Coach Matt

This is the first official teaser for one film in our anthology, Stewards of the Game; The Untold Story of Lacrosse. In Haudenosaunee circles, you rarely hear players talk about “creating” or “owning” the game. Rather, it is described as a gift from the Creator, passed down through generations. During their short time on earth, they are the game’s caretakers, or stewards. The roots of this project reach back to the early Inside Lacrosse era of the mid-1990s. What started as a film celebrating the lacrosse stick evolved into the story of Onondaga craftsman Alf Jacques. As we spent more time with Indigenous players, teams, and communities, our production team grew, and the project gradually expanded into an anthology of four distinct films. One traces the game's journey from the birth of modern lacrosse in the late 1800s to today, including the emergence of the Haudenosaunee Nationals and their ongoing fight for a place on the Olympic stage. Two others explore the remarkable Thompson family and the evolution of women's box lacrosse at Six Nations. We still have many miles to go, but rough cuts of all four films are nearly complete. At this creative turning point, after years of sharing informal glimpses, we wanted to release our first official teaser. It felt fitting to begin with Alf Jacques, the man whose story helped launch this project over ten years ago. Alf dedicated his life to preserving traditional knowledge through his craft, and to traveling and sharing stories that revealed the game’s deeper meaning. Bob Carpenter Founder, Inside Lacrosse 🎬 PRODUCTION TEAM: Neal Powless Michelle Schenandoah Natalie Welch Luke Korver Zach Heffner