Lacrosse is more medicine than game for these high school students

On Tuesdays and Thursdays each week, Michael Thompson becomes the favourite sight of a few dozen students at Cornwall Collegiate and Vocational School.

The former professional lacrosse player helped launch an after-school program at the Cornwall, Ont., high school where students play and learn about lacrosse to earn school credits.

"The last couple years with COVID, a lot of kids lost credits being at home … not being able to finish up some of their work," said Thompson, who works as a cultural adviser at the school's Native Resource Centre.

While credits have brought some students to the school gymnasium or field to practise passing, restring sticks and burn some energy, that's not why many come back.

"It's more of a medicine than it is a game to us," said Grade 12 student Ronwaiewate Lazore, who's been a part of the program since it began in December. 

"This whole course I've never thought about the credit."

Part of the religion

The students don't just play the game, they learn about its history as a sport and its cultural significance to many Indigenous people.

• Reclaiming the Indigenous roots of lacrosse

Thompson was born in the Mohawk community of Akwesasne next to Cornwall and grew up playing lacrosse, but he was raised Catholic.

He said that's partly why he didn't learn about the spiritual aspect of the game until he became an adult.

"In a traditional Haudenosaunee longhouse, lacrosse is actually part of the religion," he said. Longhouses can refer both to the traditional Mohawk style of housing and a traditional governing body.

"Every spring and fall we actually have a game to renew our medicines."

Lazore, who is from Akwesasne and grew up with lacrosse, said the program helped him reconnect with the sport and its higher meaning, crediting it with motivating him to attend classes. 

"It's something to distract you and help you through what you're going through," he said.

Lazore also said he has begun to play outside of school, walking more than three kilometres most days to the closest lacrosse box to play.

The program was created with Indigenous students in mind, but is open to all students. 

Letizia Gaibotti, a Grade 10 exchange student from Italy, said she joined the program to make some friends.

"I didn't even know what lacrosse was," she said.

Gaibotti said she enjoys learning about history and cultural practices from her classmates while playing the game. 

"They're happy to share this knowledge that they have with [people from] other countries, and I'm happy to hear what they have to say," she said. 

"I'm glad [the other students] were open to me and allowed me to play."

Teacher Jennifer Suggars, who helps oversee the program, said she has learned about students in a different way and has reached those having trouble in the classroom environment.

"We have a huge population of at-risk kids, so this program really has kids coming into the building more," said Suggars, adding some students come to lacrosse, but skip class.

"The more comfortable they feel in the school, the more they feel like this is their home, and then we can use that as an opportunity to say, 'Hey, you know, how are you doing in your science class?'"

Thompson said lacrosse — a sport that has traditionally been used by Indigenous peoples to resolve conflict — has also been a "ticket" to keep some students out of trouble.