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A Conversation with Pro Lacrosse player - Andrew Kew · In the Crease

• 0:10
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome, welcome, welcome to another episode of In the Crease with Danny and Kevin, a coast-to-coast discussion of D two Men's Lacrosse.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your co-host, Kevin Stentrum, and with me as always is the grand poo-ba of D2 Lacrosse, Danny Moran.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Hey Danny.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Hi, Kevin.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_01: Hi, Kevin.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: How are you?
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_01: How's everything going in Northern Virginia this nice end of summer evening?
• 0:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's going well.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: It's going well.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Like everyone knows, if you said end of summer evening, it's true.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: We're recording this several weeks before this podcast will come out, and it's uh coming up to the end of a series of uh pro athletes.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: So you ready to get going?
• 0:49
  SPEAKER_01: I am.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: I'm excited for tonight's podcast.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: 100%.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: In the last of our series of D2 Pro Athletes, we are talking with a multi-pro athlete.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: He has played in the MLL and in the PLL.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: And with his Canadian roots and box background, of course, he was drafted and plays in the NL right now.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: But we can even add to that.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: He also helped coach his alma mater to the D2 championship last season for Tampa.
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's quite the resume, wouldn't you say?
• 1:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, he's yep.
• 1:24
  SPEAKER_01: His resume is long and deep and would take us a long time to get through it all, man.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: That's for sure.
• 1:30
  SPEAKER_00: So then why don't we just welcome him in?
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: Let here, Andrew Q.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_00: How are you doing?
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_02: Oh, thanks for having me, guys.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_01: I really appreciate it.
• 1:37
  SPEAKER_01: Nice to meet you.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Andrew Q, man.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: You are one heck of a ball player when you played and you're still playing in the pros.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we are so excited that to have you here on In the Crease tonight.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Um, two couple knucklehead dads that never played the game, but just have a big time passion for it.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: I've watched you play many, many times, young man.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: We are very excited to have you on the show tonight.
• 2:01
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I appreciate that.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_02: And I think it's really cool uh what you guys are doing with this the you know, the whole podcasting and getting perspectives from a lot of D2 players.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, it's just it's awesome what you guys are doing.
• 2:11
  SPEAKER_02: So thanks again.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Well, thanks for that.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_00: So why don't we just start off?
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_00: Can you just give us a rundown of your kind of your lacrosse journey from Canada and your background there and how you got to Tampa to begin with?
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_02: Sure.
• 2:26
  SPEAKER_02: So you know, growing up in Canada, it's just pretty custom to play hockey in the winter.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_02: And then I got introduced to lacrosse through just a buddy that I was playing hockey with.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_02: I guess his father talked to my old man, and and then of course I'm signed up for lacrosse uh in the summer, just playing peanut lacrosse, we call it up there.
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just, you know, I started playing when I was four.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_02: So 22 years now.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but just loved it.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_02: And, you know, I I guess you just like I said, you're kind of playing, you're you know, you're playing both, and then there comes a time, you know, when you have to pick between, you know, either, you know, hockey or lacrosse.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_02: And at certain age, you choose you either choose to, you know, stick with one of the sports, I think.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but like growing up, I would try to play every, you know, all the sports, everything I could when I played, you know, high school.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: I play tried to play a ton of sports, and ultimately lacrosse just you know was stuck out as you know my favorite and something that I just love to do.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_02: So I guess, yeah, I grew up in Oakville, which is um, you know, just outside of Toronto, uh, an hour west of Toronto.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I played for the Oakville Hawks all the way growing up, which is kind of minor program, mostly box across.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_02: You don't play like final field, um a little bit of field, like a shortened season month or two uh in the spring.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_02: And yeah, kind of from there, just played that all the way up and and and then started playing juniors and and junior A, junior B, um in Oakville and Burlington.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and I guess from there I did a a year at the Hill Academy, um, which was pretty, you know, you know, pretty great year for me and kind of solidified like what I you know how much I love the game and also you know put me in the position to go to college and and play lacrosse at the next level.
• 4:24
  SPEAKER_02: So that's kind of how I ended up at at Tampa.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_02: I took some visits um, you know, recruiting with while I was at the hill and all to like I went down to Tampa and I just was sold right away.
