by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
“Being able to play lacrosse at the collegiate level is a big deal to me because I can be an example to my siblings and to my younger cousins that are trying to achieve and excel at a higher level,” said Gavin Hill.
Gavin Hill, 19, is Onondaga and a member of the Beaver clan. His Indian name is Ganëndodoñ’ meaning “the hemlocks.” His mom is Debra Gibson and is Onondaga, and his dad is Dustin Hill and is Potawatomi. Gavin lives on the Onondaga Nation.
“I graduated from LaFayette Jr/Sr High School in Syracuse, NY,” said Gavin. “I played lacrosse throughout high school. I attended a post-grad year at Hyde School in Bath, ME and I am continuing my lacrosse career at Onondaga Community College. I’m currently a freshman.”
“At Hyde School our lacrosse team won the MAISAD championship, and it is like a regional championship. I was awarded All Conference for attackman during my time in Maine,” added Gavin.
“Before I was old enough to play field lacrosse for my school, I started playing box lacrosse for the Onondaga RedHawks when I was 4 years old,” said Gavin. “I’ve played box lacrosse since then, and I am now playing for the Onondaga RedHawks Jr. ‘B’ team.”
“My Papa Erwin Gibson was one of the people who taught me cultural core values that influenced how I play today,” said Gavin. “As a student-athlete there are things that only you can do for yourself. His famous quote that he would always say is ‘you have to do things on your own because nobody is gonna do it for you.’ This resides with me a lot because he grew up on the same reservation as me and he knew that things were going to be hard for me to be able to excel off of the nation.”
“My dad also played lacrosse, and is the one who taught me how to play,” said Gavin. “He was my coach in box lacrosse from when I was 4 years old to when I was 16. He is the main reason why I started playing and still continues to help me understand the game today.”
“My papa, Bruce Hill, is also someone who has not only motivated me but influences the way I play,” said Gavin. “He is always at my games and afterwards goes over them with me and suggests things I could have done differently, or new things I could try.”
“Chris Kidger was my prep school coach at Hyde school,” said Gavin. “Coach Kidger has helped me understand more about the field game and he found a way to put me into a position where I was able to compete and excel not only as an athlete but as a person.”
The holistic concept of wellness is based on physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. By training a balance of these components will encourage aspiring student-athletes to compete at an optimum level.
“I try to work on my endurance to be able to run and stay on task in the game,” said Gavin. “Strength is big because of my size. I may not be the tallest or the strongest but I’ll be able to roll with the hits. Footwork is another big part of my skill plan, being able to get an extra step on the defender is a big thing on my performance and is one of the main things I work on.”
“Mentally I need to remind myself that I have a role on the team and that everyone’s role is important to the game,” said Gavin. “While on the field I know I can over-think things sometimes instead of just doing things, that I know I can improve on. While on the field I know that I have to be patient I’m waiting for more opportunities to come my way.”
“I connect spiritually by understanding the significance of the game,” said Gavin. “It gives the sport a deeper meaning to me knowing that it has been passed down through generations and is impactful on the younger generation today. I just think of all the people that have played before me and it gives me a mindset to be able to have fun when playing the game.”
“I try to stay positive and to remember why I’m playing the game,” said Gavin. “I play lacrosse to have fun because that’s why it was put on this earth to be played. Staying positive is one strategy I use when it gets stressful on the field.”
“Being able to see another day and being able to see my family everyday, and is more than I was able to when I was at school, is helping me through this pandemic,” said Gavin.
Photo Credit: Lee Nanticoke of NanticokePhotography
What an outstanding young man! Good luck to him in his future endeavors . I hope sports will continue after the quarantine