NAIG 2014 Profiles: Billy Waterchief
- Jeanelle Mandes | July 24, 2014
BILLY WATERCHIEF
AGE: 14
HOME: SIKSIKA NATION, ALBERTA
TEAM ALBERTA
SPORT: LACROSS U16
Billy Waterchief, from Siksika Nation in Alberta, was happy, excited and speechless when he found out that he made for North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) to compete in the lacrosse sport.
He says he likes to prepare himself to train for the sport by pumping himself up.
"I practice a lot and before the game I like to listen to pump up music to get me going. Before going to NAIG, I joined regular season, in a town by my reserve called Strathmore. They really helped you a lot."
He says whenever he could, he'd practice but there are times that he gets bored of it then the next week he gets back into it
His inspiration doesn't come from a person but from a movie that he loves to watch.
"It's called Crooked Arrows, which is about a Native lacrosse team. They were really sucky at the beginning and then they ended up winning the whole thing."
It's Waterchief's first time in Regina and so far, he's liking his experience especially that he's able to get out of his province.
"Regina is fun and our coaches and everyone treats us well. They feed us good, too."
He's enjoying meeting new people and loving the activities held at the Kirby Littletent Memorial Cultural Camp.
His message to the youth who would like to attend NAIG in the future is to work hard because it's an amazing experience.
"Do it, it's going to be something that you're going to remember for the rest of your life. If you do it, do it for lacrosse because it's a fast growing sport and people are starting to get into it more."
He hopes after completing high school to become either an all-star lacrosse player, a lawyer or a social worker.
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