Thursday, June 21, 2007

Traditions - Old & New

A new tradition was born in Italy, 30 years after another tradition of the Brown Women's Soccer program began - one that continues today. During Phil's first year as the head coach of the team in 1977, a parent of one of his players gave him a ceramic container with the phrase "Geev'um" on it. This parent was from Hawaii and in Hawaiian Pidgen (a creole language based on English and used by some residents of Hawaii) Geev'um means to "Go for it." Since that first season in 1977, in the pre-game huddle before every single contest, the players shout "Geev'um Bruno!"

While in Europe, the team's true superstitious side came out. In many of the cities we visited, each of the local guides would inform us of a tradition that would bring a person good luck or guarantee them of a return trip to the city if they:
- threw a coin with their right hand over their left shoulder (at the Trevi Fountain in Rome)
- rubbed the feet of a statue of Jesus (at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome)
- rubbed the nose of a boar (outside of a market in Florence)
- touched the head of two separate lions outside of the palace where the King of Bavaria once lived (in Munich)
- Put the heal of one leg onto a mosaic on the floor of the galleria (in Milan) - recognized as the first mall in the 19th century - and spun around for one rotation

I think nearly every single person on the team wasted no time in running over to whatever it was make a wish or hope for a piece of good fortune.

It was in Milan, after many members of the team spun around in a circle with the heal of one foot in a part of the mosaic that is so worn down the painting is gone and it is a grey circle in the middle of all the color, that Phil tasked some players with finding something to represent Brown women's soccer that could be used for a new tradition - something that could be touched for good luck prior to games just as the many statues that we touched while in Europe will bring us good luck.

In one of the three biggest shopping cities in the world, Lindsay Cunningham, Alex Michael, Paige Reidy, and Steffi Yellin had little trouble in finding this special something. They found a sterling silver statue of a bear that has carved out hair all over its body ... with the exception of the top of the head - the place the team decided they would rub before every game for good luck. Standing in front of their bench, and prior to shouting "Geev'um Bruno!", the entire team rubbed the head of the sterling silver bear before posting a 1-0 win over the team from Como - and thus a new tradition was born.

The Brown Team still needs to name the bear and decide when this new tradition is to take place. Will it be mounted in the locker room and be used for home games only? Or will the bear travel to away competition and be used at both home and away games? Only time will tell!

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