Who is Taylor Gait and how did she overcome multiple knee injuries to play lacrosse at Syracuse University. How did her perseverance lead to a successful coaching career. What impact has Taylor Gait made on the sport of lacrosse.
The Rise of Taylor Gait in Collegiate Lacrosse
Taylor Gait’s journey in the world of lacrosse is a testament to perseverance and dedication. Despite facing numerous setbacks, she emerged as a formidable player for Syracuse University from 2015 to 2018. Her collegiate career was marked by impressive statistics and accolades, showcasing her skill and determination on the field.
During her time at Syracuse, Gait made 61 starts in 82 appearances as a midfielder. Her contributions to the team were significant, accumulating 99 points with 72 goals and 27 assists. Additionally, she recorded 51 ground balls, 26 caused turnovers, and 14 draw controls, demonstrating her versatility and impact across various aspects of the game.
Senior Year Success
Gait’s senior year in 2018 proved to be her most impressive season. She achieved a career-high 31 points, consisting of 18 goals and a personal-best 13 assists. This outstanding performance earned her All-Northeast Region honors from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA), solidifying her status as a top player in collegiate lacrosse.
Freshman Year Breakthrough
After sitting out her first two years due to injury, Gait’s redshirt freshman year in 2015 marked a turning point in her career. She ranked fifth on the team with a career-best 27 goals, playing a crucial role in Syracuse’s first ACC tournament championship and their journey to the national semifinals.
Her exceptional performance during the NCAA tournament earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team. In a closely contested semifinal match against Maryland, Gait contributed two goals, three ground balls, and one caused turnover, showcasing her ability to perform under pressure on the biggest stage.
Overcoming Adversity: Taylor Gait’s Battle with Injuries
Taylor Gait’s path to success was fraught with challenges, particularly in the form of multiple knee injuries. Her resilience in the face of these setbacks is a defining aspect of her story and a testament to her character.
In late April 2011, Gait suffered her first major setback when she tore her left ACL and meniscus. This injury would be the first of seven combined knee injuries that would plague her career. The most significant of these occurred during Syracuse’s alumni game in late January 2014, when she tore her right ACL and meniscus for the first time.
The Emotional Toll
The impact of these injuries extended beyond the physical realm. Gait’s emotional struggle was evident as she grappled with the setbacks to her promising career. Her parents, particularly her father, Gary Gait, a legendary figure in lacrosse, felt the weight of her disappointment acutely.
Despite the challenges, Gait’s determination never wavered. Even when her mother suggested it might be okay to stop playing, Gait persisted. This persistence paid off, as she managed to play in every game of her junior season, scoring an impressive 16 goals.
The Risk of Continued Play
The toll on Gait’s body was significant. Five of the six procedures required to repair her knees were on her left one. Medical professionals warned that another left knee injury could potentially end her career, as another surgery would be too invasive.
However, thanks to a redshirt freshman year and a pending NCAA waiver for a sixth year of eligibility, Gait had the opportunity to potentially play for another three years. This extended playing time allowed her to fulfill a promise she had made to play for her father, Syracuse head coach Gary Gait.
The Gait Legacy: Following in Her Father’s Footsteps
Taylor Gait’s journey in lacrosse is intrinsically linked to her father, Gary Gait, a figure of legendary status in the sport. Gary Gait’s influence on the game is profound, having been inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005 for his exceptional contributions to men’s lacrosse.
Playing under her father’s coaching at Syracuse University, Taylor had the unique opportunity to contribute to the family’s lacrosse legacy. This father-daughter dynamic added an extra layer of significance to her perseverance through injuries and her determination to succeed on the field.
The Promise to Play
One of the driving forces behind Taylor’s relentless comeback attempts was a promise she had made to play for her father. This commitment served as a beacon of hope during her recovery periods, providing her with the motivation to overcome each setback.
Nicole Gait, Taylor’s mother, described this promise as “a light at the tunnel” for her daughter. It became a goal that Taylor was determined to achieve, regardless of the obstacles in her path.
Gary Gait’s Influence
Gary Gait’s influence on Taylor’s career extended beyond his role as her college coach. His achievements in the sport set a high standard, inspiring Taylor to strive for excellence in her own right. The opportunity to play under his guidance at Syracuse was a unique chance for Taylor to learn from one of the game’s greatest players and contribute to the program he led.