• 4:35
  SPEAKER_01: So it's not a hard sell, man.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's not a hard sell.
• 4:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's not especially Canada.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: Toronto's gorgeous.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_00: Toronto area is gorgeous, but it's cold, Kev.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_02: It's cold.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I love it up there.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like, I mean, I'm I I go by I just got back to Tampa, but I spent the summer up in Toronto area and Oakville there, and like in the summer, it's awesome.
• 4:59
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I love camping in summer, and then I get to, you know, the last seven years I kind of escaped.
• 5:04
  SPEAKER_02: I haven't you know, I haven't seen a winter in seven years, so pretty lucky in that regard.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: God bless you, God bless you.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: So were there other schools uh other than Tampa that you were looking at that, but Tampa just won out?
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I was a real late bloomer and I just I didn't really like coming out of you know just Catholic high school in Oakville before I went to the Hill Academy, I had like no looks and I um I didn't even know what Woolacross was gonna be my you know my route and then uh in college and I kind of decided to take on, you know, to go to the Hill Academy and and try to play at the next level.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_02: Uh and when I went to the Hill, I had I, you know, did a bunch of recruiting stuff in the fall, played in events and I had some looks.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_02: Um I kind of went to Brody and Patrick Merrill there, the coaches.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they you you got if you guys are familiar with it, they send out so many kids.
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_02: Oh yeah, yeah, to to you know, you know, to awesome colleges and um a lot of high le uh high level division one players.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_02: But I kind of asked, I said to them, like, I I don't know what in and the weird thing is I don't know what it was in my mind at the time, but I said, I'm I want to go play in Florida, like I want to get out, I want to get out of the uh I want to get out of here a bit and get out of the weather.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_02: And within two weeks, I had visits lined up to three or four Florida schools.
• 6:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um and uh kind of went from there, visited a couple, and like I said, I landed on Tampa.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_02: Smart kid, man.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: Smart all the way around 100%.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: So now you're a division two player and you're at Tampa.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: Tell us about your time at Tampa.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: Coach Whipple did was that who recruited you?
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: So Coach Whip, and then um actually at the time was Chris Panos, too, who's the head coach at Queen's University now.
• 7:03
  SPEAKER_02: So talk to him a lot too, and he has the box background, right?
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_02: He played a long time in the NLL.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_02: So um, yeah, those guys just brought me in.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, they were part of the recruiting.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_02: Um, my time at Tampa was just, you know, is unbelievable.
• 7:18
  SPEAKER_02: I just I had so many, you know, so many good times, but met a lot of my long time friends that will be my friends forever.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_02: Feel like that's you know, pretty much kind of like usually when you're with a lacro in a lacrosse program, you you know, going through college experience, you'll, you know, that's you find a lot of long, uh, you know, lifelong friends.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_02: But right, I found that for sure at Tampa.
• 7:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I do, you know, playing down in that weather, we were all like I, you know, I would say like the only thing we kind of missed was getting, you know, getting it done.
• 7:52
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, you know, we had some close calls, made some final, but like on the side of things, we were always really good, competitive, made a few final fours.
• 8:01
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and yeah, my experience was just you know unbelievable.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_02: I I have nothing but good things to say about it.
• 8:09
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I'm still down here, I guess, in the city.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: So so let me ask you this though.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_00: You didn't get it done as a player, but you helped last year as a graduate assistant get them to the championship.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: So what was that like?
• 8:23
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome, just a really cool experience.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_02: And what was what I thought was so cool is that I still there were still some players on the team that I played with, like a good amount of them, right?
• 8:34
  SPEAKER_02: Just yeah, to witness those guys, you know, feel that experience um of winning and and battling.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_02: We just had such a good group.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's cool to it's cool to coach, you know, and see that side of the game.
• 8:49
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and and it was just a great all you know overall experience.
• 8:53
  SPEAKER_02: Do you like coaching?
• 8:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I do.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: I really do.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_02: I I do a lot of it, you know, just like even at the the youth level too.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_02: And right, right.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_02: Whenever I can, I coach.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_02: So um, I just love being around the game and um you know, sharing what I can.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's uh it's definitely cool.
