A Great Example of Sportsmanship From the Lacrosse World
By Ken Reed
I’m sure it wasn’t easy but Ireland’s national lacrosse team did the right thing last week.
Ireland’s team withdrew from the World Games 2022 international lacrosse tournament so a Native American team, the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team could play in the tournament. The Iroquois team qualified by finishing third in the 2018 Federation of International Lacrosse World Championship. Eight teams qualified but the Iroquois team was deemed ineligible to compete by the International World Games Association (IWGA) because it does not represent a sovereign nation and doesn’t have an Olympic committee.
However, in August, the IWGA said it would reverse its ineligibility ruling if a place opened up for the Iroquois team.
That’s when the Ireland team decided to step up. They had finished well behind the Iroquois team at the qualifying 2018 Lacrosse World Championship and felt the Iroquois team deserved the World Games spot more than they did.
“It’s simply the right thing to do,” said Michael Kennedy, chief executive officer of Ireland Lacrosse.
“We are a proud member of World Lacrosse and we recognize the importance of The World Games to the continued growth of our sport. As much as our players would have been honored to compete, we know the right thing is for the Iroquois Nationals to represent our sport on this international stage.”
The Nationals represent the Iroquois Confederacy, a group of six Native American tribes that dates back hundreds of years. That group is comprised of the Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca and Tuscarora tribes.
Yes, Ireland’s lacrosse team did the right thing in this case. Sportsmanship is always the right thing. And the Ireland national lacrosse team provided a great example for the rest of SportsWorld.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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Media
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
“Should College Athletes Be Paid?” Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
- League of Fans Sports Policy Director Ken Reed quoted in Washington Post column titled "What happened to P.E.? It’s losing ground in our push for academic improvement," by Jay Mathews
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Vanderbilt Sport & Society - On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss with guest Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director for League of Fans and author of How We Can Save Sports: A Game Plan
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
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