaching lacrosse? Do you integrate specific cultural values or practices into your coaching philosophy?
Darcy: We just remind the players to know where the game came from and to respect it. The game of lacrosse is a gift as well as your lacrosse skills. Just be respectful and play the right way.
PNWNL: What advice would you give to young Native athletes who aspire to play lacrosse at a higher level?
Darcy: Everyone wants to play with the best and for the best team. But not all are willing to make the sacrifices to achieve that dream. Couple of the biggest things we have come across as I coached Dougie growing up is school work and physical conditioning.
Yes, University and College scouts are looking for great players, but they are also looking for good students. We had a lot of kids with unlimited lacrosse skills but lacked dedication to school, so there were some missed opportunities for some guys. Physical conditioning is another big aspect of where a lot of players need work. As Native players, our stick skills will always be amongst the top in the world, but our athleticism could use some improvement.
The game of lacrosse is evolving to be faster, and our stick skills have carried us through to the success we have had. We need to be better athletes as well to match the other team and we' ll be in the gold medal games at the world championships and other tournaments and leagues as well.
Some issues come from not having the proper training to take care of yourself, how to run properly, eat healthy. Which some of our most successful players have learned by getting into College or University level programs. They all intertwine, and make yourself a better student, lacrosse player and person. Then when these players return home, they are able to give back to the next group of kids who want to follow the same path and have that same success.
PNWNL: For non-Native youth who play lacrosse, what insights or understandings do you think are essential for them to appreciate about the sport's Indigenous roots?
Darcy: Respect the game and learn about where it came from. We don't expect them to be scholars in our cultures. But take the time to have a bit of understanding of what the game is about and our people.
PNWNL: What unique aspects come into play when coaching and working with Native teams like the Haudenosaunee Nationals and Six Nations Snipers, especially considering lacrosse's cultural and historical significance in your community?
Darcy: Not only Native teams but any team, any sport, its about being able to provide the players the best tools and situations for them to be successful. A few different things we had before the Nationals games was a prayer and smoke ceremony before we went to the stadium, others carried their medicine pouches. With the Snipers, we are a mix of native and non-native players, so getting them to get together as a unit and perform together is fun to see , especially with guys who played against each other growing up. Once the set their old team rivalry's aside its fun to see them become friends and teammates.
PNWNL: What challenges have you faced throughout your coaching career, and how have you addressed them, particularly in honoring the traditional aspects of the game?
Darcy: Some of the challenges we still encounter from a coach and organization are biased officiating and racist comments from spectators and opponents. That's still happening at every level of play. I have told a lot of officials as a coach I don't care what you call. Just call it equally.
It's getting better, but it still isn't anywhere near what it should be. I had to have a few conversations with tournament and league officials about fair treatment. We don't want special treatment; we want equal treatment. But to some, giving us that equal treatment means the same as special treatment.
As a coach at all levels, I constantly tell the players to play hard but play clean. Don't give them a reason to call a penalty. On the negative side of a non native player playing for a native team, they see some of the ways we are treated on the floor by officials or off floor by spectators.
I have had the nonnative parents and players ask me why we don't get the penalty calls other teams get when an infraction occurs or why we are penalized more frequently. And i told them this is how it always is. Its unfortunate that they had to deal with it also, but also lets them see we dont complain or question the refs for no reason.
One hockey ref asked me why Six Nations always cries and complains about reffing. I told him if it was called fair we would have nothing to say or complain about, and I went to high school with him. So just his attitude towards us was an eye-opener. Makes me wonder if thats how he felt about us when we went to school. The other thing we have to work with is just different needs of the players and families, some don't have a ride to all the games or practice, some need help with getting proper equipment, or help getting to a tournament. so making sure the players have rides or support to be there can be tricky sometimes also.
PNWNL: How do you envision the future of lacrosse, both in the Native community and the sport as a whole? What changes or developments would you like to see?
Darcy: The Haudenosaunee game is growing around the world so quickly; there are over 90 countries that have programs and are recognized by World Lacrosse. To see that and know where the game originated is so great. It makes you proud to be a small part of that growth. It would be great to see some other versions of lacrosse be played, there are bunch of different versions of the game that other tribes and nations have thru thier culture and traditions. The common lacrosse game you see is only one version.
The Native community has so many great role models for the young players to look up right now. Great players playing at high levels, junior, senior, college, pro, and international. When they give back to their communities it really fuels the next generation of stars. Social media really opens the lacrosse world to everyone, and they have instant access to their favorite players.
I know we don't play the game or get involved for the money, but on the professional side of our game, it would be great to see the players, Native or not, make a liveable wage from playing the game they love. Most lacrosse players work a regular job as well as be professional lacrosse players on the weekend. They put their bodies on the line just as much as any professional athlete and deserve to be compensated for that. I know the PLL and NLL have helped push that toward being a reality, but we are still way off from the other major sports.
PNWNL: What guidance would you offer to coaches, both Native and non-Native, who are mentoring young lacrosse players today?
Darcy: Keep it fun, especially for the young kids. I tell my lil guys teams work hard and have fun. If something is not fun, how long are you going to want to stick around and keep doing it?
As you get older, the games have more meaning, and the schools and scholarships are beginning to become a thing of reality, then the players' and coaches' intensity will change.
Just keep in the back of your head why you're doing it. Is it for your recognition, or their development? If you develop good players and better people through your programs, your recognition will come in other ways.
PNWNL: Finally, what does lacrosse mean to you personally, and how has it shaped you as a coach, leader, and community member?
Darcy: Lacrosse has always been a part of my family. It's just something that we do. To be able to have the game passed on to me from my Uncles and older Cousins, to be able to share that with my kids and their teammates as a Coach will always be special, and I hope one day someone will say I was their favorite coach.
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