• 9:11
  SPEAKER_02: I like I like the other side of the game too, and the coaching aspect.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_00: Interesting, very cool.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_00: So let me ask you this what do you think of D2 as being do you think it's a good launch pad to get to the pros?
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's not the same as D1 at the those high-level programs, but do you think the level of play within D2 and what you saw helps prepare you for the next level?
• 9:35
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, I think there's a ton of good good talent there, and you see it in the pros now.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: There's some unbelievable division two players playing there.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_02: Um, now I think that obviously there's that gap between it where especially like looking, you don't have the same opportunity coming out of college as a division two player.
• 9:57
  SPEAKER_02: You have to be like an absolute standout, right?
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_02: To even get you know, to get a sniff coming right out.
• 10:03
  SPEAKER_02: So especially with the PL the way it is now with eight teams.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_02: Like when I when I came out of college, you had the MLL and the PLL, you had 13 teams and eight teams in the other league.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like you're getting an up, hopefully get an opportunity, whereas now kind of like you know it can be a lot tougher with just teams, right?
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I think you're playing every day, you're practicing at a really high level.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and it's just yeah, like I think there's definitely opportunity for you to come out of division two and play, as we see with a bunch of guys.
• 10:36
  SPEAKER_00: So what came first?
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_00: Were you drafted into the NLL first before you got into the MLL, or how did that go?
• 10:44
  SPEAKER_02: No, I actually my first draft would have been the ML um to the Florida launch, who that year didn't exist.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_02: So that's right.
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_02: Um, they folded after I was drafted there.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_02: So I never played, and Coach Bird at Chris Burdick uh at Tampa was actually the defensive coordinator with the launch.
• 11:06
  SPEAKER_02: So that's why I kind of had the in there with with the launch.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_02: And then they folded uh and I was lucky enough to get picked up by the Bayhawks like later that year, right before the season started.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: So um that's kind of how that went.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_02: So the P the ML was the first was before the NLL draft.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: And so just to go on that the the field game, you were played for Chesapeake Bayhawks for a couple years before then uh the MLL and the PL.
• 11:36
  SPEAKER_00: Did you come to the PLL before they merged or after?
• 11:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um I'm trying to remember the sequence.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_02: No, I would have come over like when they merged in the expansion draft, or uh yeah.
• 11:50
  SPEAKER_00: So what what was that like?
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_02: That was uh like just the you mean just going from the ML to the PL.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, the experience.
• 11:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's uh it was it was definitely it was definitely really different, obviously.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_02: In the ML, you're playing um in Annapolis there where you're playing for a city and and now the tour-based model is just completely different, not I would say, but it just a different experience.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_02: And right, I would say obviously it was like the level of the level of play is completely different.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_02: Uh or when we got to the pl because everybody was there, right?
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 12:28
  SPEAKER_00: There was not a split in the in the talent between the two leagues.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_02: Exactly.
• 12:32
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 12:33
  SPEAKER_02: Which was a great, it's a you know, great experience.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_02: It's cool to play with the best players, right?
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_01: So it's just so much fun to watch the PL.
• 12:41
  SPEAKER_01: The game just moves so fast, and those guys get after it, man.
• 12:45
  SPEAKER_01: This past weekend.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_01: This past weekend was there was a great weekend of of pl across.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: It really was.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: The dogs are getting in the first championship now.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: I love watching the PLL.
• 12:55
  SPEAKER_01: The guy the the level of play is just it's remarkable to me.
• 13:00
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's yeah, it's high level.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I will say with that, like, yeah, it's it's a completely different game in the sense of like the shortened field and and like the the you know the shorter two-point line, it's like uh that definitely makes a difference in the play too, just faster the shock, right?
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like right, yeah, up and down the field a lot more.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_02: And I think um that was a that was a different experience, obviously, than the ML as well.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: So now you this year was I think your last contract year with the PLL.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: You uh do you foresee maybe playing again in the league, or do you think you're gonna stick in the NL?
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_02: No, I would love to, yeah.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: I would love to.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_02: Like I said, it's just so competitive, right?
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_00: It's no, I but I'll tell you what, I was shocked when I did not see you on the Canons roster this season.