Taylor Gait’s Transition to Coaching
Following her impressive playing career at Syracuse University, Taylor Gait seamlessly transitioned into the world of coaching. In August 2019, she joined the Aztec lacrosse staff as an assistant coach, bringing with her a wealth of playing experience and a deep understanding of the game.
Gait’s move into coaching allowed her to share her knowledge and passion for lacrosse with a new generation of players. Her personal experiences overcoming adversity and her success at the collegiate level positioned her as an invaluable mentor for young athletes.
Coaching Philosophy
Drawing from her own journey, Gait’s coaching philosophy likely emphasizes perseverance, technical skill development, and a deep appreciation for the game. Her firsthand experience with the challenges of recovering from injuries and the mental fortitude required to succeed in high-level competition provides her with unique insights to share with her players.
Club Level Coaching Experience
Prior to joining the Aztec lacrosse staff, Gait gained valuable coaching experience at the club level. She was involved with several organizations, including the RC Lacrosse Club, Scripps Lacrosse Club, and Mad Dog Lacrosse San Diego. This grassroots coaching experience allowed her to work with players of various skill levels and ages, further developing her coaching abilities.
Additionally, Gait worked as a coach and director at her father’s lacrosse camp in Syracuse before relocating to San Diego. This experience not only allowed her to give back to the lacrosse community in her hometown but also provided an opportunity to learn from her father’s coaching methods and philosophy.
International Success: Taylor Gait’s Contributions to Team Canada
Taylor Gait’s lacrosse career extends beyond the collegiate level, as she has been a valuable member of the Canadian National Team since 2016. Her international playing experience has added another dimension to her lacrosse career and further solidified her status as a top player in the sport.
Representing Canada on the global stage, Gait has achieved significant success. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing multiple medals for her national team in prestigious international competitions.
World Cup Silver Medal
One of the highlights of Gait’s international career came in 2017 when she helped the Canadian National Team secure a silver medal at the World Cup in Guildford, England. This achievement underscores her ability to perform at the highest level of competition, facing off against the best players from around the world.
World Games Success
In the same year as her World Cup success, Gait and her Canadian teammates also claimed a silver medal at the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland. This accomplishment further demonstrates her consistency and skill in international play, as well as her ability to excel in different tournament formats.
Gait’s success with the Canadian National Team not only enhances her personal accolades but also contributes to the growth and recognition of lacrosse on a global scale. Her experiences competing internationally undoubtedly inform her approach to coaching and provide valuable insights for the players she mentors.
Academic Excellence: Taylor Gait’s Commitment to Education
While Taylor Gait’s athletic achievements are impressive, her commitment to academic excellence is equally noteworthy. Throughout her time at Syracuse University, she demonstrated a remarkable ability to balance the demands of high-level athletics with rigorous academic pursuits.
Gait’s academic performance was consistently strong, earning her a place on the athletic director’s honor roll for nine semesters. This achievement highlights her dedication to excelling both on the field and in the classroom, setting an example for student-athletes everywhere.
ACC All-Academic Honors
In addition to her athletic director’s honor roll appearances, Gait was recognized for her academic prowess within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). She earned ACC all-academic honors on three separate occasions, further cementing her status as a true student-athlete.
Educational Background
Gait’s educational journey at Syracuse University was comprehensive and focused on business and entrepreneurship. She completed her bachelor’s degree in the business and entrepreneurial program in 2016, laying a strong foundation for her future endeavors.
Not content with just an undergraduate degree, Gait pursued further education, earning a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from Syracuse University in 2018. This advanced degree demonstrates her commitment to continuous learning and personal growth, qualities that undoubtedly serve her well in her coaching career.
The combination of her athletic experience and strong educational background in business and entrepreneurship positions Gait uniquely in the world of lacrosse. These skills can be valuable assets in coaching, program management, and potentially in future leadership roles within the sport.
The Future of Lacrosse: Taylor Gait’s Ongoing Impact
As Taylor Gait continues her journey in the world of lacrosse, her influence on the sport extends far beyond her playing days. Her transition into coaching and her ongoing involvement in various aspects of the game position her as a key figure in shaping the future of lacrosse.
