By Dan Ninham
Cooper Anderson (Choctaw/LCO Ojibwe) graduated from Edina High School and is headed to Providence College in Rhode Island to play NCAA D1 lacrosse. Before he heads to college he is going to be on the world stage with the Haudenosaunee Nationals competing in South Korea in the 2025 World Lacrosse Men’s U20 Championship on August 15-24.
Anderson left his mark on the Edina Hornets lacrosse team by winning a state championship this past season. He also garnered many of the top awards being named the All Minnesota Player of the Year and a finalist for Mr. Lacrosse Minnesota. Other high school accolades include being the all-time point’s leader for Edina HS lacrosse and was named a three-time All State team member. He was also named a US Lacrosse two-time All American.
A connection to being indigenous was evident in Anderson’s psyche since he first began playing lacrosse. He said, “The Indigenous men and women I know and I are related to work hard. I know in order to survive in their world my ancestors had to work hard.”
Working hard is only part of the process toward being elite. Having a purposeful work ethic is also important.
Strong willed athletes work through potential adversity to make themselves and their teams better. Anderson recounted a story of this happening. “In the semi-final game, against our rival Lakeville North, I went to deliver a hard check to one of their defensive players and I got the worst of it,” said Anderson. “His big knee crashed into the side of my calf and my calf and foot went numb and I could not put any weight on it.”
“We still won but I was worried I was not going to be able to play. The semi-final game finished at around 7pm. I had two days to heal before the championship game. The medical trainers said I had very bad bone bruise and I could play if I could handle the pain. I spent the next 48 hours doing all the things I could do to play, icing, stretching, heating, and more icing,” added Anderson.
“The Final was against another rival the undefeated Stillwater Ponies,” said Anderson. “That morning I decided I was going to play no matter what. I was in the zone. It still hurt and I could not run but I was out there. Coaches changed my position. I ended with a game high three goals including the game sealing goal with 30 seconds left on a pass from my teammate Drew Stocco. It was like a movie.”
“I learned a lot about myself and what I can do and the importance of staying positive and not being negative,” added Anderson.
To be at their peak performance, athletes have to play against the best. Anderson knows what he has to do and he’s been doing it already. “I have to get stronger,” he said. “I will be playing against grown men next year. I will be lifting weights and working on my speed. I will also be shooting … a lot. I also have to get my leg healed up as it still hurts.”
“The Haudenosaunee Nationals were never on my radar until this year,” said Anderson. “I always thought the Haudenosaunee team was just for Haudenosaunee people. Bobby Benson, the Head Coach at Providence, encouraged me to try out for the U20 team that would be competing in South Korea at the World Championships. That is when I learned that any Indigenous person is allowed to try out. There were three weekend tryouts last summer in the Buffalo/Rochester area of New York.”
“I feel like I played well and I made the team. I was a little nervous though. I was not able to make the final tryout this spring because of graduation and our State Playoffs. I am happy to be on the team and I look forward to competing against the best young players in the world and also playing with some really talented players from the East coast,” added Anderson.
“Cooper was a standout in the tryout process for our Haudenosaunee Nationals,” said Marty Ward, head coach of the Haudenosaunee Nationals U20 team that is going to South Korea next month. “His speed and athleticism in between the lines really made him pop on the field, we look forward to seeing him continue to make strides in South Korea this August.”