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, like I was shocked.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_02: I I ended up getting traded to the chaos in the uh in the offseason.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, you did?
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_02: So I ended up so yeah, the cannons traded me uh into the chaos.
• 14:02
  SPEAKER_02: So that was a tough, obviously, a tough.
• 14:04
  SPEAKER_02: I played I played for who?
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_02: For who?
• 14:07
  SPEAKER_02: Um who uh traded um no for a midfielder, uh for Carl.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_02: For Carl.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_02: So straight trade.
• 14:16
  SPEAKER_02: And um, I played like a I played a game with the K uh the Chaos early in the year this year, and then the guys who were uh who were coming back from Buffalo just uh tough, right?
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_02: Because they had one and look what they're gonna do again.
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_02: Like they yeah, yeah.
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: So just a tough that was a tough roster, obviously, to crack.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_02: I it's um I'd love like like I said, I'd love to play again.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_02: Uh I personally believe that I can play in the league.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, without a doubt, you can be like uh it's just it's so tough.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's um, you know, it's eight teams, it's it's really it's you know, it's competitive, but um hopefully, yeah, we'll see.
• 14:58
  SPEAKER_00: Let's talk about the NLL.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_00: So were you and I we asked this to Shane Jackson, so I'm kind of curious on on your perspective.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, another Canadian player, you know, he told us that his whole goal was the NLL and that the you know the field across professional league MLL to the PL, which he did as well, was kind of more bonus.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_00: Was the NLL kind of always a goal for you?
• 15:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, 100%.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, I'm completely on that track too.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_02: I you grow up in Canada as a box player, right?
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_02: And it's just uh if you ask, you know, you ask 99% of guys out of Canada who have grown up playing box, they're gonna tell you the same thing.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um and like you said, you know, before we even started, like it's just a crazy fun game, right?
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_02: To you to watch, and the pace is high, there's a lot of contact.
• 15:51
  SPEAKER_02: Um it's just uh like yeah, box I grew up playing, and and my dream like was always to play in the NLL.
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_02: I remember uh my grandma when I was like nine years old got me a shirt made up like I don't know, my future lies the LL or something.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_02: Like I was always just like I was dreaming, I was yeah, like you grow up and you want to play, uh you want to play at the highest level.
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_02: So that was my goal.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_02: And um yeah, it's just it's uh like Shane said, it's like just I just love the game.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_02: So field if I can play pro field, I'll obviously I you know I want to play, um, and I'm striving to get back in that league.
• 16:31
  SPEAKER_02: But NLL for me is you know, is my main focus.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: Like I uh it's a great league, and and I have a lot of fun playing uh boxing gross.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: And that's a league that's really expanding too now.
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's crazy.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_02: It's yeah, yeah.
• 16:46
  SPEAKER_02: We're we're uh 16 teams now, I believe, or 15 in like a couple last few years, expansion every year, some some big ownership coming in, so pretty cool.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_01: Now and more opportunity, more opportunities for guys to play, you know, to continue their career.
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_02: Well, that's the thing, right?
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_02: You see, like the and and compared to PLL, like your question of division two playing at the next level, like you see a lot, a lot more in the box game of guys either like not going to college to play, division two players, division three, um going to school in Canada, and just like box across players that have grown up playing, um, which is pretty cool, right?
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: So it's really cool.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: Uh last year you played for Albany, correct?
• 17:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yep, yep.
• 17:37
  SPEAKER_00: Now did you play for is that the first that wasn't the first team you played for, though, was it?
• 17:43
  SPEAKER_02: So it basically well, we uh I got drafted to New England.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_02: We relocated.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's right.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_00: That's what I was gonna ask.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 17:50
  SPEAKER_00: So I grew up in New England, so that's why I was an automatic Albany Timberwolves uh fan because of just the switch.
• 17:56
  SPEAKER_00: I had to stick with them, you know, yeah as they played.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so we uh my guy I got drafted.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_02: The original team was New England, then we relocated Albany.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, we played out of uh the Moegan sun there in Connecticut.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: Nice, nice, yeah.
• 18:11
  SPEAKER_01: Now, now you gotta get yourself from Tampa up to Albany for those games.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: Is that what you gotta do?
