Meesheshe Tumbakakaka is Michelle Tumolo’s warrior name. Each member of the women’s lacrosse team has one.

Syracuse head coach Gary Gait led an exercise where each girl was given an arrow. On one end, they had to write what strength they bring to the team and on the other end, a warrior name that represented them. Before every game, home or away, the arrows are banded together as one and sit on the bench.

Gait learned this tradition of unifying the team when he played professional lacrosse for the Rochester Knighthawks.

“Curt Styres introduced me to the Native American tale that a band of warriors are stronger together than they are individually.” Gait said.

Styres, the Knighthawks’ owner from First Nation in Canada, introduced the tradition to the team to teach players about the spirituality of the game. Gait is attempting to do the same for his players. They’ve gone through a series of exercises to help them relate to the spirituality of lacrosse. Gait and his players are hoping their new philosophy helps send the Orange to the national championship game for the second year in a row.

Following Styres’ tradition, the players will bring their arrows to No. 1 SU’s first home game against Maryland on Feb. 17.

“We all have our arrows but we are all individuals,” Tumolo said. “But when we all come to the game, we tie them together because we are warriors, but as one.”

Native Americans began the tradition of believing in the team as one. The game of lacrosse was played at funerals and for religious purposes. Native Americans also carved and netted their own sticks.

Assistant coach Regy Thorpe said for the past three seasons, a Native American named Ben Miller has strung the girls’ sticks.

“I’m not sure exactly what he does or put on it but he blesses our sticks,” Thorpe said. “It has an effect on the game. We are a very spiritual team and we just feel having a good mind and a good stick helps us in the games.”

Thorpe firmly believes these blessings helped the Orange last season finish 19-4, its best record in program history, and reach the NCAA championship, where they lost 8-6 to Northwestern.

One of the latest exercises the women’s team has participated in this offseason in an effort to get over the hump was a drum exercise.

“When we first walked in the room, we see all these drums and we didn’t know what was going on,” senior Trenna Hill said.

Hill described the drums being placed in the shape of a circle. The instructor stood in the middle and gave little verbal instruction. As each player took a seat at a drum, the instructor used a series of hand pats and claps to gesture to the players which drumbeat to play. She raised her hand to indicate one side of the room to stop and then motioned with both hands for everyone to join in.

Hill said the majority of the activity was non-verbal, but it was an interesting learning and bonding experience for the Orange.

“We all drummed together, it was a weird but a cool feeling,” Hill said. “Everyone was on the same beat and we all just connected, it was awesome.”

Published on February 7, 2013 at 12:31 am

Contact Melissa: qsbronso@syr.edu