Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award

The Alfie Jacques Ambassador Award has been created to keep the legacy of the Onondaga Stickmaker alive, to promote the game’s sacred Indigenous roots, and to honor members of the larger community who share Alfie’s love of lacrosse and his commitment to its growth.

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STICKMAKER, COACH, EDUCATOR

For more than a half century Alfie crafted tens of thousands of wooden lacrosse sticks used by players around the world. He began making traditional wooden sticks with his father, Lou, in 1961. They didn’t have the money to buy sticks, so as Alfie explained countless times, “my father and I said what the heck, let’s make our own.” At the peak of wooden stick usage, Alfie and Lou made 12,000 sticks a year. The arrival of plastic sticks had a devastating effect on their business. But Alfie never quit. His stick making story is a story of perseverance and perpetuating Onondaga history and ceremony.

Alfie was also a coach, speaker, educator, and Ambassador for the game. Alfie loved lacrosse and he loved the people who played it, from all walks of life. He created a traveling roadshow with the different sticks from different regions, and he would speak to any audience about the rich history of the Creator’s Game.

In a world where efforts are made to grow lacrosse at any cost, Alfie worked to grow the game slowly, steadily, and the right way. This meant growing the game in ways that held reverence for the heritage before commercialization. He cherished working with youth. The Native Vision program was a favorite for Alfie. He traveled across the country to this Indigenous youth sports and development camp that promoted cultural values and well- being on and off a sports field.