by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
The Six Nations Rivermen are a senior box lacrosse team that competes in the Ontario Lacrosse Association Senior B League. They began competing in the summer of 2013 and had a 14-8 record. In 2014, the Rivermen were runner-ups in the Presidents Cup losing to the Onondaga Redhawks. The next season the team won the Presidents Cup beating the Capital Region Axemen bringing the cup back to Six Nations. The team also won the Presidents Cup in 2019.
The head coach of the team since the beginning is Stew Monture.
Stew Monture, 36, is Mohawk and Wolf Clan from the Six Nations of the Grand River. This is his 14th year of coaching lacrosse and he has coached since 2007.
Stew Monture was a player in college and at the junior and senior levels, he was and is a coach at all levels, and he’s an administrator as the vice-president of the Six Nations Rivermen.
As a player at Herkimer County Community College (HCCC), he holds a record that may never be broken: nine goals in a championship game. He was on the HCCC undefeated and NJCAA national champion team.
“The nine goals at Herkimer CCC was kind of a blur and it happened awhile back,” said Stew. “All I know is having future hall of famers Dan Carey, Roger Vyse and Dave Kemp feeding you the ball it was fairly easy putting the ball in a 6×6 goal.”
“The 2019 Rivermen were a great team,” said Stew. “This championship didn’t come easy. We had a trying time making it out of Ontario with the title. We got to the final and showed true professionalism on and off the floor. I believe we won with class and skill and we found discipline at the right time. We ran with the best goalie in the tournament and what I liked about it were all the family connections within the team. We had brothers Vyse, Powless, Hill, Williams and many more cousins within the team. It was definitely a special group that really came together at the right time.”
“I played minor lacrosse in Six Nations and Junior A Arrows and Rebels Junior B as well as Senior A Chiefs and Senior B Stars all in Six Nations,” said Stew. “I coached the Junior B Rebels to three national championships (Founders Cup) in ’07, ‘08 and ‘12. I coached the Ohsweken Demons to a Creator Cup in CLAX in 2012. I coached the Rivermen to the Presidents Cup Championship in 2015 and 2019. I was the offensive coach for the Iroquois Nationals in 2011 and 2019 and have two silver medals.”
“Lacrosse is such a big part of the Six Nations culture it’s hard not to be involved in some capacity,” said Stew. “It created some of the best players of all time. I was fortunate enough to tag along as a ball boy with the Arrows and the Chiefs in the early 90’s as my grandfather was the general manager and my uncles and cousins all played. It was a big part of my life getting to see first hand what it took to be a successful lacrosse team.”
“I was told from a young age to be a good teammate and to remain dedicated no matter how good or bad a season may be,” said Stew. “I was also told that it’s not what lacrosse can do for me, but what we can do for lacrosse. Always important to give back in some capacity and try to remain as humble as possible.”
“I believe there are so many people in my community that have helped with the championships and my growth as a coach and probably too many to mention,” said Stew. My grandfather Cap Bomberry has always been a constant in my lacrosse career. It’s always good to have a coffee with him and listen to his point of view. We don’t always share the same ideas sometimes but I think it helps me grow as a coach and any coach would tell you that you have to be open minded to ideas especially if they come from sources like him. I think having good help on the bench with me is always as important too. I’ve had good coaches help me along the way: Rayce Vyse, Roger Vyse, Cory Bomberry, Murray Porter, Jeff Powless, and Neil Bomberry. Without them guys to reel me in I think there would be less success.”
“I have played with Stew all my lacrosse career and he’s one of my closest friends,” said Rayce Vyse. “He has always had very high lacrosse IQ from playing to coaching. He thinks the game very well but is always looking for new ideas, new drills, new defensive and offensive looks. He loves his community and I think that’s where his passion is. When we were playing for the Arrows we were terrible for a lot of years and I’m sure he could have went and played somewhere else like a lot of guys did but he stuck it out. We had a chance at playing in the Minto Cup with our home team and that was very special for all the last year players who went through the dark years of Arrows lacrosse.”
“Stew and my journey started long ago playing in our grandfathers front yard as kids to becoming teammates,” said Roger Vyse. “This was before we tried our hand at coaching Six Nations Jr. B Rebels together in 2007 and helping our young men achieve a title run that carried on after we moved on. I have a great respect for him as a teammate, coach and also like a brother to me. We have gone through a lot together and he is a type of guy you would want in your corner any day of the week. His leadership is bar none. He has a way of getting the best out of you whether you like it or not and definitely a visionary and innovator of the game. Success seems to follow him on the lacrosse floor and has been, and honour and pleasure to share so many great moments together.”
“Stewart has always been the leader on the team, whether it be as a player or in his coaching roll,” said Cory Bomberry. “Stew has played at all levels of lacrosse including Jr. B, Jr. A, Sr. B, Sr. A and also being drafted to the NLL.”
