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MLL New York Lizards

For the Love of the Game: Jerry Ragonese

February 24, 2016 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New York Lizards News Release


The New York Lizards' locker room is full of unique personalities. Together, these players make a winning club on the field and a tight-knit group off the field. Most people only get a chance to see what professional athletes are like in action but in this interview we get to hear from one of the most memorable personalities in the game about what his life is like away from it, and about his passion for the game he turned into a career.

Jerry Ragonese, New York Lizards Face-Off Athlete, has been with the organization since 2013. Growing up, he realized his passion for the sport but did not see this being realistic as he never got much of a chance until later in his college career to shine. After sticking with the game following a season ending injury, he found his way to the MLL through hard work and good fortune.

As someone who specializes in one of the most unique parts of the game, the face-off, Jerry is grooming a younger generation of players into successful athletes. He co-founded the FaceOff Academy alongside Greg Gurenlian to inspire young athletes to be as great of players as they can be at the position he carved a career from.

Included below is the full conversation with Jerry:

Q: You played varsity football, hockey, and lacrosse in high school. When did you realize you wanted to pursue lacrosse further? Did you ever seriously consider pursuing another sport?

JR: I had played hockey since I was 3 or 4, and football since I had been in 4th grade. I really loved both games but I was a little burnt out on them, once I started playing lacrosse I became obsessed. I knew from the year I started playing that I wanted to play as long as I could. I considered both hockey and lacrosse in college but it would have been too hard to balance both.

Q: You were a photography major at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Why did you choose this and does it hold any significance for your life today?

JR: We rode BMX a lot growing up and I wasn't very good so I picked up a camera and filmed my friends who were much better than me. It just kind of turned into a hobby. School burnt me out on it and I decided to step away for a little bit after I graduated. I'm starting to get back into it now just for fun.

Q: MLL is a league in which players play mostly for the love of the game, how does this speak to the passion players have for lacrosse?

JR: It is no secret no one is in this game for the money. Personally, I think it's nice to still have that locker room feel after college. Few people really get to experience that privilege, knowing that at the end of the week you're going to see 20-30 friends and play a game you are all there to play because you enjoy it. It is something guys look forward to.

Q: In your senior season at RIT you suffered a season ending injury, was there ever any concern about playing in the MLL after this?

JR: I didn't really get a shot at much playing time until I was a senior in 2009, 3 games in I got injured and came back next year as a 5th year. It wasn't until I had success in 2010 did I think I could actually make a team. I never got drafted; I was actually a walk-on with the Rattlers the following season in 2011.

Q: How important is growing the sport to you and how do you believe you are helping do this?

JR: I think growing the sport is paramount. It's the only way we will see our league's fan base and eventually team numbers grow. I am fortunate enough to help kids learn the game from a young age as a coach as well as help kids get into colleges all over the country.

Q: In addition to playing for the Lizards, you co-founded the FaceOff Academy with Greg Gurenlian. Can you explain a bit about what it is?

JR: The FaceOff Academy was started as a place where parents and players could come to learn exactly what the best guys in the game are doing at the X. For as long as I can remember face-off guys were "Place Kickers," just some weird guy on the team who did his own thing over in the corner. We were tired of hearing "Oh you're good at face-offs? You must be a good cheater." Or "Oh you're a FOGO you must suck at lacrosse". There were also no true coaches of the position. There were just snake oil salesmen looking to make a quick buck off kids who truly wanted to learn.

So we set out to change the perception of the position and to take care of a market that was not properly serviced. We got rid of the cheating at the X, our guys are athletes that can stay on the field. Players are proud to say they are FaceOff Athletes. Coaches look for our guys because they know they are college ready, that they will compete with honor and that they are good people as well. The best part is all of these great kids are excelling at the NCAA level.

Q: Prior to FaceOff Academy's success, what was the idea that you had for it? Has it lived up to everything you imagined for it?

JR: When we started we knew if we just did it right, it would grow to what it is today. We work as hard as the kids do when they come to see us. You can fool parents who don't know the game but the kids always know when you are phoning it in. So every time we go out there we are going 100 mph trying to jam pack 30 years of face-off experience into the kid's heads. The energy resonates with the players. They want to work as hard for us as we do for them. This just makes everyone in attendance better. On top of that, it's a lot of fun to watch kids who had no idea what they were doing prior to our clinic email you that weekend saying they went 10/12 at the X. It's gone beyond our expectation but it's been a nice surprise.

Q: Does it get difficult to manage your time and responsibilities between the Academy, the Lizards, and other priorities?

JR: Sometimes it seems like a daunting task to operate Pro Athletics (a custom uniform supplier and Decal company), the FaceOff Academy, stay in shape, travel for the season and still find time to make dinner. I don't have much free time, I don't take many days off, I only took my first vacation in 7 years earlier this year to Hawaii to play more lacrosse. It's probably why I enjoy the MLL season so much. Nights we practice or play I can't be reached because I'm on the field so it's a welcomed break from my computer and phone. I do enjoy the chaos though. I never get bored.

Q: Can you take us through your typical weekly schedule while in season?

JR: No week is ever the same for me. Depending on the time of year I could be traveling by plane 4 times a week for the Face Off Academy and the Lizards. Days that I don't travel my morning starts with getting back to customers at around 8 a.m. and every work day ends around 1-2 a.m. as I work with my partners at Pro Athletics in California getting things set for the following day while I am out on the East Coast. I tend to eat standing up most of the week but I make sure to make time every day to get to the gym.

Q: Heading into your fourth season with the Lizards, is there a personal memory or story that sums up your experience as a Lizard and part of such a close knit team?

JR: I don't think you can put the closeness of this team on a single moment or story. I think what separates this team from others is how many failures we've had and then bounced back from. 2013 was a disaster. 2014 was a huge disappointment to come as far as we did and lose in overtime in the playoffs. I think that it's how, as a team, we've responded to those failures only to come out on top this year explains why we are so close.

Q: You're known as one of the "funny guys" of the team, do you think keeping a light atmosphere at times is important to the team dynamics?

JR: I think it's important to have fun in this league. As players, we give up our summer to play so I intend on enjoying myself as much as I can. I think guys who are having fun normally play better so if I'm helping guys enjoy themselves, hopefully, I'm helping guys play better. There is a time and a place for being funny. Come game day, I'm a bit more serious.

Q: With rising exposure and participation across the nation, do you see lacrosse turning into a mainstream sport in the near future?

JR: I see the next generation of players making the sport mainstream. 10-15 years. The little bobble heads who make it through to college will want to see more of the game they've grown up around and loved playing. I think then there will be enough demand and enough teams by then to have a game on every night like the NHL.

Q: What is your favorite and least favorite part of playing in the MLL?

JR: What I like most is still being able to compete after college. I don't know what I would do if I wasn't able to compete at some level for something. If I wasn't in the MLL, I'd probably be on a bowling team or in a Pokemon league taking it way too seriously. I've gotten to extend the dream 6 years now and hopefully continue so long, they have to bury me with my pads on.

Worst part is the 6am flights the night after a win.

Q: One day when you decide to ultimately retire from the game, what would you like your legacy to be?

JR: I'd like everyone I've played with and for to have had enjoyed their time with me. For them to have a few good stories and think that I was one of the best teammates they ever had. I think that would be a good legacy to leave.

Jerry and the Lizards will face off against the Rochester Rattlers in a title rematch at Hofstra University on April 23rd. Season, group and single game tickets are available now. For more information, please call 1-855-NYLizards.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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