Gait’s unique perspective, combining high-level playing experience with a deep understanding of the challenges athletes face, makes her an invaluable mentor for young players. Her story of perseverance through multiple injuries serves as an inspiration to athletes facing their own obstacles.
Developing the Next Generation
In her role as an assistant coach, Gait has the opportunity to directly impact the development of young lacrosse players. Her experience at both the collegiate and international levels provides her with insights that can help players elevate their game and prepare for high-level competition.
Moreover, Gait’s involvement in club-level coaching and lacrosse camps allows her to influence the grassroots development of the sport. By working with players of various ages and skill levels, she contributes to the overall growth and popularity of lacrosse.
Potential for Leadership Roles
Given her background in business and entrepreneurship, combined with her lacrosse expertise, Gait is well-positioned for potential leadership roles within the sport. Whether in coaching, program development, or sports management, her diverse skill set could lead to significant contributions to the organizational and strategic aspects of lacrosse.
As the sport of lacrosse continues to grow and evolve, figures like Taylor Gait play a crucial role in its development. Her journey from overcoming significant injuries to becoming a successful player and coach serves as a powerful narrative that can inspire and guide the next generation of lacrosse players and enthusiasts.
Through her ongoing involvement in coaching and player development, Taylor Gait continues to shape the future of lacrosse, carrying forward the legacy of her family name while making her own unique mark on the sport she loves.
Taylor Gait – Assistant Coach – Staff Directory
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After a standout four-year playing career at Syracuse University from 2015-18, Taylor Gait joined the Aztec lacrosse staff as an assistant coach in August 2019.
A three-year captain as a collegian, Gait made 61 starts in 82 appearances at midfield, playing for her father, Gary Gait, who was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. During that span, she netted 99 points on 72 goals and 27 assists to go with 51 ground balls, 26 caused turnovers and 14 draw controls.
As a senior in 2018, Gait tallied a career-high 31 points on 18 goals and a personal-best 13 assists to earn All-Northeast Region honors from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA).
After sitting out her first two years at Syracuse due to injury, Gait enjoyed one of her finest campaigns as a redshirt freshman in 2015, ranking fifth on the team with a career-best 27 goals to help the Orange capture their first ACC tournament championship and reach the national semifinals. The Fayetteville, N.Y., native capped her stellar rookie campaign by earning a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament team after notching two goals, three ground balls and one caused turnover in a narrow 10-8 loss to Maryland in the semifinals.
Along with her success on the field, Gait also excelled in the classroom, landing on the athletic director’s honor roll in nine semesters while earning ACC all-academic honors on three occasions.
In addition to her time at Syracuse, Gait brings a wealth of international playing experience as a member of the Canadian National Team since 2016, winning silver medals with her squad at the 2017 World Cup in Guildford, England, as well as the World Games in Wroclaw, Poland, that same year.
Gait received her bachelor’s degree in the business and entrepreneurial program at Syracuse in 2016, before earning a master’s in entrepreneurship from the university in 2018.
Following her postgraduate studies, Gait moved to San Diego and became involved as a coach at the club level with the RC Lacrosse Club, Scripps Lacrosse Cub and Mad Dog Lacrosse San Diego. She also worked as a coach and director at her father’s lacrosse camp in Syracuse prior to her relocation.
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Syracuse’s Taylor Gait persists through multiple knee injuries, keeps promise to play for father, Gary Gait
Taylor Gait knew it.
Her mother knew it. And her father knew it.
It made him sick, and Nicole Gait said it was written on her husband’s face.
Sitting on the Manley Field House turf, Taylor pleaded, “Why me?” while tears streamed down her face. On that play during Syracuse’s alumni game in late January 2014, the then-sophomore had torn her right ACL and meniscus for the first time.
“This was my time, I was going to be so good,” Taylor confided to her mother in the training room, “I was ready. My (left) knee was so good.”
Since the first time Taylor tore her left ACL and meniscus in late April 2011, she had not played a full regular-season lacrosse game until this season because of her seven combined knee injuries. Despite her mother telling her it was OK to stop playing, the junior midfielder has played in every game this season and scored 16 goals.
Five of the six procedures required to repair Taylor’s knees have been on her left one. Another left knee injury could end her career.
Doctors told her another surgery would be too invasive, yet she could possibly play another three years thanks to a redshirt freshman year and a pending NCAA waiver for a sixth year of eligibility.
