ACSA Announces LAX 365 Training Center

The Akwesasne Convenience Store Association (ACSA) and Investing in the Potential Charitable Foundation is proud to announce the commencing of the LAX 365 Training Center. This project will focus the community's love of lacrosse. The LAX 365 Training Center will be housed in the former Mohawk Bingo Palace and will be open year-round for training, winter league and tournaments.

Paul Tatlock, ACSA and Investing in the Potential, discusses the early development of this project, "There was a group of people that organized and wanted to start a winter league, but there was never any space to do it... One of the members said the Mohawk Bingo Palace would be a good place and that's when we started researching it. All of this has been in the works for about a year now."

Chief Beverly Cook, Chief Eric Thompson and Chief Ron LaFrance met with the ACSA and they agreed that the project was community minded and socially responsible. This agreement helped ACSA secure the former Mohawk Bingo Palace site for development. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe is donating the building and the ACSA will fund the renovations for the project. Jay Tarbell, architect, went on a site visit to the former Mohawk Bingo Palace and took measurements surveying the viability of the building for the future lacrosse center. With the data collected he designed architectural plans for the LAX 365 Training Center.

The LAX 365 Training Center will take a couple years to complete. The first phase of the project is to form a steering committee. The steering committee will be made up of the initial interest group, coaches, managers and other knowledgeable individuals who have been a part of the Akwesasne lacrosse industry for many years. These essential individuals, along with community input, will decide the features of the future center.

"The ACSA wants this to be a community project. We want the community involved... We want everybody to feel like it's theirs," said Tatlock.

The training center will assist with yearlong skills development while promoting performance confidence, health and wellness. Kids will learn that lacrosse is more than just a game. They will also build discipline, teamwork, respect and friendships through participation and training at the center.

Paul Tatlock made reference to the LAX 365 Training Center and education by saying, "This is an investment in education, for girls and boys...What we want to do is eventually get to where big schools, colleges and universities come to Akwesasne to scout these kids and give them scholarships for whatever they are interested in."

As for those kids who do not have an interest in lacrosse Tatlock says, "We want those kids to have every opportunity, the writers, the musicians, actors, everything. We want them to all have the same opportunity. The only thing is that lacrosse has a lacrosse association with a huge number of people involved. There are no other organizations representing, so how do we invest in that, when there is no group of people that is organized and ready to do something." ACSA and Investing in the Potential is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Akwesasro:non and they are always looking for new opportunities. They encourage other organizations to apply for similar project funding. The LAX 365 Training Center is just one of the many projects currently in the works. The ACSA and Investing in the Potential Charitable Foundation also allocates funding to new parents in the amount of $250.00. The Foundation believes that babies are our future and that they possess the utmost potential. New parents can use this money for essential items needed for baby safety, health and development. The Foundation also actively supports and sponsors community organizations, including many local sports organizations and offers scholarships to students pursuing a post-secondary education.

The ACSA and Investing in the Potential invites the community to come and view the architectural plans at the Mohawk Indian Housing Building on McGee Road. They also requesting that people share their ideas and input so that the LAX 365 Training Center becomes a community project for the benefit of all Akwesasro:non.

For more information regarding the LAX 365 Training Center people can contact Paul Tatlock at: [email protected]