Meet the newest Maryland Whipsnake: 11-year-old Gaven Bort

There is a saying in sports: “It’s more than a game.”

Yet sometimes, whether it’s the thrill of a big win, the heartbreak of a tough loss or simply the passion of cheering your team on, it’s easy to forget that sports mean more than what the final box score reflects.

It is easy to feel on top of the world when your team comes out on top, and just as easy to let a tough loss ruin your day. But good or bad, through every play, game and season, one thing never changes: sports connect people. Sports create belonging, inspire loyalty and build something bigger than the game itself.

Despite his age, 11-year-old Gaven Bort has not lost sight of this, and every day, he is reminded just how special sports and athletics can be in life.

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Gaven was raised loving lacrosse. An avid supporter of the Orange, one of Gaven’s favorite players is Brett Kennedy, a ‘22 Cuse grad who played Carolina Chaos in 2022 and the Maryland Whipsnakes in 2023 and 2024.

Kennedy wore No. 11 at Syracuse and on the Whipsnakes, so out of admiration for him, Gaven wears the same number on his own club lacrosse team – another orange – the Orange Crush Lacrosse Club in New York.

Gaven is not only a massive fan of the Whipsnakes (and Kennedy, of course) but also a talented athlete.

Despite living with cystic fibrosis — a genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and digestive system — Gaven has not let that deter his love for the sport.

Cystic fibrosis is caused by a mutation in the CFTR gene (Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator), which controls the flow of salt and fluids in and out of cells. For people with cystic fibrosis, such as Gaven, this CFTR gene doesn’t work properly, leading to the production of thick, sticky mucus instead of the thin, slippery mucus the body normally makes.

This sticky mucus builds up and causes problems in several parts of the body, such as affecting the lungs and digestive system.

There are over 100 variations of cystic fibrosis, but for Gaven — who was diagnosed at just 10 days old on his newborn blood screening — it has caused his pancreas to shut down, which has led to trouble digesting food.

This has left Gaven in and out of hospitals from a very young age, and he needs to take medication daily to digest his food and wear a special vest twice a day to help loosen the mucus that is stuck in his lungs.

One of the reasons Gaven is a huge fan of Kennedy and the Orange is that, as a 6-year-old kid, he was made an honorary member of the Syracuse men’s lacrosse team, and the bond he built with the team helped Gaven become a stronger person, during and outside of his treatments.

In 2020, before Gaven’s upcoming visit to the hospital, where he needed to get his blood drawn, Syracuse’s men’s lacrosse team made a video welcoming him to the team and telling him to be brave for his upcoming appointment.

Gaven’s parents, Mark and Lori Bort, showed him the video at dinner the night before he had to get his blood drawn, something he was dreading at the time.

“When I took him in the next day, that was the first time in about six months that I did not have to be another hospital technician,” Lori said. “I didn’t have to restrain his arms or hold him down because he said he was going to be brave for the lacrosse team.”

“It was nice to be a mom again,” she added. “That was the first time in a long time that I got to do that.”

Because of Gaven’s battle with cystic fibrosis, in 2023, he was able to connect with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with critical illnesses in the hopes of improving their quality of life.

As a kid who loves lacrosse, Gaven only asked for one simple thing: to own all eight Premier Lacrosse League helmets.

Gaven’s wish was passed on to Haleigh Pannell, a Social Impact Coordinator at PLL Assists, who helped bring his vision to life and then some.

When he received the video telling him his wish had been granted, he was surprised to see a Whipsnakes midfielder on the other end of the phone.

“Your wish is officially coming true, and on behalf of the PLL, I am thrilled to let you know that you are now going to be a proud owner of all eight PLL helmets,” Colin Heacock said.

Gaven’s surprise didn’t just stop there.

“But wait, there’s more,” Heacock said with a smile. “During our PLL Albany Weekend, you are going to be signing on with the Maryland Whipsnakes. That means you will be a part of the team, hanging with the players, experience all the behind-the-scenes action and truly living the professional lacrosse life.”

“We are so inspired by your courage, your strength, and your love for the game,” Heacock continued, “and we can’t wait to welcome you to the Whipsnakes family.”

And just like that, Gaven’s road to being a PLL athlete began, and he and his parents ventured out to Albany for Opening Weekend.

When he arrived, he went straight to the Albany dining hall – excited yet hungry after his two-hour journey across New York.

He sat down and felt a tap on the shoulder.

“Hey, can I sit with you?” Whipsnakes midfielder and captain Jake Bernhardt asked.

Awestruck, Gaven, of course, said yes, and Bernhardt and a handful of his teammates joined him for lunch – a warm welcome committee for Gaven and his parents.

What made Gaven’s first interaction with the Whipsnakes so special was that Bernhardt and his teammates had no idea who he was when they first met.