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: Is that how it works?
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, um, you know, pro lacrosse is such a like a different animal in that regard.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_02: Like the travel is crazy, flying domestic, and and uh so all of last year, yeah, I lived down here.
• 18:33
  SPEAKER_02: I was coaching during the week um at Tampa, and and then Friday rolls around and I'm on a flight up to Albany or wherever we're playing.
• 18:44
  SPEAKER_00: So now though, you you like you got traded by the PL, you just got traded to Georgia Swarm, which is going to be a shorter flight for you without a doubt, just having to go up to Atlanta.
• 18:53
  SPEAKER_02: Nah, no question.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: Little half hour, uh yeah, that's that's definitely a plus for sure.
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_02: Nice little flight.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: And how does that feel for you going to to that team?
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_02: Really good, really good.
• 19:06
  SPEAKER_02: I'm I'm excited about it.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um I played with I've played with so many guys on their roster that you know that that's a real big plus, right?
• 19:16
  SPEAKER_02: You get you kind of go into the team knowing almost all the guys, um, familiar with the guys' games and and just like from what I've seen and and calls I've been on and already, just a great organization.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_02: Uh they take a lot of pride in it, and and uh I'm really excited about the move.
• 19:35
  SPEAKER_00: When does training camp start for you guys?
• 19:38
  SPEAKER_00: And when does the season start?
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_00: Is it December?
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_02: So we'll uh we'll have three weekends in November for training camp.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh it'll start.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_02: We're gonna start uh I think the 12th of November, and we'll go three weekends in a row at training camp, and then we'll go uh first weekend in December, December 3rd will be our opening weekend in Atlanta or in Georgia there.
• 20:01
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna have to mark that on my calendar and get my brother-in-law to show up for opening opening night for the Georgia Swarm since they live only 15 minutes away.
• 20:10
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, my sister and brother-in-law.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_01: You're a busy guy, man.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like you're coaching youth, you're coaching you know, top notch division two national championship, you know, Spartans at Tampa, and you're playing like during the summer and the winter, like you're a busy guy, man.
• 20:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what do you do for fun when you don't have a stick in your hand?
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, so I play a ton of golf.
• 20:36
  SPEAKER_02: I love it.
• 20:37
  SPEAKER_02: I know you're gonna say that.
• 20:39
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah, I've been I've been following his Instagram page, and I've been very jealous of the courses he's been showing on that course.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_00: It's Tampa, man.
• 20:49
  SPEAKER_00: Are you kidding?
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: Not Tampa, it's the ones up in Canada he's been playing.
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, really?
• 20:53
  SPEAKER_02: I spent the summer at home this summer playing golf everywhere.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_02: It's awesome.
• 20:57
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, had an awesome summer.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I played, yeah.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_02: It's I've been lucky.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, you know, I when I have time, definitely, you know, I like to play golf and um had it, yeah.
• 21:07
  SPEAKER_02: Like I said, just a real good summer kind of touring around Ontario.
• 21:11
  SPEAKER_02: Played a lot of courses up there and uh in my spare time.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: So uh that's definitely one thing I like to do.
• 21:17
  SPEAKER_02: I'm just very good, very good.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, have you been out?
• 21:21
  SPEAKER_00: Have I did I see some pictures of you fishing too?
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 21:25
  SPEAKER_02: Once in a while I like to fish a little bit too.
• 21:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, I've had some I had a couple buddies too at Tampa that I've been lucky enough.
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_02: They have uh, you know, they have a boat across the way in Palm Beach.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_02: So I've been out there a couple times doing some deep sea fishing, uh, which is really cool.
• 21:42
  SPEAKER_02: Cool experience.
• 21:43
  SPEAKER_00: It's a tough life, Danny.
• 21:44
  SPEAKER_00: It's a tough life down there in Tampa, man.
• 21:47
  SPEAKER_02: I know, man.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_02: I know.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 21:50
  SPEAKER_00: What are we doing wrong?
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_00: Of course, I'm five foot nothing.
• 21:53
  SPEAKER_01: That's what I did wrong, which is my jeans.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_01: Ibor City, not too far away, clear water beach, not too far away.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_01: Tampa Bucks.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_01: This is a good spot.
