General Information about Item:

• Genre: Customary Folklore

• Language: English

• Country of origin: USA

Informant Data: Matt Erfle is a member of the Class of 2021. He is a 19 year old male and member of the Dartmouth Men’s Lacrosse Team. Matt is from West Chester, Pennsylvania and has played both lacrosse and football since his youth. He told us that he began training over the summer by looking at the Dartmouth Training Packet the Coaches sent out in June to help prepare him for when he got to campus in the fall. To this day, Matt is one of the more fit guys on the team and it’s because he started following the training packet closely and put great importance on discipline through fitness.

Contextual Data:

Social Context: Fall into Shape involves commitment to following a structured and discipline physical fitness program. As many team members share regional hometown locations, bonding within local communities builds a strong bond during fall preseason workouts. Dartmouth team members support each other in huddles, on the end line while running sprints, line drills and overall grunts and cheers as workouts takes the team through endurance stamina.  After each practice, teammates continue bondage through locker room talks, shared meals and campus walks.

Cultural Context: The Dartmouth Men’s Lacrosse Team represents we are one unit in all we do. The culture is one of extreme endurance, sweat, pain and push to the limit. If unable to achieve the limit, perhaps by some teammates perseverance is everything and team members and coaches are the anchors of support for each individual. The lacrosse team is a group of men that mentor each other, fall with each other and rise to the challenges that their coaches place in front of them of the better of the unit, no the better of the individual. While each individual has personal goals, in the end they are shared for bonding and creating an atmosphere of champions. The team spends most of their time together on and off the field. Their objective is to take one season at a time, one run beep test at a time and falling into shape over the season is about one practice at time to better our unit each day.

Item: This Instagram video represents an opening day in Fall into Shape training during preseason and the endurance and commitment each team member displays. The video is part of the season history posted by coaches for players and followers alike. The running program is seen as a ritual to the program because each year the coaches place heavy emphasis on getting into shape. If A then B is seen because if you follow the training packet and are disciplined with your running, then you will pass the tests and be in good shape.

Associated media:

Informant’s Comments: The informant stressed the importance of fall preseason as laid the ground work for the expectations of in season to follow. As a freshman, it helped that the returning guided the new players on expectations.

 Collector’s Comments:

• Fall into Shape is customary in that each fall preseason sets the stage for the next day. As each day passes, soon a week has passed and then a month. With each passing period, the team is better for each day of the grind.
• The informant noted that when starting on first day of preseason with the beep run test, the anticipated stress of passing the test, was more stressful than the test itself.  While passing the test is a relief, knowing you are not alone helps.
• The informant also stated it’s the guys around him while running the sprints that keep him moving in the right direction.

Collector’s Name: Parker Joyce

Tags/Keywords: Dartmouth Men’s Lacrosse, Fall into Shape. Customary Folklore (rituals)