by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
“We are Nez Perce and we are the Lapwai HS Wildcats. Our whole team is related in some way, and our coaches and team members are Nez Perce. This is how we are, and who I am, it all fits,” said Lauren Gould.
Lauren Gould, 14, is Nez Perce and Colville. Her Indian name is Tama-wii-tanmy, Earth Blanketed Woman. Her parents are Aaron Gould and Jackie McArthur and the family lives outside of Lenore, Idaho. To her family and her ancestors it’s known as ‘Paaynima’.
“My father is Nez Perce, he comes from Blackeagle, Uutsinmalickan, and
tipiyelehneteke’ykin families,” said Lauren. “My mother is Colville and her family comes from the Inchelium area, the Simpson, Mullen and Pichoette families.”
“I am a freshman at Lapwai High School,” said Lauren. “I played volleyball and basketball, and I was also on the cheer team for football. I was the team manager for the high school volleyball team in seventh and eighth grade. Our coach had me practice with the team as an extra for drills and scrimmage. When I became a freshman I floated between junior varsity and varsity, and finished the season on varsity as the right side hitter. Our team made it out of districts and to the second round of regional play. This was a big accomplishment for our team that went into districts as a 4th or 5th seed and defeated Potlatch HS and then Prairie HS to go on to Regionals, as the 3rd seed. We lost to Potlatch HS and Prairie HS during our regular season.”
“In basketball, we were the League, District and State Champions, said Lauren. “We were 25-1, losing to 5A school Post Falls, during the Avista Holiday Tournament. We were the smallest school (1A) in the tournament.”
“I was voted Prep Athlete of the Week for the Lewiston Morning Tribune in January and also received honorable mention for the Idaho State All Tournament Team following our State tournament, “ said Lauren.
“I was playing softball when the State shut down, and we never had our first game,” said Lauren. “I have been playing competitive basketball since I was six years old, I started and finished my years with Rip City Nation under Ada McCormack Marks. I play with Unity of Washington State, we won Native American West Coast Nationals Las Vegas 14U in February and was selected to play at the World Indigenous Games in Halifax, Nova Scotia in July, but that was canceled due to COVID-19.
“My role in my family, community, team, and tribe are a big part of my daily life,” said Lauren. “There have been times during the past season where we would show up to practices still in our Indian clothes coming straight from Longhouse, or our coach would drop us off after practice at the Longhouse to put on our wing dress and moccasins to help serve the traditional meal or dance for our loved ones journey.”
“Our elders and community follow our teams all over, and schools prepare special concessions just for the large following of fans that Lapwai has,” said Lauren. “We know our community has high expectations for us, and love us, as does my family and team. My closest friends and sister are on our team, and we know each other on and off the court. I know what they can do, and they know what I can do. These things are all related.”
“My dad Aaron Gould helps me analyze my games,” said Lauren. “This is from the Jr. NBA Nationals playing Seattle or Tacoma to our tough league games in high school. He sees the game, and how sister and I play, in a way that helps us. He helped me as a guard to have a good angle and passing to my posts, and not give them dangerous lobs. We watch basketball together and play together.”
“Our oldest and youngest girls had the opportunity to be a part of this program together this year,” said dad and mom Aaron Gould and Jackie McArthur. “We are very proud of both of our daughters and the entire girls program. We have watched these girls grow up and have nieces on this team. They make one another better on and off the court.”
“Our girls have watched their older cousins play for this program and Lauren has watched and supported her sister for the previous three years. The team was versatile and had significant depth. Lauren, as a freshman was able to help the team. Julia, as a senior and co-captain provided leadership and did her part to contribute,” added Aaron and Jackie.
“In all, the team fine tuned these wheels in motion and kept going,” said Aaron and Jackie. “Both of our daughters looked forward to and worked hard to wear the Lapwai HS basketball uniform and be a member of the team and program. From the District II officials to our booster club, we have enjoyed this time and thankful to be a part of this program.”
