A soccer Life | Lawrence Greyeyes
At 35, Lawrence Greyeyes decided to retire from his Muskeg Lake Cree Nation men's team. Then he heard Saskatoon was starting a 35-and-over league. He found a team of University of Saskatchewan faculty and staff who needed players, brought along his brothers Spencer and Kevin, and offered to pay half the cost of real jerseys if his company could sponsor them. That's how the Law-Sel Construction Pitch Rippers were born, more than 30 years ago. Lawrence remembers teammates from 16 different nationalities, a Brazilian named Jose with "a bullet of a shot", and plenty of International Beer Nights along the way.
Lawrence also shares how he understands soccer's roots in First Nations communities: a game that cost nothing to play and was passed down through residential schools and the military. He talks about Muskeg Lake's long tradition of military service and "Big Dave" Greyeyes, who came home from the Second World War and coached the next generation. He remembers taking the Muskeg Lake Little Eagles to a tournament in Minneapolis after the kids fundraised by picking bottles, coaching at the North American Indigenous Games, and his grandfather George, a fullback who was famous for his speed.
After 50 years in the game, Lawrence sums it up simply: "my life has been soccer."
Have a soccer story of your own? Share it with us, donate photos or memorabilia, and visit the showcases at Kinsmen / Henk Ruys and the Saskatoon Soccer Centre.