Gary Gait facts for kids
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Gait in 2006
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| Current position | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Title | Head Coach | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | Syracuse Orange | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Conference | Atlantic Coast Conference | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biographical details | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 5, 1967 Victoria, British Columbia  Canada |
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| Alma mater | Syracuse University | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1990 | Syracuse Orange (NCAA) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Detroit Turbos (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | Philadelphia Wings (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Baltimore Thunder (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Pittsburgh CrosseFire (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Long Island Lizards (MLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Washington Power (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Baltimore Bayhawks (MLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Colorado Mammoth (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009 | Hamilton Nationals (MLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Rochester Knighthawks (NLL) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–2006 | Canada | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Attack/Midfield | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–2001 | Maryland (Assistant, women's) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Colorado Mammoth | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2021 | Syracuse (women's) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Hamilton Nationals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021-present | Syracuse (men's) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame Inducted in 2005 |
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| Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| NLL Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Gary Charles Gait (born April 5, 1967) is a famous Canadian lacrosse player and coach. He is considered one of the greatest lacrosse players ever. Gary is a member of the Hall of Fame for his amazing career.
He played college lacrosse at Syracuse University and then played professionally. He also played for the Canadian national team. Today, he is the head coach for the men's lacrosse team at Syracuse.
Gary Gait is known for his incredible skills. He and his twin brother, Paul, made famous new moves. These included behind-the-back passes and shots. His most famous move was the "Air Gait."
Contents
College Lacrosse Career
Gary Gait and his twin brother, Paul, played lacrosse for the Syracuse Orange from 1987 to 1990. They set many records during their time there. Gary became Syracuse University's all-time leading goal scorer with 192 goals.
He helped the Orange win three NCAA Division I Championships. He was named the NCAA Player of the Year twice, in 1988 and 1990.
The Gait brothers were famous for their creative plays. One was the "Air Gait." This was an amazing move where they would jump from behind the goal. They would score by dunking the ball over the crossbar while in the air. This exciting move was later banned in college play.
Syracuse University Statistics
| Season | GP | G | A | Pts | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 13 | 25 | 4 | 29 | 2.23 | |
| 1988 | 15 | 70(a) | 17 | 87 | 5.80 | |
| 1989 | 15 | 51 | 14 | 65 | 4.33 | |
| 1990 | 13 | 46 | 26 | 72 | 5.54 | |
| Totals | 56 | 192(b) | 61 | 253 | 4.44 |
- (a) 5th in NCAA single-season goals
- (b) 12th in NCAA career goals
National Lacrosse League (NLL) Career
Gary Gait played in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) for 17 years. The NLL is a professional indoor lacrosse league. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1991.
He was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) five years in a row, from 1995 to 1999. Gait led the league in points and goals seven times. He also won three NLL championships. He finished his indoor career with 1,091 points, which was a league record at the time.
Gary played for several NLL teams. He started with the Detroit Turbos (1991–1992). Then he moved to the Philadelphia Wings (1993–1997). He won two championships with the Wings.
He later played for the Baltimore Thunder (1998–1999) and the Pittsburgh CrosseFire (2000). He reunited with his brother Paul on the Washington Power (2001–2002).
From 2003 to 2005, Gait played for the Colorado Mammoth. In 2005, the Mammoth honored him by retiring his jersey number (22). This means no other player on that team can wear that number. He retired from playing in the NLL after the 2005 season. He was then inducted into the NLL Hall of Fame.
He briefly returned to play for the Rochester Knighthawks from 2009 to 2011. Gary Gait has the second-most career goals in NLL history with 635. He is tied with his brother for the most goals in a single game, with 10.
Major League Lacrosse (MLL) Career
Gait also played five seasons in Major League Lacrosse (MLL), an outdoor lacrosse league. He played from 2001 to 2005. He won the league title three times. In 2005, he was named co-MVP of the league. He scored six goals in the championship game that year and was named the MVP of that game.
He first played for the Long Island Lizards. Then he was traded to the Baltimore Bayhawks, where he was a player-coach. He briefly returned to the MLL in 2009 to play for the Hamilton Nationals.
Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) Career
Gary and his brother Paul also played for the Victoria Shamrocks in the Western Lacrosse Association (WLA). Gary won the Mike Kelly Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player of the Mann Cup in 1997. He shared the MVP award with his brother in 1999.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Gary Gait became a successful coach. In 2005, he became the head coach of his former NLL team, the Colorado Mammoth. In his first year as coach, he led the Mammoth to win the NLL Championship in 2006. He was the first rookie head coach to win a championship since 1994.
In 2007, Gait returned to Syracuse University. He became the head coach of the women's lacrosse team. Before this, he was an assistant coach for the University of Maryland women's team for nine seasons.
In 2011, he also became an assistant coach for the Hamilton Nationals in the MLL. On June 6, 2021, Gary Gait was named the head coach of the Syracuse Men's Lacrosse team.
International Lacrosse Career
Gary Gait was a key player for the Canadian National Team. He played in the World Lacrosse Championship in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2004, and 2006.
In 2006, he led Team Canada to a historic 15-10 victory over the United States in the 2006 World Lacrosse Championship. This was his last international game. He scored four goals in the final quarter. This win meant he had won every major lacrosse title possible.
- 1990 – Won Silver at the World Lacrosse Championship
- 1994 – Won Bronze at the World Lacrosse Championship
- 1998 – Won Silver at the World Lacrosse Championship
- 2004 – Won the Heritage Cup
- 2006 – Won Gold at the World Lacrosse Championship
Records and Awards
Gary Gait holds many NLL scoring records. He was named NLL MVP six times, including five years in a row. Only two other players have won the award more than once.
He also received the NLL Sportsmanship Award twice. In 2005, he was named the MLL MVP. He shared the award with Mark Millon. That year, he led the league in goals and points.
In 2011, Gary and his twin brother Paul were inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame. This is their home province's highest honor. In 2022, Gary Gait was also inducted into the Professional Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He was one of the first members of this new Hall of Fame.
Personal Life
Gary Gait lives in Fayetteville, New York with his wife, Nicole. They have two children, Braedon and Taylor. Both of his children also played college lacrosse. Taylor played for Gary at Syracuse from 2013-2019.
See also
- Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
- List of Canadian sports personalities
Images for kids
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Gait at the 2005 All-Star Skills Competition