“My older sister Julia Gould is a senior at Lapwai HS,” said Lauren. “We had the chance to play volleyball, basketball, and softball together this year. She has always been a major piece in my athletic life. She encourages and reassures me on and off the court. She introduced each sport to me as my big sister and never takes it easy on me.”
“My coaches Ada McCormack Marks and Josh Leighton works us very hard,” said Lauren. “I was just telling my sister in Rip City Nation practice, every week someone would cry, because we worked hard. We were in top shape and fast. From our first games in AAU, being in 2nd grade playing 4th graders to the State Championship this year at the Idaho Ford Center, Coach Marks has been pushing us, teaching us, believing in us and making us work. Coach Leighton is a master of the game, he polished our team, and we executed offensive and defensive plays. He studies film, and he teaches us the finer details that have big payoffs.”
“I have known Lauren for most of her life since she was two years old,” said Ada McCormack-Marks, Lauren’s AAU coach from 2013-2019 and her high school varsity coach in volleyball, basketball and softball. “I was her Early Head Start teacher for a year. When she was about seven years old I asked her parents if she could be a part of a Boys and Girls Club team and after that she continued to play on the team I coached along with my oldest daughter. I am a very proud coach of her, her skills have developed over the years and she continues to use her fundamentals to her advantage in every game that she plays.”
“Lauren is such a hard worker and pushes herself in all that she does. She always pushed herself in practice and was very encouraging to her teammates in both games and in practices. Her offensive skills of getting to the rim has really grown over the last few years as she started getting there in seventh grade. She is a great outside shooter but is such a team player that she would rather look for her open teammate instead of shooting the open three point shot,” added Ada.
“One of the biggest skill set that has always been a big factor for her is her strength in being a rebounder and blocking out on both offense and defense,” said Ada. “She was never the tallest player on the court but she can play like she is. She is always underneath the basket to get rebounds for her team. When asked to guard the big’s down low she always did her job to make them work underneath for position and at times shut them down in big games. During her freshman season she worked her butt off and showed that she was meant to be on the court with the veterans on the varsity squad. She also came up big and some tough games this last season and helped her team win a league, district and state championship.”
“I was very fortunate to be able to continue to be her coach in high school,” said Ada. “She is very coachable and does the job that is asked of her, not only that but she does almost everything with a smile and gets the job done.”
“Our whole team was 5’7, we played bigger girls and bigger teams, but we are disciplined and well coached,” said Lauren. “Last but not least is Mary Taylor. She is a community member, played volleyball for Haskell. She always has encouraging words for my sister and I when we see her, especially in volleyball. She helps our volleyball and softball teams with books. Like my dad, Mary can see things on the volleyball court and communicate that to me, to help me and our team.”
The holistic concept of wellness is based on physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. By keeping a balance between the components may encourage student-athletes to aspire toward optimum performance.
“I live in the country, we are put to work,” said Lauren. “I play basketball and all other sports with my sister Julia and brother Owen. You don’t know what you don’t know, that is how people like my Dad, Coach Marks and Coach Leighton help me and our team. I am wiling to always want to improve.”
“For the Lapwai Wildcats, we are one with our players and coaches. They are my sisters, and together, we will battle until the end. It is like a strong force. We believe in our team, my coaches and myself. I stay calm and work hard. If we are missing shots, we play even harder defense, those shots will start to fall,” added Lauren.
“Living in the country I don’t have a lot of people around me, just family and some relatives,” said Lauren. “During the pandemic we have been working outside almost daily. We rarely have visitors, can go weekends of not leaving the house, and have been snowed in and not had water or electricity for days following storms. I am fortunate to have my sister and brothers with me, and we always find things to do. Some days we will just go walk the hills and fields out of boredom. The hardest part of being in quarantine is missing school, friends, and sports.”
Photo Credit: Steve Conner/Idaho Sports
Good article, Lauren is a very coach able, hard working team player. She is fun to watch and I am excited to see where her future takes her. Go Wildcats!!!