• 22:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, good spot to be for sure.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: Tom Brady, Tom Brady.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_01: Slinging the pig skin around a little bit.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: Guy looks like he's 20, for God's sake.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: It's unbelievable what that man can do.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_01: Now, Tampa's a great city.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: I spent many times.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_01: I lived in Florida.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: I lived in Hollywood for about 12 years.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_01: And then went to you, went to the University of Florida in Gainesville for a couple of years.
• 22:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I've been to Tampa many times.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_01: I've been to Clearwater.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_01: I've been on the campus of Tampa a few times.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_01: It's a beautiful campus.
• 22:31
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_01: You're in a great place, uh, Andrew.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: You you're really, I envy you.
• 22:36
  SPEAKER_01: I envy him, Kevin.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_01: I really do, man.
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: He's playing golf, he's traveling the world.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: This kid he's playing lacrosse.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: What a game.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: What a game this game is, right?
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 22:47
  SPEAKER_01: And and and and and the opportunities that can come from the game of lacrosse.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 22:54
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I think about it a lot.
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, just how, you know, like you said, just taking you around the world and being able to play a game that you love, right?
• 23:02
  SPEAKER_02: It's just uh the game's given me so much.
• 23:05
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, that's why I constantly try to be around the game and help where I can, just because how much it's given me.
• 23:11
  SPEAKER_02: And I know, you know, the opportunities that can come from like, you know, these kids kids getting to play.
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_02: Um, so it's yeah, it's really cool.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: And uh I, you know, I'm really thankful.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what's even greater?
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: It's you're you're a division two player, and we're a podcast about Division II lacrosse.
• 23:31
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, we feel Kevin and I feel like you know, Division II is kind of like the redheaded stepchild a little bit when it comes to lacrosse.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's either D1, the big programs, or D three, and nobody really talks about D two as much, you know?
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: Um, my oldest, my oldest is 30, played Division II lacrosse down in Florida for St.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Leo.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: And he was in school around 2009, 2010, around that.
• 23:54
  SPEAKER_01: And that's how long I've been involved with Division II.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: And I've watched the growth of Division II.
• 24:00
  SPEAKER_01: And then when my middle guy went there, I was like, I love this game.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: These guys, it's competitive here because I'm from Long Island.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, all the Long Island guys, they think that they're the best lacrosse players in the entire world, and there's some damn good ones that come from Long Island.
• 24:15
  SPEAKER_01: Because, like you, they start early here.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: They start at four, five, six years old.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 24:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, at seven, eight years old, they're playing in leagues already.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: You know, they have their their summer teams at eight, nine years old.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like they're really starting real young here.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: And there's everybody's got sticks.
• 24:34
  SPEAKER_01: There's you know, nets everywhere where I live, everywhere.
• 24:37
  SPEAKER_01: There's three nets right around the corner.
• 24:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, division two, I think, uh, has an amazing high level of lacrosse players.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: I believe that there's division one caliber players playing in division two.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: Would you agree?
• 24:56
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I definitely think when you look at uh like I would say a few like your top players on each team, uh, you know, of division two, especially when you look at the top 10 programs in in division two.
• 25:12
  SPEAKER_02: Um, yeah, there's some really high caliber players uh coming out of this division.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_02: And um yeah, like that, and that's that's where I'd love to see the PLL hopefully expand because guys will get opportunities, right?
• 25:26
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, right, right.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so I'm hoping that that'll happen soon because there's a lot of guys that you know play at this level or division three or what have you that just don't get the opportunity, right?
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_00: That's correct.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and that's kind of what I love what you said, and what the Merrills did for you.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_00: We just did a podcast with a guy by the name of Reed Meyer, who has his own business called Athletes to Athletes, kind of a counseling or a college counseling company for student athletes who want to go to the next level.
• 25:58
  SPEAKER_00: His story is interesting because his whole thought in his mind was he was a baseball player, and his whole mind was I gotta go D1 and I gotta go to a Big 12 school.
• 26:06
  SPEAKER_00: And that's where we went, and it was a big failure for him.
• 26:09
  SPEAKER_00: You had your mind set for I want to play lacrosse, but you had bigger other things.
