Gary Gait 1992817 223619996 2008-07-04T22:38:14Z Chengwes 4253395 /* See also */ sulax {{Infobox Lacrosse Player | image = Gary gait crop (head).jpg | position = Attack/Midfield | shoots = Left/Right | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 2 | weight_lb = 210 | league = Former [[Western Lacrosse Association|WLA]] | team = [[Victoria Shamrocks]] | former_nll_teams = [[Detroit Turbos]]<br/>[[Philadelphia Wings]]<br/>[[Baltimore Thunder]]<br/>[[Pittsburgh CrosseFire]]<br/>[[Washington Power]]<br/>[[Colorado Mammoth]] | former_mll_teams = [[Long Island Lizards]]<br/>[[Baltimore Bayhawks]] | nationality = Canada | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|04|5}} | birth_place = [[Victoria, British Columbia]], [[Canada|CA]] | career_start = [[1991 MILL season|1991]] | career_end = [[2005 MLL season|2005]] | uslaxhof = 278 | nllhof = 2006 }} '''Gary Charles Gait''' (b. [[April 5]], [[1967]] in [[Victoria, British Columbia]]) is a retired professional [[lacrosse]] player, and former head coach of the [[Colorado Mammoth]]. He is a member of the [[Lacrosse Museum and National Hall of Fame|United States Lacrosse National Hall of Fame]] and the [[National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame]], and is widely regarded as the best lacrosse player of all time, just above his twin brother [[Paul Gait|Paul]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7507507/|title=Lacrosse legend retires as 'Jordan of sport'|work=[[MSNBC]].com|date=[[April 17]], [[2005]]|accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lacrosseinsidethegame.wordpress.com/2007/02/26/173/|title=Interview with John Grant, Jr.|work=Lacrosse - Inside the Game|date=[[February 26]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uslacrosse.org/museum/hofbios/gait_gary.phtml|title=Gary Gait HOF Biography|work=[[US Lacrosse]]|accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00263/lacrosse_legends.htm|title=Lacrosse Legends|work=SportsLearner.com|accessdate=2007-03-28}}</ref> A fairytale finish to his playing career earned him every possible major lacrosse title; he scored four goals in the last quarter of [[Canada]]'s historic 15-10 victory over the [[United States]] in the final of the [[2006 World Lacrosse Championship]], his last ever game. In 2007, Gait returned to his [[alma mater]] [[Syracuse University]] to become the head coach of the Orange [[women's lacrosse]] team.<ref name="syr1">{{cite web|url=http://suathletics.com/News/Lacrosse/wLacrosse/2007/8/28/gaitpresser0828.asp?path=wlacrosse|title=Gait Introduced as Syracuse Women's Lacrosse Head Coach|work=Syracuse University website|accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref><ref name="syr2"> {{cite web|url=http://www.laxpower.com/laxnews/news.php?story=7584|title=Gait Named Syracuse Women's Lacrosse Coach|date=[[August 27]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2008-02-27}}</ref> ==College career== Gary Gait and his twin brother Paul Gait both attended [[Syracuse University]] and played in the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]], setting many records during their time there. Gait was a three-time first team [[All-America]]n and once Honorable Mention All-American at Syracuse. He graduated as the Orangemen’s all-time goal leader with 192. He led the team to three [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship#Division I|Division I Championships]]. He was NCAA Player of the Year in both [[1988]] and [[1990]] and was Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament in [[1990]]. Gait was also widely known for his acrobatic "Air Gait", where he would jump over the crease from behind the goal, scoring while in mid-air, and land on the opposite side of the crease. ==NLL career== Gait started playing in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League (later the [[National Lacrosse League]]) in [[1991 MILL season|1991]] and won the [[National Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year Award|Rookie of the Year Award]]. In April [[2005 NLL season|2005]] he announced his retirement; he played his last game on [[April 22]], [[2005]]. In the opening game of the 2006 NLL season on [[December 30]], 2005, at the [[Pepsi Center]] in [[Denver, Colorado]], the [[Colorado Mammoth]] raised