Iroquois Nationals Development Group Launches New Teams

CORTLAND, N.Y. - Feb. 14, 2020 - PRLog -- Iroquois Nationals Development Group launched on Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) soil in December of 2019, creating the first organization of its kind in the history of Iroquois Nationals lacrosse. With an eye to building gold medal lacrosse teams for indoor and outdoor world championships at the U19 and Men's level along with top level development teams at the U13, U15, U17, U18 levels, INDG will emphasize and reinforce the traditional ways of the Iroquois. It begins the weekend of February 22, 2020.

On Saturday, February 22, 2020, the first practices for the U13, U15, U17 and U18 teams will take place on the campus on SUNY Cortland. Saturday's events will open with Rex Lyons, one of the original Iroquois Nationals lacrosse players, speaking to players and families about this history-making process and the details involved. At 12:15pm, the U13 and U15 Iroquois Nationals will practice with their coaches and the staff of the U19 team, including the head coach of the Iroquois Nationals Mark 'Red' Burnam. At 2:15pm, the U17s and U18s take the field for the first time together.

Sunday, February 23, 2020 is dedicated to the U19 team, with scheduled scrimmages against Hill Academy and SUNY Cortland. There will also be practices and evaluations to help bring the team closer to the final roster that will travel to Limerick, Ireland for the U19 World Championships. The roster will be trimmed to 23 plus 7 alternates after the weekend. The day will begin at 11am with practice sessions. Then the teams will rotate through scrimmages.

This weekend marks an important moment not only in indigenous history, but in the history of the sport of lacrosse. "These players will be carrying the Iroquois flag now and in the future," said Rex Lyons. "Playing lacrosse comes naturally to our kids. It's part of our culture. We, as an organization, have recognized the need to provide more opportunities to maximize the number of players that can develop into future Iroquois Nationals."

Iroquois Nationals Development Group is a non-profit organization supporting the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse program through fundraising and player development. Their mission is to prepare Haudenosaunee and Native youth for international competition, raise awareness of the traditional and cultural aspects of the game, and expose players to educational opportunities.

For more information on Iroquois Nationals Development, visit their website at https://iroquoisnationals.leagueapps.com/