“My guys ran into him at lunch, and they didn’t know who he was,” Whipsnakes head coach Jim Stagnitta explained. “I think it was Jake Bernhardt and a couple of guys. They just sat and, you know, talked to him, and they found out that he was going to be signing the contract with us.”

“I just asked the guys if they wanted to join me and go sit down with Gaven, and I ended up introducing myself, and then the rest of the team kind of sat down and followed and asked if we were allowed to sit down with them. One thing led to another, and then we ended up realizing that he was actually there for us and our team,” Bernhardt said.

After some decent dining hall food and some great conversation, the Bort family made their way to the athletic concourse to watch the two-time defending champion Utah Archers practice in preparation for their championship rematch against the Whipsnakes the following day.

He observed Utah’s practice from the stands (clearly scouting offensive schemes for Stagnitta), and as the Archers were wrapping up, Gaven got a chance to shoot around with the team, thanks to head coach Chris Bates.

While messing around with the guys, he accomplished something many PLL players struggle with: shooting and scoring on Archers goalie Brett Dobson.

He was introduced to the rest of the group and met guys like Captain America himself — Tom Schreiber — along with Connor Fields, Matt Moore, Grant Ament and many others whom Gaven watched hoist the Cash App Championship Trophy in September 2024.

As the Archers left the field, a new squad, full of familiar faces, took their spot.

The Boston Cannons, led by head coach Brian Holman, began their practice, and Gaven once again repeated his routine, watching some of the best players in lacrosse get better during practice.

As Boston wrapped up its training, so did the California Redwoods on a different practice field. The players all walked off the concourse together, and Gaven met Cannons attackmen Marcus Holman and Asher Nolting and California’s Ryder Garnsey and Romar Dennis.

After his meet-and-greet with players, Gaven had one more major moment ahead. The league set up a special press conference and signing session where Gaven’s wish came true and the helmet reveal took center stage.

Gaven entered the room to find all eight Premier Lacrosse League helmets lined up on a table in front of a PLL Gatorade backdrop. His eyes lit up.

Like a college commitment, he picked up each helmet one by one, talking about what he loved about its design and what drew him to love the league and, more specifically, the Whipsnakes.

“A bunch of Syracuse guys came along and went to the Whips, so I just really started liking them,” Gaven said, explaining why he is a huge Whipsnakes fan.

When Gaven was asked to pick his favorite helmet out of the eight, his decision was easy.

“The Whipsnakes because they are my favorite team,” Gaven said. “The Whips helmet is really cool because it has the serpent going around the ‘M’ and the Maryland flag striped on the top.”

But the surprises weren’t done just yet.

Coach Stagnitta entered the room and presented Gaven with an honorary one-day contract, officially making him the newest member of the Whipsnakes’ now 26-man roster.

Gaven signed the contract, and just like that, he immediately began his professional lacrosse debut.

He posed for photos and then, dressed in full pads, his Whipsnakes helmet, a brand new No. 11 jersey and a GoPro strapped to his chest, made his way out onto the field for a full practice with Stagnitta’s squad.

From the moment Gaven signed the contract, Stagnitta could tell he was itching to get out onto the practice field with the Maryland guys.

“I think that [hanging out with me] was exciting, but I don’t think it was nearly at the level of enjoyment and excitement he got from hanging out and playing with the players,” Stagnitta joked.

As a faceoff guy himself, Gaven practiced faceoffs with specialist Joe Nardella, did passing drills with the whole team and then eventually filed into the Whips’ shooting drills, where he got to fire away on Brendan Krebs and rookie Emmet Carroll.

“He did a great job with both hands, whether it was feeding some guys or shooting the ball. I wouldn’t let either of [the goalies] kid you that they were actually going to be able to save his shot,” Bernhardt said.

Funnily enough, Nardella led the league in faceoff percentage after Opening Weekend (76.5%). Maybe Gaven helped polish up his game at the stripe.

After practice, the entire Maryland roster signed Gaven’s Make-A-Wish poster, a keepsake that he would never forget.

“It was awesome. I think that for us, one of the coolest things was seeing how much he loved being there,” Whipsnakes defenseman Matt Dunn said. “He is a good lacrosse player. He loves lacrosse, too, so it was great to see him out there. I think a lot of younger kids would be more shy in that environment, but he was just so engaged and excited, and you could see the joy of him being out there with us.”

Even though the experience was designed for Gaven, he reminded the Whipsnakes just how special and meaningful it is to be a professional lacrosse player.

