The World Indoor Lacrosse Championships of 2015 for the Federation of International Lacrosse is the “Olympics” of Indoor Lacrosse. Considered the fastest growing sport in the world, Lacrosse is developing worldwide followers and fans. The indoor game is fresh, exciting and requires the utmost in physical performance by the athletes. 

So how did Honeysweet get involved in a worldwide sporting event? For the first time in modern history an indigenous people were granted the opportunity to serve as the sovereign host nation of an internationally sanctioned tournament. The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy won the bid for their capital, or “Central Fire,” Onondaga, to host the games in central NY just outside of Syracuse. 

Here was a wonderful, rich, and vital story to tell. Lacrosse is certainly the Americas first sport and it may in fact be one of the oldest games played on the earth. It is prominent in the Haudenosaunee creation story.  It was being played when the first Europeans arrived on this continent. Throughout its history the game has been one of healing, friendship and world peace. That is the story we wanted to tell and so the games were dedicated to those three central principals.

Thirteen countries and over 700 athletes and coaches presented their passports to be stamped at the Onondaga Nation and participated in 10 days of round robin play.  Honeysweet produced a massive opening ceremony celebrating the history of the game and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. The finals were played, in front of record crowds for any FIL Lacrosse match in either field or indoor Lacrosse, at the Syracuse University Carrier Dome. Canada took the Gold, The Iroquois Nationals the Silver and the USA team took the Bronze. 

Every day was a Native American festival with dancers and vendors. Honeysweet brought together Yale, Cornell, The Smithsonian, the National Council of American Indians, and the Tewaaraton Foundation, hosted by Syracuse University, in a day-long conference on indigenous issues (soon to be available on line and on DVD). 

We generated worldwide press. We were covered by national media across the US and Canada. We generated $1 million in sponsorships. We broadcast live on NBC Universal Sports and we streamed all games live across four separate web channels around the world. 

An event of this magnitude is generally planned for about 3 years. Honeysweet went to contract on January 1, 2015 with our opening Welcome Dinner (attended by Vice President Al Gore and the All American Jim Brown) just 9 months later on September 17. 

All of us at Honeysweet are extremely honored to have been a part of these truly historic games.