• 26:14
  SPEAKER_00: It wasn't just like, well, I'm a lacrosse player, so I got to play D1.
• 26:17
  SPEAKER_00: No, your other goal was I want to play in Florida, and there's only one D1 school in Florida, so the Merrills being I I love that the Merrills actually sent you and you looked at D2 schools because that was one of your goals.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: Instead of trying to push you to no, no, no, you want to go play D1 here or there, which is what my son was being told uh when he was looking at D2 schools by his travel team was like, no, you got to go D1 or D3.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: And and and he ended up going D2, and it was the right choice.
• 26:47
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that if you keep your mind open and your options open, you'll find the right fit.
• 26:53
  SPEAKER_00: And like Danny's talking about, and we talk about all the time, and probably everyone's sick of us saying it on our podcast, but D2 just the level plays so phenomenal, and you have a chance, you have a chance to play, and you have a chance to go after championships in your conference and then in the NCA.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_00: So I it's just such such a great, great division.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_02: Well, yeah, and I and I can remember having you know kind of a meeting with my my parents and and Patrick Merrill and Brody around the time when I was, you know, in the recruiting process.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_02: And I remember Patrick saying, you know, like would you rather and he he knew my personality uh at the time and and what kind of type of player I was.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_02: And um just you know, he said, like, would you rather be you know a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond and go, you know, try to play at one of these high-level division one and maybe never see the field, right?
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_02: So um and and kudos to him.
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_02: He knew exactly what was gonna be good for me, really.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_02: Like uh just you know, getting to Tampa, being able to play right away, just something that um you know couldn't have helped my game more, right?
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_02: And it was just uh a real good decision, I thought, I think, looking back, um, to you know, to go this route.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_00: And then because you did that, it helped launch you into every professional across league there is.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_02: I've been uh fortunate enough to play uh you know at the highest level.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's uh it's pretty cool.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_01: It's very cool, man.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_01: It's very cool.
• 28:34
  SPEAKER_01: I love that story.
• 28:35
  SPEAKER_01: What a great story, Andrew.
• 28:37
  SPEAKER_01: Really, it really it's very impressive, man.
• 28:39
  SPEAKER_01: And you're a very impressive young man.
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_01: Uh again, uh, I watched you play at school.
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, wow, this guy's good, man.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_01: Every time you touch the ball, I was like, wow, it was fun to watch you play.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: And it's still fun to watch you play.
• 28:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, when you come and play the riptide, you're gonna have to get me some tickets, man.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_02: 100%.
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I got you on the on the tickets for sure.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_01: I'll be yelling over the glass, yo, it's from in the crease, yo, it's me.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'll definitely come.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's right here because they play right here next to me.
• 29:10
  SPEAKER_01: So that'd be interesting.
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_02: That'd be awesome.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, for sure.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Be fun.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_01: Get a picture together.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, let's do it.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: Let's do it.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, hopefully we can get a win there too.
• 29:21
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, beat the riptide.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, the Georgia Swarm's a good team.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_00: I've watched them several times, they're fun to watch, but we really, really appreciate you coming on, Andrew.
• 29:31
  SPEAKER_00: It's been a blast, and we we wish you all the best in your your future in the pros.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_00: We love watching you play, both of us.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_00: I would love to see you again in in field and the pl, but I will I'll watch a Georgia Swarm to watch you without a doubt.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_02: Awesome.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_02: Uh, and thanks again for having me, guys.
• 29:48
  SPEAKER_02: And uh, I think it's really cool what you're doing, uh, sharing stories of division two guys and coaches and getting their perspective.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_02: So uh I appreciate you having me and uh keep it up.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_02: Thanks so much, Andrew Q.
• 30:00
  SPEAKER_01: Appreciate it.
• 30:01
  SPEAKER_02: All right, thanks, guys.
• 30:03
  SPEAKER_00: Danny, I have to tell you, with this being our last episode, I I've been amazed that these pro athletes, one, came on, yeah, who treated us really nicely, yeah.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_00: And three were just so down to earth, all of them.
• 30:23
  SPEAKER_01: You know, Kevin, this this game of lacrosse, these guys, these guys are special guys, and you know what?