“It was special to see [Gaven’s] support for the team and you individually, recognizing you for all the work you put in, and a lot of it goes unnoticed unless it’s gameday,” Bernhardt said. “It means a lot for everybody on the team to have that type of support. Especially remembering when you were a young kid and the guys that you looked up to. Having that connection with them, I think, is really cool. It’s something I never, ever forgot, and I’m sure these guys will be the same as they go through their careers.”

Stagnitta added: “[Gaven] just had a ton of energy and excitement, and after a busy week living in dorms and eating dining hall food, I think it was a nice respite from all that for my guys, too. They appreciated how excited he was that the Whipsnakes were the team that he wanted to sign with.”

With the day still young and as the opening night of the 2025 PLL season approached, Gaven changed out of his pads and made his way to press row, where he had one of the best seats in the house for both games on Friday night.

He sat next to PLL co-founder and president Paul Rabil, along with Whipsnakes attackman Rob Pannell. Together with Gaven’s parents, they watched the opening night unfold just feet away from their seats.

As the New York Atlas took down the Carolina Chaos 10-8 in the opening game, Gaven got a front-row seat to what would be another surprise gift.

Atlas faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste broke his stick against the Chaos, and after the game, he went right up to Gaven to give it to him — and made sure to sign it.

And if you don’t know Gaven, just know he loves signed lacrosse memorabilia.

He owns more than 600 playing cards and showed up to Albany with a select 80 in a travel case, some of them extremely rare, hoping to meet some of his favorite players and put a face to a card.

“It was pretty neat seeing he knew who we were without our helmets on,” Bernhardt said. “He would pick the cards out of the sleeve and deal them out to you, asking for a signature.”

Gavin – Sharpie in hand – was always prepared to meet whatever player he crossed paths with, and throughout the weekend, was able to add some amazing signatures to his already impressive set of cards.

“He had a binder of playing cards filled with everyone on our team and multiple versions of each card,” Dunn said.

Reigning MVP Jeff Teat, Myles Jones, Matt Rambo, Schreiber, Holman, Nolting and many others all took the time to add a signature to Gaven’s collection, and the few cards he didn’t get signed were sent to Charlotte the following weekend just for good measure.

He also watched the battle of the Kavanaghs from the field and, after the game, met Denver Outlaws Jesse Bernhardt, Luke Wierman, Logan McNaney and Alex Smith.

After an unforgettable first day in Albany, Gaven was up early Saturday morning, ready to make his professional debut as a Maryland Whipsnake.

Newly signed to the roster, he joined the Whips in the locker room for pregame stretching, walked through their warmup drills and got a real feel for how the pros prepare for a game.

His energy in the locker room was contagious.

“You could just tell he loved being there,” Dunn said. “People love to be around people that love to be around them, and I think that was contagious a bit having him there. He loved the Whipsnakes, and we loved that. So it was just cool to have a genuine fan there. And all of it just felt so, so authentic coming from him.”

Gaven served as an honorary captain for Maryland, participating in player introductions on the field. During the game, he joined the broadcast for a sideline interview where he shared his Make-A-Wish experience and his love for lacrosse. To top it off, he helped energize the crowd with a T-shirt toss, grinning ear to ear the entire time.

But he wasn’t just in Albany to watch some of the best players in the world play; he also had games of his own.

After the Whipsnakes’ 1 p.m. game and before the Atlas took on the Cannons on Saturday Night Lacrosse, Gaven’s club team, the Hornet Pride, played in the Opening Weekend Classic — a youth tournament held by the PLL.

Gaven shined on the field the same way he does off the field.

The Pride went 2-0 that afternoon, and Gaven racked up four points (2G, 2A) over two games, including a faceoff goal, which he must have picked up from Nardella during practice.

When you can train with the pros, competing against kids your own age can seem a lot less daunting.

Fresh off back-to-back victories, Gaven and his family made their way back to the main event to watch New York’s primetime matchup against Boston. But this time, Gaven had a bit of a different view of the game.

He swapped out his usual seat on press row for a headset and a swivel chair in the broadcast control room and got to see the behind-the-scenes of all the magic that happens during the league’s ESPN broadcasts.

He even went a step further and, in the fourth quarter, announced Atlas attackman Xander Dickson’s third goal of the game over the stadium loudspeaker, adding an exclamation point to Dickson’s hat trick.

As Gaven’s weekend in Albany came to a close, the memories he made and the connections he forged would stay with him long after the final whistle blew.

For Gaven, Opening Weekend meant more than helmets, contracts or signatures. It was about being part of a community where players, coaches and fans welcomed him with open arms, where his love for the game was celebrated and where his courage inspired everyone he met.

Gaven’s journey reminds us of what sports can truly mean. Beyond the goals, wins and championships, they create moments of connection and joy that last far longer than any game. For one unforgettable weekend, an 11-year-old Whipsnake showed us all just how big a heart this sport can have.