And by persistently returning to the field, she has been able to fulfill a promise she made to play for her father, SU head coach Gary Gait, who etched his name in SU history as one of the greatest men’s lacrosse players ever.
“I think to her it was a light at the tunnel, like, ‘I’m going to do this. I’m going to play for my dad,’” Nicole Gait said. “‘My dad came here because I was going to play for him, so I’m going to make it work. What do I need to do?’”
In the summer of 2007, Taylor and Gary talked at the kitchen table while the family still lived in Denver. Her father wanted to coach the SU women’s team, and he wanted Taylor to play for him there. She played for Real Colorado, a soccer club with nearly 5,000 players and was reluctant to move to Syracuse, but lacrosse coursed through her family’s veins.
It was then that the two made a promise to team up at SU, and that promise has driven her ever since.
The first time she tore her left meniscus and ACL, nobody touched her as she sat crying on the lacrosse field at Christian Brothers (New York) Academy as a high school junior.
Twenty minutes passed, she said. Gary was on a bus at Syracuse, leaving for an away game, and her mother was teaching dance at their house.
A teammate’s father shooed away first responders, Taylor said. When she had to be on bed rest for two weeks after the surgery, Taylor wanted to move around, even to just have her friends drive her around the block, but couldn’t move.
“I had never been hurt before,” Taylor said. “… When it happened, I was like, ‘I don’t even know how to be injured. I don’t know. Why can’t I play?’”
After surgery and rehab, her father noticed she couldn’t fully extend her leg, and she experienced nerve pinching in her left leg. Both effects have yet to subside, she said.
Taylor rehabbed until late March 2012, when she returned for her high school senior season. In her first weekend back, she pulled herself off the field because something was wrong with her knee.
She eventually visited three doctors. Each told her they couldn’t figure out what exactly was wrong, but she had likely torn her meniscus again.
Leslie Matthews, an orthopedic surgeon for the Baltimore Ravens, repaired Taylor’s meniscus in March 2012. She woke up from the anesthesia freezing cold — a unique reaction to the surgical drug — and soon cried. Matthews found her left ACL was partially torn and she’d have to come back in two weeks for another surgery.
She decided to redshirt her freshman year at Syracuse. Then warming up for a home game she couldn’t even play in, her left knee gave out on a simple cut. This time she tore just her left meniscus. Her left knee developed scar tissue, so Matthews cleaned it out twice in the summer of 2013.
Taylor rehabbed again, and things were going well until the alumni game.
Within a week of tearing her ACL, she found herself under Matthews’ knife again.
“We were leaving the next day to play our first game and she tore her good knee,” Gary said. “That was kind of heartbreaking.”
Through each injury, Nicole reminded her daughter that lacrosse did not have to define her.
But she still returned to sports, attending every CBA soccer practice even though she couldn’t play her senior year. At SU, she scheduled physical therapy around practice so that she could throw a lacrosse ball around and fine-tune her stick work, so she was still improving although she couldn’t play.
After she tore her left ACL and meniscus a second time, Taylor and her mother talked about whether she needed to come back to lacrosse again. Taylor questioned whether she wanted to come back, but didn’t waver.
“I said to her once, ‘You are so much more than lacrosse… Who cares?’” Nicole said.
“‘Mom, I’m going to play again,’” Nicole said her daughter told her.
“‘Stop saying that. I will play.’”
And Taylor has.
While she’s regained the ability to run, it has taken baby steps to get back into lacrosse.
She played on the second midfield line in SU’s first game against Denver on Feb. 6, tallying a goal and an assist. Then she cracked the starting lineup against Florida on March 10, scoring a goal.
On April 7, she finally emerged. She scored a hat trick in a four-minute span to bring SU back in an eventual loss against Notre Dame.
After the game, her mother sat in the bleachers. Nicole occasionally surveyed the then-empty Carrier Dome turf. Her eyes began to well up.
“Six surgeries, four years not playing and then you see what she’s doing,” Nicole said. “… It’s amazing to me.”
Taylor sometimes runs four miles after practice, even though she says she shouldn’t.
But to this point, the injuries haven’t stopped her. Not from running. Not from playing lacrosse. And not from carrying out her promise to her father.
