Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 11/21/16
From Press Release
Save the date for the Gait Heritage Girls Winter Classic – a 5v5 girls’ lacrosse clinic and tournament that will take place Monday, January 16th at Maplezone Sports Institute in Aston, PA.
The Winter Classic is expected to attract top youth, middle school and high school clubs and teams from New York and the Mid-Atlantic Region. The event, presented by Heritage Lacrosse, will feature player clinic sessions conducted by Gary Gait, Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach at Syracuse University (and others), followed by a competitive 5v5 tournament played in a championship format. Registration will open Sunday, November 27th. Space in this exclusive event is limited and is expected to fill up fast.
Format/Highlights:
• 5v5 half-court play (4 field players and a goalie); 6 field players/team minimum; 9 field players/team maximum.
• 3-station field player clinic (and goalie clinic) will precede tournament play.
• Team coaches are welcome to attend demonstration of Canadian skills and box lacrosse concepts that translate well to 5v5 format and the field game.
• Multiple 12 minutes games; full checking for middle and high school brackets.
Brackets Organized by Grade/Graduation Year (registrations will be accepted and brackets formed based on interest on a “first come first served” basis until brackets and/or the event is full):
• 6th Grade (2023)
• 7th Grade (2022)
• 8th Grade (2021)
• 9th Grade (2020)
• High School A (2019/2018/2017)
• High School AA Varsity/Elite (2019/2018/2017)
• Township programs, clubs, high schools, coaches and parent promoters are encouraged to sign-up as soon as possible.
About Gary Gait
Gait is a 10-time NCAA champion, having won 3 titles as a player for the Orange (1988-90) and 7 as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Maryland (1995-01). At Maryland, he helped build one of the most impressive college sports dynasties in NCAA history. The team compiled a remarkable 164-16 overall record in his 9 years on staff, including 4 undefeated seasons and 7 consecutive NCAA championships (1995-01). Since taking the helm at Syracuse, he has compiled an overall record of 150-48, while coaching his teams to berths in 2 national championship games and 7 national semifinals. Gait’s success as a coach might only be surpassed by his accomplishments as a player. He has won every major collegiate, professional and international championship in the sport during his career, including his 3 NCAA championships with the Orange, 3 NLL titles (1991, 1994-95), 3 MLL titles (2001-02, 2005), and the International Lacrosse Federation (ILF) World Championship (2006). Gait and his twin brother, Paul, began their playing careers at Syracuse in 1987. There the duo revolutionized lacrosse, bringing a sense of style and excitement to the game that had never been seen before. At no time was that more evident than in the 1988 national semifinal against Penn at the Carrier Dome when Gary unveiled the “Air Gait,” scoring twice by dunking over the top of the goal from behind. Individually, he earned All-America honors four times, won the Lt. Raymond Enners Award (National Player of the Year) twice (1988, 1990) and was awareded the Lt. Donald C. MacLaughlin Jr. Award (Midfielder of the Year) in 1988 and 1990.