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Rorke Denver, a


former Syracuse All-American and 14-year Navy


SEAL commander, says the SEALs


specifically covet lacrosse players.


lacrosse players have an edge. “It’s a focused effort of our recruiting arm to go to lacrosse events,” said Denver, author of “Modern Few: Making the Modern SEAL Warrior,” in which he extols lacrosse for preparing him for military success. “You know how to set a goal, you’re hyper competitive,


you have that positive internal dialogue that lets you get through tough times.”


A steady stream of Division I players have joined the SEALs, especially since 9/11. Notre Dame’s Steve Clagett and Boston College’s Dave Dauphinais both signed up soon after the attacks, while Rutgers star Tad Stanwick (whose brother, Steele, played with Malphrus at Virginia) just graduated from BUD/S this fall. Navy has a strong history of sending players to the SEALs, including Matt Bitter (whose brothers are North Carolina All- Americans Billy and Jimmy) and


perhaps most famously Brendan Looney, a captain on Navy’s NCAA runner-up team in 2004. Looney was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010. Both of Looney’s younger brothers, Steve and Billy, followed him to Annapolis and now also are SEALs. All three were on Navy’s 2004 roster. Looney’s roommate at the academy, Travis Manion also was killed in action as a Marine in 2007. Manion played lacrosse in high school at La Salle outside Philadelphia, while the Looneys graduated from DeMatha in Maryland.


MEADE’S PILLARS OF LEADERSHIP


Former Navy coach Richie Meade knows lacrosse and knows the military. “Lacrosse isn’t war,” he said. “But I do think there are a lot of good lessons to be learned from the military.”


Meade, now at Furman and coach of the 2014 U.S. team, spent 17 years at Navy coaching men who chose lives in combat. At the 2012 US Lacrosse Convention, he presented these five pillars of leadership.


COMPASSION


“Everything you read about leadership starts with tolerance, love, caring, listening, understanding, sensitivity, time. Compassion is an aspect of leadership we shouldn’t be afraid of. It’s not weakness.”


CHARACTER “Actions, values, responsibilities, respect,


honor, selflessness. You demonstrate character by action.”


34 LACROSSE MAGAZINE » november 2014 A Publication of US Lacrosse


COMMITMENT “What’s hustle? You decide. You create that paradigm. Be on time, be prepared and be ready.”


COMPETENCE


“Performance, knowledge, coachability, ability, understanding, poise, application of skills. You are what your performance says you are. And you need to have standards.”


COURAGE “In the military, physical and mental toughness are two of the greatest commodities. Anything you can do that puts your people in situations that are physically and mentally tough will benefit them. At what point do you give in? At what point do you surrender? The people around you are more important than you.”


©COURTESY OF RORKE DENVER; ©JEREMY FLEMING (RM)


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