All Indian Basketball Tourney Sets Example for Youth

5TH ANNUAL WARRIOR CHALLENGE

Red Lake hosted the 5th Annual Warrior Challenge at two venues, the Red Lake Humanities Center and Red Lake High School. The double elimination tournament began Friday February 18th, 2011 at 6 PM at the Humanities Center, and continued through Sunday with the championship game played about 5 PM.

Red Lake Chairman Floyd Jourdain, Jr. (in red, left) may have been the oldest man on the court, he played for "Sweat Lodge Time Machine".

According to Red Lake Chairman Floyd Jourdain, Jr., the “All Indian Tourney” originated during the annual Youth Conference held in April “to show our youth that athletes can succeed at the next level. Several of the players that come to play in this tourney are in college or have been to college”, Jourdain said. “Some of these guys have or are playing pro or semi-pro ball. Some are playing in Japan and China, our own (Red Lake member) Ben Strong plays in Israel.

MVP Derrick Denny

This is the first year that the tourney had not been held in April in conjunction with the Annual Youth Leadership Conference. Many teams had expressed that they would like to play the tourney, if it weren’t so close to college basketball play-offs in March. So this year the tourney moved to February, and participation went from 14 to 22 teams.

Warrior Challenge Organizer, Ron Lussier

“This year we changed the date for the games with hopes of getting more teams to come to Red Lake”, said organizer Ron Lussier. “And it worked”, he said, “this is by far the most we’ve had and the play is much more competitive. You see some good basketball at this tourney”.

The 22 teams played a total of 42 games. “We had teams from North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Kansas, Montana and Saskatchewan along with several teams from Minnesota”, Lussier said. “The weekend showcased some of the nation’s finest Native American basketball players”.

“Some of the questions we asked ourselves when we started this tourney,” said Jourdain, “was why do our youth leave the Rez? Why aren’t more going on to college?  If they aren’t achieving academically, kids aren’t going to the next level of college”, he said.

Dad takes a break to tend to an unhappy son.

“With this all Indian tourney, and “all Indian” is important,” noted Jourdain, “we want to bring college players to Red Lake as examples of achievement for our youth.” Jourdain mentioned that the teams include players who are in or have finished college, and some are even playing pro-ball overseas.

All games had several young people attending.
The Championship games on Sunday filled the stands.

“We want to bring athlete role models to Red Lake, to demonstrate there is a life beyond high school”, said Jourdain, “and this is something Red Lake kids understand - basketball. We hope our youth will come to the games and say, ‘I can go to college’.  ‘I can get a scholarship’”. Another idea Jourdain hopes to get across is a message for all to pursue a healthy life style throughout their lives, to make healthy living a part of your life.

The Official: Dale Graves, Red Lake Ojibwe
Dale Graves, a Red Lake member from the Twin Cities, has been an official for the tourney for all five years. Graves enjoys coming home to Red Lake and seeing the impressive floor back again at the Humanities Center. “The Humanities is a great floor”, said Graves, “it reminds me a lot of the “Barn” at the University of Minnesota”. Graves has been a High School official, and has worked with most of the tourney officials for ten years, who also officiate baseball and softball.

Mr. Defense and Mr. Hustle award winners

“This tourney is a great showcase for High School and Junior High”, Graves observed. “It tells the kids here on the Rez that there’s more to life than partying, or drinking and doing drugs. If you apply yourself, there’s not only a chance to get educated, but a chance to travel as a member of a college team. There are a lot of kids who are showing potential in the 5th and 6th grades”, said Graves, “they’re coming, I say hit them when they are young, and encourage their talent and academics.”

Future Red Lake Champions take to the courts between games.

“There have been a lot of premium players come out of Red Lake”, said Graves, “but for some reason they don’t want to - or figure they can’t go on to college. But a lot of Red Lake kids could be and should be going to school”, noted Graves. “Many Indian kids are getting scholarships, and Red Lake kids could get them too”, he said, “they just have to dream and work hard”.

Good Sportsmanship, Job One

“This tourney is good for the community, it brings people together and it’s nice to see the talent of these young men, and they are all Indian, that’s just great”, concluded Graves.

The Player: Dustin Mitchell, Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe
Dustin Mitchell loves playing in the All-Indian Tourney, and played this year for the Championship Team "War Party". Mitchell attends college at the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, not far from Madison, where he made 1st Team All American. He will graduate in June 2011 with a major in sociology and a minor in health. He attended Lakeland Union high school where he excelled in basketball.

Foul!

While in high school, Mitchell was recruited by several colleges for his basketball skills, and decided to go to Whitewater because he liked their style of play. “It was diverse but close to home”, he said.

He’s played some pro-ball during the summer, most recently in Austria, but it didn’t work out and he left after a month. He is considering other pro opportunities to play in Portugal, and another team in Austria. He’s played in tournaments overseas including playing with Red Lake members Ben Strong and Ronnie Battle in Israel.

Swish!

Mitchell dreams about playing in the NBA. He knows it’s possible, but will require a lot of hard work. So he keeps at it. He’s worked out with teams owned by the Suns and Bulls, and Timber Wolves and Bucks. “Going overseas is very exciting, but it gets a little lonely at times,” said Mitchell. “It’s a business, and I love to do it and I get paid to do what I love”, he said. “Now it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Mitchell’s love of basketball led him to go on to college and the opportunities that that might bring. He’d advise talented kids to do the same. “You need to get your grades up”, commented Mitchell admitting he’s not a great student but a decent one.

 2nd Place winners “Fighting Ajidamoos” (Squirrels)

“Many kids don’t try, but I want kids to know who might be reading this, that if you try you can make it”, he said. “Keep your grades up, work hard at basketball, and the coaches and the scouts will hear about you, believe me”, said Mitchell. “They’ll find you and see you. They know where you are.”

Mitchell concluded by saying “You work hard, do the little things right, stay focused, stay loyal to your teammates, and things will happen for you”.

Warrior Challenge Champions, "War Party"