Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

D1 Womens Lacrosse
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@inthe8m
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Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by @inthe8m »

https://usalaxmagazine.com/college/wome ... ck-at-army

I am not going to post the entire article from the link above, but the article provides background on her decision to take the Army job.

Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army
By John Strohsacker usalaxmagazine.com

Until 2011, a gay person could be in the military, but they couldn’t be out. Cadets at the United States Military Academy were expected to abide by this policy, which enacted by the Clinton administration and called, “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”

The policy ended in 2011 after the Senate and House of Representatives voted to repeal it, and President Barrack Obama signed legislation to end it.

That same year, Michelle Tumolo led Syracuse with 66 points. Her coaches and teammates knew she was gay — she’d been out since high school. She was never one not to tell people who she was and who she loved. So, when Army Executive Associate Athletics Director Kristine Fowler shot her an email to gauge her interest in the women’s lacrosse head coaching job last summer, Tumolo didn’t ask for permission to be herself. Instead, she told Fowler who she was in the first few minutes of the call.

“I am an openly gay female, and I have been for years,” Tumolo recalled saying. “She was quick to assure me that things were not like the past.”

Tumolo did some more research on Army and read up on “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Her family remembered the policy, too, and talked to her about it. Tumolo was thriving in her first head coaching job at Wagner and wasn’t even looking to leave. Was she sure she wanted to entertain coaching at Army?

“They know how important it is for me to be supported and celebrated for who I am,” Tumolo said.

Ultimately, what Tumolo learned only made her want the job more.

to have representation and be who I am at this academy,” Tumolo said. “You don’t need to be put in a box to be somewhere.”

Tumolo traveled from Staten Island to West Point for an interview. Lara Bennett, at the time her fiancé, came, too — the athletics department invited her, a sign maybe things really had changed.

As Tumolo spoke with administrators and coaches and learned more about the department, she also made sure they learned about her.

“As a coach, I am exactly who I am,” Tumolo said. “I am Michelle Tumolo through and through. Something I am so excited and grateful for is the person who I married, who is a woman. I brought that up a lot.”

Of course, Tumolo talked lacrosse, too. And there’s arguably no one better to talk about the game with than Tumolo. An All-American and Tewaaraton finalist at Syracuse, Tumolo had most recently led Wagner to a 29-13 mark and one NEC tournament championship in three seasons.

Who Tumolo was — as a coach and person — was more than OK. It was the perfect fit. She got the job.

It’s one thing to say you’re accepting and even butter up a top candidate during the interview process. It’s another thing to practice it day in and day out. West Point has. Tumolo’s players threw her a bridal shower. She and her wife live on-post at West Point, which is United States Military Academy housing, and feel welcome.

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Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.
njbill
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by njbill »

Thanks for posting this. The US team is weaker because of her absence this year. Still obviously (hopefully) good enough to win easily, but they would’ve been better with Tumi.
Bart
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by Bart »

That was a good read. Thanks.
Brownlax
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by Brownlax »

Love Michelle. She is a better person than she is a lacrosse player/coach. She will do great things at West Point and I am so glad that they have been so accommodating to her which is clearly the right thing to do!
Laxfan500
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by Laxfan500 »

njbill wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:24 pm Thanks for posting this. The US team is weaker because of her absence this year. Still obviously (hopefully) good enough to win easily, but they would’ve been better with Tumi.
Yeah they missed the boat on a few players
njbill
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by njbill »

Apologies as I have told this story before. The first time I saw her play was in club either the summer after her freshman or sophomore year in high school. She was on a team of the club I usually follow in the summer. I had never seen her play, however. I was standing next to a friend of mine who knew her. I watched her for a few minutes and said who is THAT? One of a small handful of players who I remember exactly where I was the first time I saw them play.
njbill
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by njbill »

Brownlax wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:35 pm Love Michelle. She is a better person than she is a lacrosse player/coach. She will do great things at West Point and I am so glad that they have been so accommodating to her which is clearly the right thing to do!
Hear hear.
Seacoaster(1)
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by Seacoaster(1) »

njbill wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 12:24 pm Thanks for posting this. The US team is weaker because of her absence this year. Still obviously (hopefully) good enough to win easily, but they would’ve been better with Tumi.
Great article and a great, buoying story. Thanks for posting it inthe8
8meterPA
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by 8meterPA »

She's already made a significant impact at Army - the team was good prior to her arrival, but played on another level this year. Expect them to keep the upward trajectory
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Dr. Tact
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by Dr. Tact »

8meterPA wrote: Thu Jun 16, 2022 3:29 pm She's already made a significant impact at Army - the team was good prior to her arrival, but played on another level this year. Expect them to keep the upward trajectory
I think Skiera laid the table for Tumolo. Not criticizing your comment, you are right, but Kristen brought that team up from the dregs.

Army showed that they can play and beat Navy. That was huge. Something that only Tumolo has done. It will be interesting if she can start scaring Loyola.
DMac
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Re: Michelle Tumolo Holds Nothing Back at Army

Post by DMac »

Very good article. There is a lot of preciseness at the military academies, much more so than most anywhere else. Make your bed precisely so, wear your uniform precisely so, etc, etc. Michelle seems like the right person for this job.
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