“Dream big, making the pros is a matter of putting your heart into it, wanting to get there and doing whatever it takes,” Cody Jamieson advised young lacrosse players.From Six Nations Ontario, the 24-year-old forward was selected first overall by the Rochester Knighthawks in the 2010 NLL draft.
Jamieson quickly lived up to expectations, earning rookie of the week honours six times, and for good reason, last season he led all rookies in points scored.
“I feel good about it. I put a lot of pressure on myself… I just like to win and I expect to win every time I play a game of lacrosse, that’s the kind of pressure I put on myself” Jamieson said.
He credits his drive and motivation to his upbringing in Six Nations and being around lacrosse at a very young age.
“Living down here in Six Nations, it’s every kid’s dream to play professional lacrosse, and you wait so long to get there,” he said. “When you’re finally there you want to keep working to keep yourself at that level and that’s what keeps me motivated.”
Rochester made the playoffs last year, before being eliminated by the Toronto Rock in the first round.
Jamieson said last year’s playoff exit was a disappointment, but it also served as a driving force.
“It always crosses my mind, any team I’m associated with I always expect to win the championship,” Jamieson said. “It’s a goal that I set and it’s a goal the team sets. No one is in the sports business to lose; every other team in the league is gearing up for a championship as well.”
Jamieson has experienced championships at other levels; in his junior career he helped the Six Nations Arrows Express to four consecutive Ontario Junior A. Lacrosse League Championships.
Perhaps the most noteworthy title he’s experienced came while playing for Syracuse University. Jamieson scored the overtime winner at the final game in Syracuse’s come from behind victory over Cornell at the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship in 2009.
“It was a lot of fun you know there were a lot of people in the stands…To comeback as a team it was really exciting to look around and see 40000 people in the stands, it’s something that you’ll never forget that’s for sure,” he said.
Lacrosse’s popularity is indisputable in Six Nations communities, in American universities however, basketball and football have been the big ticket for decades. Jamieson said if more people are exposed to the game it will quickly see a rise in popularity
“A lot of people just don’t know about it yet. Everybody grew up with basketball and football and watching them on ESPN. So I think lacrosse hasn’t got the same publicity,” he explained. “A lot of people who see a game for the first time fall in love with it… They say it’s the fastest growing sport in the world, so maybe one day it will get there, but it’s not there yet.”
Along with the thrill and pressures of big game situations there are the not so thrilling duties that come with being a rookie in the NLL.
“The team has this thing about rookies. We just got to pay our rookie dues, like handout the papers and handout water, just to make sure that you’re paying your dues like every other player who’s been a rookie has... But everybody goes through their one year of it, then after that you get to sit back and relax,” he said.
