I am a member of the bear clan in the Akwesasne Mohawk reservation. Our territories span the US-Canadian border. My partnership with lacrosse has gone from spectator, player, coach, international player and coach, referee, and back to spectator.

At age six, I had an accident and lost my thumb and two fingers. This experience transformed me and I began to doubt what I was capable of doing. When I was nine years old, I was given my first stick by Wally Roundpoint ( son of Frank Roundpoint who founded the Chisholm Roundpoint Lacrosse Stick Factory). Wally told me “Take care of the stick and it will take care of you.” When I was given that stick, I gained confidence. I went from being that child who thought ” I can’t do it” to ” I can do it”! I had many Mohawk players that I admired and I practiced to imitate their skills.

I continued to hone my skills at home on the reservation. I had many mentors including Pete Burns and Frankie Benedict. I then attended prep school at Northview Mount Hermon. I enjoyed a fine varsity career, earning All-Western New England honors and the Mount Hermon Lacrosse Award in 1970.

Upon graduation, I attended Brown University. One of my freshmen teammates was Dom Starsia, a talented football recruit from Long Island who had never seen or played the game of lacrosse. Dom and I became lifelong friends and he visited my home playing in his first box game ever.

I enjoyed a very successful campaign at Brown. I was given All Ivy, All New England, and All East honors and was later named Midfielder of the Decade. In 1975, I scored the winning goal in the annual North, South game, an exciting 25-24 affair that was dubbed “one of the greatest games ever played”.

Upon graduation from Brown, I returned to Akwesasne and began my working career at Salmon River Central School as a home school coordinator, bridging the gap between the Mohawk students’ home and school environments. I also became Salmon River’s first-ever varsity lacrosse coach where I guided the Shamrocks for 33 seasons. We won many championships and I was honored as Coach of the Year numerous times. In 2004, I was given the Gerald J Carol Jr. Exemplary Coaching Award.

During my time coaching, I continued to play box lacrosse. I was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. I also continued playing at the International level in Canada, Australia, England, and the US. I played in two world championships and was part of the coaching staff in two more. Some of my coaching alumni include Lyle, Myles, Ty Thompson, and Seth Oakes, standouts in their own right at U of Albany.

After retirement, I began reffing for Section Ten until the onset of COVID-19. I also continued to play in the annual Summit Lacrosse Tournament in Lake Placid, NY. This past year, I was inducted into the Summit Lacrosse Wall of Legends joining many players that I have admired for years. I also play in the Florida classic each year enjoying the fellowship, sportsmanship, friendship, and health that playing lacrosse provides

Lacrosse has been a personal lifetime gift from the Creator. It continues to be my good medicine and just as Wally Roundpoint once told me, “Take care of this stick and it will take care of you.”