Lacrosse

Syracuse’s Powless prepares Netherlands for lacrosse World Championship with teachings of Onondaga

Courtesy of Jeline van Baal

Neal Powless is the Assistant Director of the Native Student Program at Syracuse and also the head coach of the Netherlands national lacrosse team. He is combining his experiences to bring his team into the Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship that starts Friday.

The Netherlands men’s lacrosse team ventured to Boulder Creek River on its eighth day of training camp at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Some weary, injured players rested their legs in the icy water. Others tossed around a soccer ball in the current and bonded with teammates while cooling off from the heat.

Neal Powless, the team’s head coach, joined them.

Powless is a member of the Onondaga Nation and obeys what the Onondaga call natural law — protecting nature for the purpose of human sustainability — and greatly values clean, natural water. His respect for the environment was instilled in him through his heritage. So too, was lacrosse.

He’s passing along both to his Dutch team, which opens its Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship campaign Friday against China.



“How you take care of your life and how you take care of your things translate directly over to how you take care of your lacrosse stick,” said Dutch assistant coach Ryan Demorest. “Neal knows that better than anybody.”

Powless, an Assistant Director of the Native Student Program at Syracuse University, is the first Native American head coach of a national lacrosse team outside North America. He shares his wisdom of the game through its religious aspects, relating them to Dutch culture as he prepares the Netherlands to play eight games in nine days.

He has implemented a fast-pace offense that includes pick-and-rolls, creative shooting and passing in tight quarters — all elements of the free-flowing and artistic style of the Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee.

Iroquois is a name that outsiders gave to them and Haudenosaunee is what they call themselves. But to receive more public recognition, their lacrosse team is referred to as the Iroquois Nationals.

The Haudenosaunee were the first ones to play the sport. They believe that they received the game from the Creator as a gift, and it’s to be played for His enjoyment and as a medicinal game to heal the ill.

“You can identify who we are by how we carry ourselves and how we play lacrosse,” Powless said.

To compensate for distance, Powless sent instructional videos to his players overseas after accepting the head coaching job in November. The first video included a demonstration of a behind-the-back pass.

“What I’ve been encouraging a lot of the players to do is to use their individual skills,” Powless said. “Pass in a thousand different ways so as a player you become more creative on the field.”

During a scrimmage in training camp, the Netherlands’ offensive plays were being well-defended and they struggled playing in a structured manner.

Then, Powless told his team to abandon the playbook and “just play.” Immediately, they played with more imagination and effectiveness.

It’s a style grown from box lacrosse, which Powless played professionally. It’s an indoor version of the game especially popular among the Haudenosaunee. The use of pick-and-rolls facilitates off-ball movement and confusion for opposing defenses.

“When you get it on the field and you equate it to the field, there’s more space so it’s a very dangerous type of offense,” assistant coach Bill Bjorness said.

By the end of the tournament, members of the Dutch team will have been living together for about three weeks. From the start of those three weeks, Powless tried to build relationships deeper than just player-coach.

Powless has spent time stringing sticks with some of his players, and discussing lacrosse as his heritage, culture and religion. He’s gained respect by sharing his background, explaining what lacrosse means to him and participating in team activities like ice bathing and running sprints with players.

Powless learned from his parents — his father is one of 14 Onondaga chiefs — that he must always remember where he came from and what that means. It’s something he hopes he’s passed on to his Dutch players.

“Lacrosse is lacrosse in the end,” Powless said. “But I just want to make sure that these guys understand the roots. It’s not just a game. It’s more than that.”





Top Stories