by By Dan Ninham, contributing writer
Josalyn White is Oglala Lakota and Oneida. She is going into her sophomore year at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay, WI. She competes at Notre Dame Academy in basketball, volleyball, and lacrosse. She also plays club lacrosse for the Black Lax National 2026 team.
White was named First Team All-conference in her freshman lacrosse season. She was also named Best Midfield Player on her team. White was 13th in the state for goals and third in her conference for goals with 58 goals.
“I was selected to go to the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation All-Conference games where my team won 11-7,” said White. “Also, I won silver at North American Indigenous Games 2023 playing basketball where I had 15 points in the championship game.”
White knows who she plays for and why she plays. She said, “I play for those who aren’t here anymore or those who aren’t able to play. This motivates me to practice and train harder and gives me a reason to play for something bigger than myself. I try to embody the Lakota philosophy of čhaŋkú lúta ománi (walk the sacred red road). It helps define how I practice and compete because it shows me how to live life, treat others, and how to be disciplined.”
White continues to prepare to perform at her best on and off the field and court. “I’m preparing to compete for the upcoming season,” said White. “I am getting ready for the upcoming lacrosse fall season where I will be competing at the Fall Grand Prix in Indiana, at the Northstar Midwest Select in Illinois, and the IWLCA President’s Cup in Florida.”
“I am working to be at a higher performance level by running and practicing my skills multiple times a week,” added White.
Sara Rohde is Josalyn’s basketball coach. She said, “Jos brings a lot of fight and energy to her team. She is a soft spoken young lady, but plays with a lot of heart. She has demonstrated this on our JV basketball team by helping lead them to an almost perfect season last year.”
Michael Hodge is the coach for the 2026 Black Lax National Team. He talked about his athlete: “Josalyn is a great athlete with a great attitude. She has a strong work ethic and goes the extra mile to make herself and her team better. Josalyn makes the trip every week and twice in the summer to attend practice in Waukesha. She is always there and ready to go.”
“From the moment we start practice to the very end, Josalyn is dialed in studying the game and making the most of her time on the field. I remember her first practice for us and there was no doubt that she was going to be a special player,” added Coach Hodge.
Hailey Anderson is Josalyn’s high school lacrosse coach. Coach Anderson said: “Josalyn is a very hard worker and determined to better the team. Thought this past season Josalyn would put in time outside of practice to get better. She would ask to stay late to practice shooting. She would notice something during a game and ask if we could work on it as a team at practice. This is the leadership as a coach I like to see and appreciate. She knows the game very well and is always looking to better the team and herself.”
Photo: Cormac McInnis
So proud of this young athlete! Her discipline and athleticism is impressive. It was such a joy to watch her play la crosse this spring🫶🏼🥍