• 30:29
  SPEAKER_01: They're all division two players that made good in the pros and did well and and made names for themselves.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_01: Shane Jackson and Ethan and and Connor Farrell, you know, being the face of the PLL.
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: But you know what?
• 30:42
  SPEAKER_01: I got to watch Andrew Q a lot.
• 30:45
  SPEAKER_01: I got to watch him probably more than the other players, and I got to know his game.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I I really liked his game when he played at college at Tampa, he played for Coach Whipple, and then, you know, in the MLL and then the NLL and a little bit in the PLL that he had going on.
• 31:03
  SPEAKER_01: He he was just a great player, and and what a great young man he is.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: He's got got the world by the you know what's kept.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, he's playing golf, he's in Tampa, he's taking road trips, he's seeing the world, and he's playing lacrosse.
• 31:16
  SPEAKER_01: That's what this game has done for got guys like these last four guys.
• 31:22
  SPEAKER_00: Exactly.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: I'll tell you, I agree with you.
• 31:24
  SPEAKER_00: I did not see him, I guess I saw him play in Tampa when my son was a freshman.
• 31:30
  SPEAKER_00: That was when I got to see him first play.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_00: But watching him in the pros, you've talked about this before that Lyle Thompson is so smooth.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I think now Lyle Thompson's smooth around the crease sometimes.
• 31:45
  SPEAKER_00: But you watch Andrew Q play come in as a midi, and he's got such a smooth shot.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_00: It's one of the prettiest shots to see.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: He's a great, he's just a great player, all-around player.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, just everything he does on the or you know, at least when he was at Tampa, when I saw him play a lot at Tampa, he was almost unguardable.
• 32:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, he was one of those types of players.
• 32:09
  SPEAKER_01: He really was.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: He was you know leading the country in scoring and and in points.
• 32:15
  SPEAKER_01: He was just an amazing player, but I really liked his his whole vibe, his whole style.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_01: He's just a cool kid, man.
• 32:22
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, he's he was great tonight, so personable, so so giving of his time, but also just genuine.
• 32:30
  SPEAKER_00: Just seemed really genuine the way we we'd ask him questions, and people couldn't see it because we it's a podcast, but we saw it on the on the on the screen.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: How unassuming, again, another player, very unassuming when you're asking him questions and and almost humble.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you know, yeah, and again, I'm surprised that they want to even come on to this podcast with these uh these two passionate dads that never played the game, you and I.
• 33:00
  SPEAKER_01: And you know what?
• 33:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's just it's it's great.
• 33:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's just a great.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_01: I I this series has been great.
• 33:06
  SPEAKER_01: I really enjoyed recording these uh and and speaking with these players.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_01: I really have.
• 33:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it's been fantastic.
• 33:13
  SPEAKER_00: And now we we start to shift.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_00: We're gonna start to shift and start talking to the the new coaches and the coaching changes and the schools that are starting new programs.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_00: And then once we get through that, Danny, it's gonna be time for our conference previews.
• 33:28
  SPEAKER_01: Which conference previews?
• 33:30
  SPEAKER_01: I'm looking forward to that.
• 33:31
  SPEAKER_01: That's always fun, too.
• 33:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's always fun too.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: So that's uh we got a lot on the docket coming up, folks.
• 33:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's gonna be another great run this season as we get as we count down to to the beginning of February.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: It seems like a long way off, but you know how that happens.
• 33:48
  SPEAKER_00: Before we look here, we'll be right right in the thick of it, and I can't wait.
• 33:52
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, these colleges, some of them are you know having they're they're having their first exams already, colleges, and they're gonna be playing intersquads, scrimmages, and and fallball within the next couple of weeks.
• 34:05
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, it's full go.
• 34:06
  SPEAKER_01: It's full go right now in college lacrosse.
• 34:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the freshmen are getting acclimated to their dorms and and and the practice schedule and and their class schedule.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it's it's the time of year where they're gearing up and we'll we'll gear up with them.
• 34:24
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, I'm looking forward to the next season.
• 34:26
  SPEAKER_00: There we go.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_00: And with that, Danny, that's a wrap.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_00: That's a wrap.