Syracuse, New York. Gary Gait, the manager for Syracuse, has been sending a straightforward message to Orange soccer all time.
Win the year, win the time.
Just in case the old saying was getting a little sour, a previous Orange defenseman who used that tactic to succeed as a Navy SEAL in a battle does.
Rorke Denver, a past Orange commander and 1993-1996 All-American, served 20 years as a SEAL.
He oversaw more than 200 special forces operations to Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and other global hotspots.
He received the Bronze Star with the” V” for brave fight action, and he later spent 20 years training SEALs before becoming an artist, artist, and motivational speaker.
People pay attention when Denver speaks.
Before SU defeated Johns Hopkins, he was at Syracuse for a specialized function in March. He reached out to previous Orange star and ESPN scientist Paul Carcaterra in search of Gait.
The team then received a message from Denver that has been in their head all season, right up until Saturday’s Final Four game against Maryland at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts ( 2: 30 p.m., ESPN2 ).
” You gotta get the firefight first,” said one participant. You can’t get the entire game without winning this particular firefight. Win that conflict, Denver remarked to the people, “move on to the next step.”
At the end of the day, you are standing on top of these personal battles when you keep focusing on these specific conflicts. That is what is required. Little steps toward improvement. Few chances to win in combat.
You’ll notice more if you look at less, right?
Denver told syracuse .com this week that when he spoke with the Orange back on March 8, he wasn’t sure what to expect.
He attributes Carcaterra to arousing entry that revealed who the Orange’s messenger was at the time.
What Denver received in return was a captivating space that persisted in every syllable.
Denver told rome .com,” I think there is a bunch of eloquence that comes with being a player at Syracuse and was lucky enough to win numerous finals in my career as a commander.
A head on that group who then took over management positions in one of the best special operations units in the US government during one of the bloodiest periods in our nation’s history.
Since Denver’s talk, the message “win the second gunfight” appears on the dry erase board in the Orange bag space before every game.
Denver has remained connected with the Orange throughout the season, sending messages to SU captains from various inspirational sources, including Samurai and Teddy Roosevelt.
He has followed us every step of the way, said Syracuse midfielder Sam English. He informs us that he is watching and that he is present. He’s a unique individual who has been significant to us in our success in all ways.
Denver’s message arrived before an ACC tournament matchup against Notre Dame, which at the time was SU’s final victory before the losing streak.
Before the ACC tournament, Denver told the Orange,” When you put some wounds on an enemy, they tend to bring their best.” You really have a chance to convince them that it wasn’t a fluke.
The Orange’s dominance of Notre Dame changed the message.
” The day after, you had to play a team ( Duke ) that defeated them,” Denver said. You now change the script. Now, you have to correct a mistake on this team and persuade them that it was a fluke.
Gait acknowledged that the win-the-day message was renewed by winning the ACC championship.
Gait said,” I think you really saw the buy-in when we went on a run starting with the ACC ( tournament ).” They say that success is the result of success. I believe it gave us the confidence to go on to win a few games in the NCAA and keep on winning the next one.
Denver said he has been “humiliated and honored” to reconnect with the Orange and has never been more invested in his alma mater and that he won’t be able to attend the Final Four in Foxborough as a result of a previous commitment to travel.
Gait has stifled the high hopes, No. 2 preseason rankings and ghosts of history surround this team all season, with Denver’s “win the next gunfight” message echoing his win the day, win the week philosophy.
Syracuse won’t undoubtedly benefit from that right now, but it might be more difficult to do so with the Orange coming back in the Final Four after a 12-year drought.
The next championship, which SU hasn’t won since 2009, is a SU alumni’s most fervent wish list.
Denver argued that it is equally important for Syracuse to maintain its commitment to Foxborough while also embracing the opportunities that exist within.
” I told them, don’t think about all that,” Denver said. Do this for yourself. The person who sits next to you should know about this. You want to take home this prize for yourself. The world has a championship. They are uncommon. You are given the opportunity to sculpt your name into stone in a way that never goes away.
” Have fun, take good care of each other,” you say.
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