Our mission
We work to make sure the Haudenosaunee Nationals can compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics under their own flag. The Haudenosaunee created lacrosse. The sport returns to the Games in 2028. Leaving out the creators is wrong and easy to fix.
About the campaign
The Story
Lacrosse was created by the Haudenosaunne around a thousand years ago, it has since been titled the creator's game. Lacrosse is a tradition of ceremony, community, and of dignity. The sport was first included in the Olympics in 1904 and 1908 but was then excluded and dropped from the games. In the 2028 LA Olympics lacrosse will officially make its return in a 6v6 layout where teams will compete on a shortened field in a fast paced game.
With its reinvented inclusion many countries are eager to compete. Although the people who invented the sport the Haudenosaunne, face Olympic Committee rules that block them from competing under their own flag for the games. The issue is the Haudenosaunne are not recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the IOC states that only teams recognized as a country can participate in the Olympic games, unless ahtletes play under the refugee flag.
This is unjust, the IOC prohibiting the Haudenosaunne from playing is a huge misstep. In an ever developing and changing world the IOC should adjust their rules and make an exception to honor the creators of lacrosse and let the Haudenosaunne play. The Haudenosaunne are backed by the former president Joe Biden, the United States Government, the Canadian Government, as well as the World Lacrosse organization. The wide support the Haudenosaunne have for playing under their own flag at the Olympics displays the scale of this issue. Lastly the Haudenosaunne have their own passports which permit them to travel to many countries and they are recognized as a sovereign nation by a multitude of other countries. With all this in mind it only makes sense for the Haudenosaunne to play in the Olympics under their own flag.
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My story
I first started playing lacrosse in 2015 when my friend bought three sticks. Along with my older brother, the three of us started playing and found we loved the sport. Starting as a 6 year old learning the skills necessary to play a complex sport was a real challenge but I loved learning how to catch a ball while running downfield, to run through the ground balls, and to defend my goal. And while I played all of the positions as I grew in my new sport, I eventually landed on playing Goalie and knew it was my net to defend. Through my first club lacrosse team quickly it became more than just a sport, it was a lifestyle where I built lasting connections with other members of the lacrosse community within my home city of Chicago. As a small growing sport within the city a tight knit community was forged between players, coaches, as well as parents.
The first position I played was midfield following in my brother's footsteps, although at that age you practically play every position. I was not very good but nevertheless the sport was very fun. About four years later I had switched club teams to a larger program through True Lacrosse coached by Peter Murphy. The great thing about the new team was almost all of the other players from my previous club also transferred, maintaining the highly connected lacrosse community. Our team needed defensive players and I was stoked at the opportunity to try something new. After that I stuck with defense for around four years playing whenever and wherever I could.
In 2020 our team desperately needed a goalie. After one too many tournament games where we had to borrow goalies from other teams, I decided for the good of the team that I would step into the net and try this crucial position. I quickly found out that although scary at times it was a very rewarding position, winning games was one of the best feelings as a goalie. I was supported by the coaching staff and rapidly improved to where I am today. Throughout playing goalie I gained leadership skills as well as resilience. Goalie actually taught me a great life lesson, one thing coaches always say is have a next shot mentality. I was taught to not worry about past mistakes like letting a goal in, and to focus on the next shot. This was increasingly beneficial not only in lacrosse but also in school. I applied my newly found attitude to school and other things in life allowing me to not only improve in school but also grow as a person. Through goalie I gained a deeper understanding of the game, I learned that lacrosse was not only a game but a lifestyle that requires mental and physical focus.
My older brother, who was a role model throughout my whole lacrosse career, was enrolled in high school where he played on the varsity lacrosse team as a freshman. His success inspired me to continue playing and trying my best to improve. I ended up applying and getting into the same high school and was instantly hooked on playing lacrosse on the same team as him. Although he was a senior on varsity and I was a freshman, I worked hard all off season for the chance to play with him on the same team in the spring. I tried out for varsity and made the team, this was a great accomplishment for me and I was very excited to take the field with my older brother for his senior season. Although I did not play much freshman year I learned a lot, vastly improving my game. One of my favorite moments was winning the City Championship freshmen year with the team. It was a great experience that I got to share with my brother.
Although we ended the season on a bittersweet loss I had a great time and lacrosse season became my favorite time of year. Last year, my sophomore season started off great, I was the best goalie on the team and gained the starting varsity spot. I had a great season and although overall my team did not do well we were able to compete with top teams in the state due to our teamwork and resilience. I was able to help our team win the city championship earning myself a second first place medal. Throughout this season I greatly developed as a person, my leadership skills improved greatly as well as my lacrosse IQ. Although our record may have not displayed it we greatly developed as a team and a family. I had a great season with around 165 saves throughout fifteen games. I received multiple accomplishments at the end of season banquet as I received the team MVP award and was first team all conference within the city.
I am excited for my next season where we will hopefully win yet another city championship. From my lacrosse career I have learned how to be disciplined, a leader, and greatly improved my teamwork. The beauty of lacrosse as a sport and lifestyle is not new in the United States. It is a sport created hundreds of years ago by the indigenous peoples of this land around the very rituals we still practice today. The very core of the sport is built on spiritual conflict resolution and its roots are still celebrated every time a lacrosse team takes the field. Lacrosse has been and always will be a large part of my life and that is why the Haundesaunee not being allowed to compete in the Olympics relates deeply to my identity. As the creators of the game, the Haundesaunee, continue their ancestral tradition of taking the lacrosse field as a team under their own flag to honor their past and develop their players into upstanding citizens. As I would be unable to play the sport I love without their contributions. Lacrosse is more than a sport to both of us it is a lifestyle, and to them it is a tradition. The upcoming 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will feature men's lacrosse as a showcase sport and the International Olympic Committee has determined that the Haundesaunee will not be allowed to play under their own flag. I find the disrespect of the founders to be unacceptable and I am compelled to advocate for their inclusion under their own flag in the Olympics as a way to pay my respects to the founders of a game that has given me so much. I started this project to draw support to the cause, and I hope it will create a change or start a larger movement towards the involvement of the Haudenosaunne in the LA 2028 Olympics. If you want to get involved you can write your own lacrosse story, which can be posted on the blog page of the website. If you do not want to write but still want to support the cause please follow the instagram page and sign the petition linked above.
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