Gait's jersey number (22) to the rafters as the first retired jersey in NLL history. In [[2006 NLL season|2006]], both Gait and his brother were among the 5 charter members to be voted into the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame. On [[September 1]], [[2007]], Gait came out of retirement to play in the NLL Outdoor showcase in Colorado. ===Coaching=== In June of [[2005]], Gait was named head coach of his former team, the [[Colorado Mammoth]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nll.com/article.php?id=893|title=Gary Gait Named Mammoth Head Coach|work=NLL.com|date=[[June 21]], [[2005]]|accessdate=2007-05-28}}</ref> After a 10-6 season in which the Mammoth finished second in the Western Division, Gait led them to an overtime 18-17 win over [[Calgary Roughnecks|Calgary]] and a 13-12 win over [[Arizona Sting|Arizona]] before shutting down the East Division champion [[Buffalo Bandits]] 16-9 in the Championship game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nll.com/article.php?id=424|title=Colorado Takes Home Champions Cup With 16-9 Win|work=NLL.com|date=[[May 13]], [[2006]]|accessdate=2007-05-28}}</ref> Gait became the first rookie head coach to win a championship since [[Tony Resch]] did it with the [[Philadelphia Wings]] in [[1994 MILL season|1994]], a team on which Gait played.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://nll.com/article.php?id=419|title=News & Notes: Championship Game|work=NLL.com|date=[[May 19]], [[2006]]|accessdate=2007-05-28}}</ref> Gait announced in August of [[2007]] that he was stepping down after two seasons as head coach of the Mammoth to pursue other interests.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nll.com/article.php?id=3056|title=Gait Steps Down as Mammoth Coach|work=NLL.com|date=[[August 22]], [[2007]]|accessdate=2007-08-22}}</ref> Syracuse University Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross has announced that former Orange All-American and lacrosse Hall of Famer Gary Gait has been named the second coach in the history of the women's lacrosse program.<ref name="syr1" /><ref name="syr2" /> ==MLL career== Gait has also played in [[Major League Lacrosse]] since its inception in [[2001]]. He was a member of the [[Long Island Lizards]]. After the [[2001 MLL season|first season]], Gait was traded to the [[Baltimore Bayhawks]] where he served as a [[player-coach]] for the next four years. In [[2005]], Gait won the [[Steinfeld Cup]] as a player-coach. He scored six goals in the Championship Game and was named MVP of that game as well as [[2005 MLL season|the season]]. ==WLA career== Gait, along with his brother, had great seasons with the [[Victoria Shamrocks]] of the [[Western Lacrosse Association]]. Gait won the [[Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy]] as most valuable player of the [[Mann Cup]] as a Shamrock in [[1997]], and shared the most valuable player award with Paul Gait in [[1999]].<ref name=bible>{{cite web|url=http://bible-of-lacrosse.com/newstats/manncup.txt|title=Historical Stats of the [[Mann Cup]]|work=Bible-of-Lacrosse.com|date=|accessdate=2007-08-15}}</ref> ==International lacrosse career== [[1990]] - Member of Team [[Canada]], finalists in the [[World Lacrosse Championship]]<br> [[1994]] - Member of Team Canada, 3rd place at the [[World Lacrosse Championship]]<br> [[1998]] - Member of Team Canada, finalists in the [[World Lacrosse Championship]]<br> [[2002]] - Member of Team Canada, finalists in the [[Heritage Cup]]<br> [[2004]] - Member of Team Canada, winners of the [[Heritage Cup]]<br> [[2006 World Lacrosse Championship|2006]] - Member of Team Canada, winners of the [[2006 World Lacrosse Championship|World Lacrosse Championship]] ==Records and awards== {{main|List of career achievements by Gary Gait}} Gait set many NLL scoring records during his career. He still holds the records for most goals in a single season (61 in [[2003 NLL season|2003]]). Gait was named [[National Lacrosse League MVP Award|NLL MVP]] six times, including five consecutive seasons. Other than Gary Gait, only [[John Tavares (lacrosse player)|John Tavares]] (3 times) has ever won the award more than once. He was also given the [[National Lacrosse League Sportsmanship Award|NLL Sportsmanship Award]] twice, in [[2004 NLL season|2004]] (tie with Peter Lough) and [[2005 NLL season|2005]]. NLL Weekly and Monthly Awards: * Player of the Week (1994-2001) 7 times * Overall Player of the Week (2002-) 6 times * Offensive Player of the Week (2002-) 3 times * Player of the Month 6 times Gait was named the [[Major League Lacrosse MVP Award|MLL MVP]] his final season in [[2005 MLL season|2005]], sharing it with [[Mark Millon]]. That season he also led the league in goals and points with 42 goals and 21 assists for 63 points. MLL Weekly Awards: * Offensive Player of the Week 2 times ==Personal life== Gary Gait lives in [[Cazenovia, New York]] with his wife, Nicole, and their children Taylor and Braeden. ==Awards== {{start box}} {{succession box | before = none | title = [[National Lacrosse League Rookie of the Year Award|MILL Rookie of the Year]] | years = [[1991]] | after = [[Derek Keenan]]}} {{succession box | before = none | title = [[Major Indoor Lacrosse League|MILL]] Championship game MVP | years = [[1991 MILL season|1991]] | after = [[John Tavares (lacrosse)|John Tavares]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Paul Gait]] | title = [[Major Indoor Lacrosse League|MILL]] Championship game MVP | years = [[1995 MILL season|1995]] | after = [[Pat O'Toole]]}} {{succession box | before = [[John Tavares (lacrosse)|John Tavares]] | title = [[National Lacrosse League MVP Award|MILL/NLL MVP]]| years = [[1995 MILL season|1995]], [[1996 MILL season|1996]], [[1997 MILL season|1997]], [[1998 NLL season|1998]], [[1999 NLL season|1999]] | after = [[John Tavares (lacrosse)|John Tavares]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Paul Gait]] | title = [[National Lacrosse League MVP Award|NLL MVP]]| years = [[2003 NLL season|2003]] | after = [[Jim Veltman]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Chris Driscoll]] | title = [[National Lacrosse League Sportsmanship Award|NLL Sportsmanship Award]]| years = [[2004 NLL season|2004]] (tie with [[Peter Lough]]), [[2005 NLL season|2005]] | after = [[Sean Greenhalgh]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Scott Urick]] | title = [[Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game|Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game MVP]]| years = [[2003]] | after = [[Michael Powell (lacrosse player)|Michael Powell]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Conor Gill]] | title = [[Major League Lacrosse MVP Award|Major League Lacrosse MVP]]| years = [[2005]] (tie with [[Mark Millon]]) | after = [[Ryan Powell]]}} {{succession box | before = Brian Voelker | title = Head Coach of the [[Baltimore Bayhawks]]| years = [[2002]], [[2003]], [[2004]], [[2005]] | after = [[Scott Hiller]]}} {{succession box | before = [[Greg Cattrano]] | title = [[Steinfeld Cup|Major League Lacrosse <br/> Championship Game MVP]]| years = [[2005]] | after = [[Roy Colsey]]}} {{end box}} ==References== {{reflist}} ==See also== *[[Career achievements of Gary Gait]] * [[Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse]] <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> {{Persondata |NAME= Gait, Gary |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Retired lacrosse player |DATE OF BIRTH= [[April 5]], [[1967]] |PLACE OF BIRTH= [[Victoria, British Columbia]] |DATE OF DEATH= |PLACE OF DEATH= }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Gait, Gary}} [[Category:1967 births]] [[Category:National Lacrosse League All-Stars]] [[Category:British Columbia sportspeople]] [[Category:Canadian lacrosse players]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Major League Lacrosse players]] [[Category:National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame]] [[Category:Philadelphia Wings players]] [[Category:Colorado Mammoth players]] [[Category:Player-coaches]] [[Category:National Lacrosse League coaches]] [[Category:People from Victoria, British Columbia]] [[Category:National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductees]] [[Category:NCAA lacrosse players]] [[Category:National Lacrosse League major award winners]] [[Category:National Lacrosse League monthly award winners]] [[Category:National Lacrosse League weekly award winners]] [[Category:Major League Lacrosse major award winners]] [[Category:Major League Lacrosse weekly award winners]]