by By Dan Ninham
Mason Cree, 14, is from the community of Ahkwesáhsne. “I am Turtle Clan from the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) Nation.”
“My Mohawk name is Raientanó:ron and means ‘He is a rare/valuable wood.’”
“I compete for the Ahkwesáhsne Storm Minor Lacrosse Association – Bantam, and Evolve Lacrosse Ontario – U14,” said Mason.
“I come from a long line of lacrosse players on both sides of my family, including several relatives being inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame,” said Mason. “I started playing box with Ahkwesáhsne Minor Lacrosse at four years old. I played Ahkwesáhsne Attack field lacrosse from grade 2 to 5 and have been playing with the Ahkwesáhsne Storm since age 10. I’ve played in U.S. box lacrosse tournaments, most notably the Las Vegas Invitational in 2019. I will be playing in the 2021 World Series of Youth Lacrosse in Maryland with Evolve Lacrosse Ontario. In 2019, I was one of five athletes selected on the ‘All Tournament Team’ at the Canadian Box Lacrosse Nationals in Coquitlam, B.C.”
“In 2019, I took home two gold, one silver, and one bronze medal at the Ontario Lacrosse Association ‘A’ level tournaments as a Peewee with the Ahkwesáhsne Storm. That same year, I was called up to compete at the Bantam level “Final 6” for the Ahkwesáhsne Storm. I’ve been a captain on each team I’ve competed with since 2018 because of my leadership and work ethic,” added Mason.
Mason also played for the Ottawa Capitals Lacrosse Club, Road Warriors Lacrosse, and the Six Nations Brotherhood. He was recruited to play for the Blue Ridge Academy in Virginia, which is where he will be attending ninth grade this coming fall as a Blue Baron.
“In general, I value being a good teammate, good sportsmanship, discipline, putting forth maximum effort, maturity, and just enjoying the sport,” said Mason. “It’s important to me to be a good role model and to represent my team, my family, and my community in a respectable way. These values are tied historically to the Rotinonhsión:ni (Haudenosaunee), as we are the originators of the game of lacrosse and are also engrained in my community as well as my family.”
“My grandmothers have positively influence me as an athlete because they encourage me, they attend as many of my games as they can and they support me to play my best,” said Mason.
“One of my mentors from my community is Daniel Lazore,” said Mason. “He always supports me and creates opportunities for me to keep getting better. Whether it be picking me up to shoot around, or including me in lacrosse camps, or just encouraging me to play harder, he is someone who is always there and that I look up to.”
“My dad is also one of my biggest mentors,” said Mason. “He is always there for me, he is always working hard to find new opportunities for me to play, and travels with me to all of my tournaments, no matter how far they are. He supports my lacrosse career financially, whether it be out of his pocket or to arrange fundraisers to help me to get what I need to compete.”
“Physically, I go to the gym, run, do body weight work outs, stay involved in local lax camps, attend Evolve practice when possible, shooting around and playing catch, and playing other sports such as basketball,” said Mason. “My mental preparation includes watching lacrosse games, joining zoom calls with my Evolve team, and committing myself to a daily workout routine. Emotionally I like talking to friends for support and play video games. Spiritually, I listen to music.”
Mom and Dad agree on the direction their son is going in lacrosse development: “Mason’s accomplishments are possible because of who he has in his life and all the different roles they each play to encourage him and support him to be where he is. He wants his accomplishments to reflect on all those who have helped him, and for them to feel pride in the support they give, and for believing in him.”
Photo Credit: Chelsea Sunday
