Bill Belichick has broken numerous records as a football coach in the NFL. He has also now received a prestigious award from the Tewaaraton Foundation.
Why was he given this recognition by the lacrosse community?
On their official site, the Foundation confirms that Belichick has been given the Spirit of Tewaaraton Award for 2020. Belichick is the 14th person to get this award, with Ethel “Feffie” Barnhill winning it in 2019. In 2018, the recipient was Welles Crowther.
Another winner in 2020 is former University of Maryland star Kelly Amonte Hiller, who was awarded the Tewaaraton Legend Honoree. Former Johns Hopkins University player Dave Pietramala was the other recipient of that honor this year.
The recognition given to Belichick is reserved for those people who have made an outstanding contribution to the sport of lacrosse “in a way that reflects the spirit of the values and mission of the Tewaaraton Award”. This is given to someone who is said to also nobly reflect “the finest virtues exemplified in the game”.
Jeffrey Harvey is the Chairman of the Tewaaraton Foundation. He is quoted as saying that “Bill Belichick has been a symbol of greatness for two decades”. Harvey then went on to point out that much of his famous sporting philosophy has its roots in the fact that he was a lacrosse player in his youth.
He continued by saying that Belichick has continued to support lacrosse and Native American heritage causes throughout the years of success that he has enjoyed in football.
What Is His Link to Lacrosse?
Most people know Bill Belichick as the hugely successful NFL coach. He has won 6 Super Bowls as head coach with the New England Patriots, and 8 overall. This is the most that anyone has ever achieved in the history of football. He has been so successful that no American football betting strategy can ignore him now.
However, he also became a huge fan of lacrosse when growing up in Annapolis. His father worked as an assistant football coach at the United States Naval Academy. Belichick played football while living here, but has stated that lacrosse was his favorite sport as a youngster.
His association with the sport didn’t end when he graduated from Annapolis High School and moved to Massachusetts to carry on with his studies at the Phillips Academy. The non-profit Bill Belichick Foundation now provides help for both the football and lacrosse communities.
For example, in 2019 the Foundation teamed up with the Moses Brown School to make a $5,200 donation to the Providence Youth Lacrosse League. This was based on the matching the cash amount pledged by community members for each ground ball that was scooped up during the season.
According to the Tewaaraton Foundation, Belichick is still often seen standing on the sidelines at college and professional lacrosse games each spring and summer. He has also been known to give inspiring pep talks in locker rooms and has presented trophies as well as mentoring young players.
It is worth remembering that he has a collection of wood lacrosse sticks, including some classic models and even one that was specially made with a Patriots theme on it. Paul Rabil is the chief strategy officer for the Premier Lacrosse League. He said that Belichick “loves the game of lacrosse” and that it was a big part of his upbringing in Annapolis.
The three recipients of these different awards from the Tewaaraton Foundation will be formally given their honors at the 2020 Tewaaraton Awards. This event will take place on May 28 in Washington, D.C. and will be the 20th anniversary of the ceremony.
