by By Dan Ninham
Owen VanLoon, 17, is Mohawk and Wolf Clan. His Oñgwehoñwe’ name is Gah hoñ wah oo. His hometown is Six Nations, Ontario, Canada. He will be a senior this year at McKinnon Park Secondary School in Caledonia, Ontario.
Owen’s accomplishments include committing to play NCAA college lacrosse at Newberry College in South Carolina, playing in the Canadian Box Lacrosse Championships with Team Iroquois, and making the Iroquois Nationals U18 roster.
“Personally the traditional side has played an important role in the kind of lacrosse player I am today,” said Owen. “When playing lacrosse you’re supposed to play to heal yourself and others. Lacrosse has always been that thing I can look for whenever I’m having a tough day or just need a little pick me up. It’s always been there for me and I’m grateful for the gift of lacrosse and I’m grateful for culture for impacting my thoughts on how lacrosse should be played.”
“My main goal as an athlete has always been to make it to the highest level possible,” said Owen. “I’m a competitive guy and I know that it takes a lot of hard work and commitment to surpass everyone else that has the same goal but I’m not a stranger to working hard. I’ve always been told that hard work beats talent so I’m gonna put my head down and work as hard as I can.”
“Brent Maracle has been one of my coaches for the past couple of years for the Iroquois Nationals and he has never not helped me out,” said Owen. “His guidance has been a major role in where I am and where I’m trying to get to in the future. I consider Brent as family because he has always been there for me.”
“Owen stood out the very first time I saw him at a Road Warrior tournament,” said Brent Maracle. “Sure he was talented, but what truly set him apart was the depth of his understanding the connection of the game to himself and his teammates. He also excelled when we went beyond the skills and drills by speaking about the game’s significance to our people because it is given by the Creator.”
“I remember when he was playing for the Georgia Swarm Jr. team. The coaches asked me to speak about the roots of the game to the players. It was a mix of Native and non-Native players. After the tournament, Owen came up to me in the gas station parking lot and said to me, ’Coach Brent, I really needed that talk because it helped clear my mind before the game and for the rest of the tournament.’ He has continued to ask questions and it’s been an honor to be included in his story,” added Brent.
“Now, he is committed to an NCAA Division 2 school,” said Brent. “Based on the types of questions he has asked me over the years I’ve known him, I know that he is going to leverage the opportunities of a good education and the game of lacrosse to bring great ideas and resources back to share with our people. He is always thinking of others. That’s how he plays. That’s who he is…not afraid to take a shot and not afraid to be a team player so that the win is shared with everyone.”
“Timothy Bucky VanLoon Jr is my oldest brother and he’s always coached me,” said Owen. “I grew up going to his games. He played at the A level for Six Nations and he helped his midget team win Provincial Gold in 2010. He has always been a good example of a great teammate and a great player. To be taught everything I know from him has been a blessing. I’m grateful for him and everything he has ever done for me and I wouldn’t know what I know about lacrosse and also life if it wasn’t for him.”
Timothy VanLoon Jr “Buck”, Coach of Six Nations Brotherhood, talked about his brother. He said: “Owen is a very hard worker on and off of the field, always working to better himself and the athletes around him, and always striving to play at the highest level possible. He sets himself apart with his speed and game IQ and excels at both ends of the field with his ability to assist and score as well as defend.”
“Lacrosse has motivated him to hold himself at a high standard academically as well, he has a true pride and passion for the game of lacrosse,” Buck.
“My other older brother Warren also helped me along the way. Both of my Brothers got their lacrosse knowledge from my To:tah (grandfather),” added Owen.
“Mark Red Burnham is my coach for the Iroquois Nationals development team,” said Owen. “To have a lacrosse mind like him as a coach is amazing. He is well known in the lacrosse community and he has done a great job as a teacher and a grower of the game and I’m grateful for him.”
“Weheh Myers is someone who I’ve always been able to look up to as a coach and a role model,” said Owen. “He has always set a good example for me and instilled in my head to work hard and good things will happen.”
“Owen is a really smart, and hardworking lacrosse player,” said Weyheh Meyers. “He’ll do just fine moving on to the next step and his coaches and teammates will be better off with him on their squad. He’s easy to get along with, takes direction well, and super motivated to get better. He’s got a great family that will support him along the way too.”
“His brother Tim ‘Bucky’ VanLoon and I started a team together and Owen been with us from the start improving the whole time. Owen can play anywhere on the field too. If you need him to jump in to fill a spot he can. Literally any spot on the team. He’s gonna be alright when he heads out. No worries about that young man at all.”
“My To:tah (grandfather) Bill Johnson was by far the biggest influence in my life,” said Owen. “He was always teaching us and I remember when I was really young, being out in our backyard with him and him doing things with his lacrosse stick that I didn’t even think were possible. Of course as a curious kid I asked him to teach me those things and he said ‘you’re not gonna learn these in a day. You gotta work for it’ and as a kid I didn’t really get that but now it’s clear to me that everything in sports isn’t gonna just come to you in one day, you have to practice and work at it. My To:tah passed away when I was seven years old but what he taught my brothers and I we will carry that with us.”
“I was never the biggest guy on the floor and my upbringing was that if you work hard then none of that stuff matters,” said Owen. “But not being the biggest guy I had to find ways to be better than guys so I started working on my speed. I trained and am still training my speed to this day and I pride myself on my endurance and my speed along with my work ethic.”
“Another obstacle I needed to overcome was the passing of my grandparents. They played a huge role in my life and were always important people to me so to lose both of them was pretty crippling. What I had taken out of it was that they would want me to continue to work hard and to continue to strive for better because they always wanted me to go to college but more importantly to be a good person so I’m gonna work hard to get there and make them proud.”
“I’ve never been the best player or the flashiest but I know that when I work hard and I play lacrosse with the right intentions and a good mind it is best,” said Owen. “You don’t have to be the most skilled player as long as you invest yourself into the game and find a passion for it then the skill will come.”
Photo Credit: Owen VanLoon
