remember) provides a daily reminder of the role this history plays in the province’s collective psyche. Steeped in that history, Quebec
sports institutions often have trouble integrating. In December 2011, French hockey fans protested outside the Bell Centre when the Montreal Canadiens hired English-speaking coach Randy Cunneyworth. Minor hockey teams from Kahnawake required police escorts as recently as 10 years ago when they traveled to French communities. “Lacrosse in general has a very small culture, and you always become friends no matter who you are — black, white, red or green,” said Quebec U19 assistant coach Jamie Kirby, a tireless promoter of the sport in Montreal and father of the two IMG-bound Kirby boys. When the Mohawk, French and English kids play in U.S. tournaments, coaches who are used to seeing prep schoolers comment on the mix, Jamie Kirby said. But thanks to a progressive group of lacrosse coaches, the players have embraced their integration. “Lacrosse people, if we start to have anger between us, the sport is going to fall apart like it did in the ’80s,” Lalonde said. “We have to learn from that dark period in the ’80s and early ’90s when the sport kind of crashed. We have to learn from that period and be able to support each other and move forward together for the good of the game.” Whereas xenophobic and racist heckling in the stands remains common in hockey and box lacrosse rinks, field lacrosse contests offer glimpses of a more tolerant Quebec. Ask players, coaches and parents why they chose field lacrosse over other sports, and the answer usually comes back in one word: opportunity.
When the minor lacrosse associations in the Montreal region launched their U14 and U16 field programs last year, people embraced them because of the educational opportunities. Though Canadian universities such as McGill and Queens have decent field programs, the likes of Syracuse, Albany, Duke and Vermont beckon the best players in the province. The lure of NCAA competition has inspired a change in priorities for many young athletes. They want to play lacrosse in the U.S., so they crack the books, learn new languages and work to get their grades up so they may play the sport at its highest level.
For the French prospects, the language barrier requires the greatest leap of faith.
A Publication of US Lacrosse
Jamie Kirby
Marc-Antoine Pion
Cougar Kirby
“Some of their parents can’t put three English words together,” Lalonde said. “But field lacrosse, with the opportunities there, challenges the kids to learn and speak English.” Mohawk attackmen Troy Lauder, 15, and Cam Horn, 16, said they have started taking school seriously. They want to be the next Miles Thompson or Cody Jamieson.
“I used to look at school as just to pass the time, but now I actually have to work, and get stuff done,” Lauder said.
A Long Way to Go
Quebec lacrosse still has work to do — both in terms of talent and tolerance. More developed programs in British Columbia, Ontario and even Alberta draw from bigger populations, deeper pockets and a longer history with the sport. The challenges of managing the sport’s growth in Quebec resonates with what you may find in some non- traditional lacrosse communities in the U.S. Schools want to start programs and communities want to field teams, but the coaches and refs are not there
Taylor Boyd
to support them. “The growth is going faster than we can handle,” Jamie Kirby said. “There’s a lot of schools, but there’s not a knowledgeable person to coach them.”
Exposure also remains a problem. Montreal’s mainstream media typically does not cover field lacrosse. Box lacrosse made news for the wrong reason in July, when a Montreal coach pulled his team out of the Quebec Junior Lacrosse League after one of his players was body-slammed by an opponent during a game. Media reports about violence in the league prompted an investigation by the Canadian Lacrosse Association. Otherwise, players like Boyd, the Horns, the Kirbys and Pion likely will play for the Iroquois Nationals and Canadian teams at the 2015 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) U19 World Championship in British Columbia to little fanfare. Few in Montreal will even know of the tournament.
“That really bothers me,” Boyd said. “In Quebec, we’re really struggling with [coverage], but every year we’re getting better. Hopefully we’ll get to that level of trying to compete with the States in that area.” LM
November 2013 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 35
©DANIEL ROWE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76