Professional PLL
06:00 PM
Jul 19
Phi
Den
Greg Gurenlian remembers the foundation of Facebook — a social media outlet that launched in the early 2000s and was geared toward college students. He no longer had to rely on AOL Instant Messenger to communicate with friends.
“I’m dating myself with this,” he joked.
Gurenlian, a two-time member of the U.S. national team as a faceoff specialist, didn’t start to realize the power of having a social media profile until he became a household name while playing in the MLL.
For better or worse—but mostly for better, the most avid users will say — social media has changed the game.
The lacrosse community has come a long way since the inception of Facebook, and later Twitter and Instagram. The sport’s stars entered into the social media sphere, and over the past decade, have learned how to use their presence on the internet to connect with fans, teach vital skills and build their own brands along the way.
Lacrosse’s biggest names, spearheaded by professional and three-time U.S. national team star Paul Rabil, have utilized all social media outlets to help grow the game. Rabil leads the list of top-followed lacrosse accounts on both Twitter and Instagram, and he either invests in (The Lacrosse Network) or owns (Paul Rabil) the YouTube channels with the most subscribers.
“Most of what I do revolves around the vehicle of sport — my role as a pro lacrosse player and entrepreneur,” said Rabil, whose experience in digital technology has largely shaped his vision for the Premier Lacrosse League, which he co-founded with his brother, Mike. “What I try to do is share the life of a pro athlete — from training, to nutrition, to practices and games — giving the community an inside look at the ups and downs.”
Speaking with some of the game’s top social media influencers, we got a variety of answers as to the purpose of using social media and which outlet is best for promoting themselves and the game of lacrosse.
Stars like Myles Jones, Rob Pannell and Taylor Cummings remember logging onto social media after their college games. If one aired on television, they’d return to a slew of new followers. Within the matter of a few years, they went from college students and lacrosse players to idols and figures within the sport.
“I thought it could be something for the future and something to build my brand,” said Pannell, a Cornell graduate. “With lacrosse being what it is right now, the more valuable you are is relative to your following on social media. I realized that and committed to being consistent, posting things that I thought people in the lacrosse world would like.”
Cummings, a three-time Tewaaraton Award winner from Maryland, had her share of visibility while playing with the Terps. She recognizes the ability of social media to grow the game and the names within it.
“We are a generation that benefits from social media, so it’s a constant effort to put your best self out there, put yourself out for people to see, congratulating others, being a part of different teams,” she said. “We’re receiving a lot of the benefits being that first generation that has access to technology.”
Pannell used both Twitter and Instagram to build a lacrosse following, as did Jones and Cummings. However, the latter belong to a group of recent college grads that appear on the list of top Instagram accounts — a trend that could correlate to the increasing popularity of the outlet.
“People always crave the personal side of an athlete, who he is,” Jones said. “People outside of the arena want to see professional or collegiate athletes being human, for lack of a better term. Instagram is more inclusive. Instagram is more interactive in terms of all the information that is shared about one specific subject. It’s all together. You see the picture, you see the caption, you see how people feel about it. You end up interacting with people you don’t even know.”
Instagram is, unsurprisingly, the leader for most of lacrosse’s top athletes. The ability to showcase players’ lives, along with the addition of IGTV and Instagram Stories, makes it easier to connect with fans, many of which are children.
Jones is one of the leaders of the lacrosse Instagram movement, finding ways to engage with fans — whether it be through Fortnite, the popular video game, or posting highlights and hosting an #AnswerMeMyles series for fans.
For Jones, his social media presence has translated to a bigger fan base when he steps onto the field.
“The lacrosse community is so small that it becomes a lot more personal,” he said. “A lot of kids do consume a lot of what you put out on Instagram. I play video games and a lot of kids know that. Whenever I come over to the sideline, there are kids screaming at the top of their lungs down to me about Fortnite or other video games.”
Team USA star and new Wagner coach Michelle Tumolo has seen a similar trend.
“Instagram is the biggest thing for young kids right now, especially with the stories,” she said. “You can go live and they can see where your YouTube page is. It’s awesome. That’s where I see most of my things, lacrosse-wise or just lifestyle things. If you asked what was my favorite app, it would definitely be that.”
Be it Instagram or Twitter, the lacrosse community has embraced players that haven’t even reached the professional ranks. College athletes like Tehoka Nanticoke and Kate DeFeo sit in the top 10 among lacrosse Instagram accounts.
Then there’s Tariro Kandemiri, a.k.a. Official Lax Girl, who has built her Twitter following to more than 20,000. The former Sewanee player is now using her platform to speak on issues surrounding the sport, and to relate to the average lacrosse player.
“I use it to, one, inspire people,” she said. “I’ve transitioned from a Rob Pannell [fan] account in college, and now I’m a well-rounded informational account in addition to the Rob Pannell fan club. I’ve really grown with my account and my content has grown with that, but I’ve stayed true to wanting to inspire athletes to be their best and believe in themselves. Those are things that resonate with me.”
Tips for Social Media
We asked the most active and most followed lacrosse players for their advice on how to use social media. Universally, they encourage you to post responsibly. Here are four tips to keep in mind before you post.
1.
If your mom, dad, grandmom or auntie is not OK with it, don’t post it.
2.
Know that everyone is watching — or at some point, they will dive into your history of tweets and posts. During the recruiting process — for sports and business — your coach or employer will first ask for a record of your grades, then look at your social media. It’s the first impression for what you stand for and how you’re willing to carry yourself publicly.
3.
It’s OK just to enjoy it. It’s OK to scroll through social media feeds just to look at funny memes.
4.
Tend to your social media as if you were publicly speaking at school, in front of your peers and teachers. Be thoughtful, caring and creative.
Top Followers
Which players and coaches are most active on social media? Usually those with the largest followings. Here’s a list of who’s who on Twitter and Instagram.
stats as of Dec. 7.