Orlando Titans - Professional Indoor Lacrosse

McCAFFERTY NO THROWAWAY FOR TITANS

September 16, 2009

Last week, former Orlando Boone High School standout Ryan McCafferty made National Lacrosse League history when he became the first graduate of a Central Florida high school to be selected in the NLL’s Entry Draft for first year players.

But just because McCafferty was selected by the Orlando Titans, one should not write off his selection in the sixth round as a publicity stunt by the team to increase ticket sales and awareness in its inaugural season.

“It doesn’t really work that way,” Titans President Steve Donner said. “The draft is only six rounds and I don’t think any team in this league would purposely waste a draft pick. I was in the war room with Ed (Titans Head Coach Ed Comeau) and our coaches during the draft and they were debating between Ryan and some established Canadian indoor players. In the end, the Titans decided that Ryan would be the best fit for our organization.”

It was a recommendation from McCafferty’s coach at Elizabethtown College (PA) that persuaded the Titans to go with the former baseball player who did not pick up a lacrosse stick until his freshman year at Boone.

“When our coaches talked to Elizabethtown head coach Terry Corcoran about Ryan, the words gritty, hard-nosed, hard-working and determined kept coming up,” Donner said. “It wasn’t the only factor, but it certainly was an important one. He sounded like the type of player we like in our organization.”

McCafferty had a big senior season in 2009 at Elizabethtown, finishing second in the team with 41 goals, 11 assists and 52 points. He scored at least one goal in every game last year and finished with 85 goals in his three seasons.

When he heard he had been selected, McCafferty said being the first player from Central Florida ever drafted in the NLL did not register with him. “I really wasn’t thinking about being the first player from Central Florida picked until someone pointed it out a few days ago,” he said. “In retrospect I realize it is an honor because until a few years ago lacrosse wasn’t even a varsity sport in most of the area high schools.”

Still, McCafferty says being the first is not that important to him. What is important is that it will give him an opportunity to continue his lacrosse career at the professional level. Something he concedes is an exciting prospect. “I’ve seen the Titans roster,” McCafferty said. “Players like Casey Powell are lacrosse legends and now I have an opportunity to play alongside players like that and compete for a roster spot.”

It will not be an easy task. Many of the top American players that have grown up with the outdoor game often find that the speed, close quarters, strategy, smaller nets and physical play of the indoor game requires a huge adjustment.

“We’ve had All-Americans from major division one schools that have had problems adjusting to the indoor game,” Donner noted. “Some times it takes two or three years to establish themselves in the NLL and sometimes they just can’t adapt to the indoor game and give up. Ryan will be competing against the best lacrosse players in the world for a limited number of roster spots.”

But McCafferty is determined to make that adjustment. “To me it doesn’t matter whether being local had anything to do with being selected by the Titans. When it comes to lacrosse, I never been handed anything in this game and I never expected that anything should be given to me. I grew up believing that you had to work for everything you want and that’s how it should be. I can’t stand not competing and I can’t stand sitting on the sidelines, so I am going to work as hard as I can to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The Titans are scheduled to open training camp in late November. The NLL’s 2010 regular season will open when Orlando plays host to the Philadelphia Wings on Friday, Jan. 8 at Amway Arena. Eight-game season ticket packages, starting as low as $69, are available by calling 407-601-6516 or logging on to www.orlandotitans.com.