“You know how they say ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’? That makes total sense to me how Stewart sees a player. A player may have all the parts to be a total stud on the floor, yeah that’s great, but a lot makes a player by what they have inside themselves. I think Stewart looks at that first before he makes any judgment of a player,” added Cory.
“Back in 2007 when we first started to coach the Jr. B Rebels is when I seen Stews true passion for the game as a coach,” said Cory. “Now to have both coached and been coached by Stewart is pretty awesome. I’ve had some very great coaches but there’s not one that I think controls and sets the tone to the game/period before leaving the dressing room like Stewart. That’s the cost of buying into what you signed up for and all of Stewart’s teams have benefited from it one time or another.”
“All in all Stewart has done a great job over the past 14 seasons of so much awesome lacrosse entertainment for our territory,” said Cory.
“Stew had a great eye for talent and his leadership qualities are off the charts,” said coach Murray Porter. “He’s been a great leader since his playing days when he was the captain of the Six Nations Arrows. Every team he’s took over and started to coach the trajectory of the team was always going up. He’s won several national championships and that due in large part to the respect that he commands on the bench and the leadership abilities to lead a group to the ultimate prize. I’ve played with him, coached with him, and played for him at different points of my career. He’s also coached at the world level and I think it’s just a matter of time before someone takes a chance on him in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) and whoever does won’t be disappointed.”
“Stew and I have been working together for the past four years and this upcoming year will be our fifth year together,” said coach Jeff Powless. “One thing that stands out to me is his motivational speeches to the men at the start of the game or during intermissions. Over the years some of his speeches have given me goose bumps and gets the adrenaline flowing. He establishes a connection with all the players and a bond is formed players are willing to do anything for him.”
“Stew’s coaching is passionate to say the least,” said Neil Bomberry. “He’s always prepared to push the limits of players endurance, talents and skill. Away from the arena he is still surrounded by Hall of Famers, former and present pro lax players and champions.”
“Players play for him! His view comes from them as well as community, fans and spectators including his lax sense and knowledge to advance the game. Great sense of humour too goes a long way,” added Neil.
“We have had success lately by gaining the right people,” said Stew. “As management, coaches and players we have really good human beings along with talent and experience.”
“Stew is one of the coaches that can get the very best out of every player he has on the roster,” said player Adam Bomberry. “His resume’ speaks for itself, but he’s not the guy who likes to talk about that. He’s not a ‘look what I’ve done and what I’ve achieved’ kind of guy. He’s always looking to improve and is willing to take on the player’s perspectives as well. I think that is what makes him one of the most successful and most respected coaches out there.”
“He’s one of the most humble people I have ever come across. But he’s not a beat around the bush kind of guy either, if you mess up he’ll be the first one to let you know,” added Adam.
“Off the floor, he’s one of those guys that you can always count on,” said Adam. “He’ll always do what he can for you, no matter what. If you need a ride, someone to talk to or just need a laugh, he’s the guy you can call. Everything he does and says is done with good intentions.”
“Stew has guided a number of teams to Founders and Presidents Cup championships,” said player Greg Longboat. “As far as coaches go, I believe Stew is second to none in terms of motivating players to play up to their potential and more, when the moment counts during the playoffs. During our most previous run to the Presidents Cup, we lost the first game of the playoffs at home and had a brawl where almost half of our team was suspended. Stew maintained a calm and reassuring demeanor the next night when we played the second game away in Owen Sound. His words in the locker room brought us closer together, helping us rally to win that game and eventually move on to the Ontario final. It was a turning point in our season, and to many of us it was the point where we knew we were going to move on to win the Canadian championship.”
“I first played for Stew when I was 16 and since then I have played Juniors and Seniors,” said player Zed Williams. “This past indoor world games and every time I have played for him he has gotten the best out of me because he’s a coach I do not want to be disappointing with my play. He was my first coach to introduce my brother and I to high level box lacrosse when we were teenagers and what I love about him is that he holds his players accountable. Since he first started coaching me, if I didn’t play well I knew about it, but because I respected him, and I didn’t want to disappoint him with my efforts. All the teams we’ve been a part of have all been great memories with great accomplishment with him leading the way.”
“I try to let the guys rely on their natural born lacrosse instinct a bit more than most coaches,” said Stew. “The X’s and O’s will always be there but you can’t read a players mind if he’s reading the play in real time.”
“Through this pandemic we asked our players to prepare for the season like we would have 30 years ago,” said Stew. “That means doing what we used to do: running the roads, do some more physical chores, eat the right foods, etc.., as we don’t have the arenas and gyms at our disposal.”
Photo Credit: JERAMIE BAILEY, OLA IMAGES and Roger Vyse
