I did not grow up around lacrosse, which I believe to be unfortunate. My son plays. It is a fascinating sport, and the coaches I have been exposed to are passionate and sure to make sure the boys honor the traditions of their sport. Unfortunately, there are few lacrosse movies. One, however, stands out. Crooked Arrows is an inspiring movie that instills not only a love for the game, but a greater purpose to its play—and, likewise, teaches us life lessons.
In short, it is a movie about a Native American lacrosse team, competing against much better equipped and better prepared prep schools, and their coach, who is struggling between wanting to modernize the reservation and coming to grips with his Native roots. The movie is full of inspirational pearls. Here are a few of my favorites, I think they speak for themselves:
“The eagle once ruled our skies. And then, one day, he was struck down by the arrow. As he lay dying, the eagle could not understand why. The shaft of the arrow had been feathered by one of his own plumes. We often give our enemies the means to our own defeat. Look inside. Ask your heart. The truth may sleep, but it never dies.”—Crooked Arrow (played by Dennis Ambriz)
“All right, yeah, they’re bigger than you, faster than you. And they have better facilities and they have more championships. And, yes, they have a better coach than you. But you know what? None of that matters, okay? This game is not about them, this game is not about us. And it’s not about the scoreboard. In the ancient game, they didn’t keep score. They played to honor the Creator, and so will we. We’ll play to honor our ancestors who were buried with their sticks. We will play to honor our grandchildren who will be given sticks when they’re born. This game has been in our blood for a thousand years, gentlemen. Today, win or lose, we return lacrosse to our people.”—Joe Logan (played by Brandon Routh)
“No arrow flies straight. There’s nothing wrong with a crooked arrow. As long as it follows its own path, it will find its way.”—Crooked Arrow
Follow your path and carpe momento.