MLL New York Lizards

For the Love of the Game: Rookie Edition

January 20, 2016 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
New York Lizards News Release


Laxcon, lacrosse's largest educational convention, takes place this weekend in Baltimore, MD. Coaches, officials and players, veterans and newbies alike will gather for clinics and guest speakers. Most important, though, is the highly anticipated Major League Lacrosse 2016 Collegiate Draft.

New York currently holds six picks through eight rounds of the draft.

Through our past player spotlights, we've demonstrated just how committed our players are to growing the sport of lacrosse - Greg Gurenlian and Paul Rabil are going to be speakers at Laxcon this year. But what impact can a player fresh off his college lacrosse career make?

Conrad Oberbeck, a 2015 Yale Graduate and Lizards Rookie, explained to us that the greatest impact he had was mentoring his younger Bulldog teammates and being mentored by one of the Lizards greats.

Read on for the full conversation with Conrad:

Q: Did you play any other organized sports growing up? Why did you ultimately choose lacrosse?

CO: I played mostly lacrosse, hockey, squash, and tennis growing up, but my two favorite sports were always lacrosse and hockey. I really enjoyed the team aspect of both sports, especially the concept of playing on a "line" with two other players. For hockey I played center, and for lacrosse I played attack, so from early on I was interacting with those "lines" throughout my life.

Q: What was your major in college and why did you choose that major?

CO: I was a History major at Yale University. I was undecided on which major to choose till my sophomore spring but after a few interesting lectures on subjects like the American Civil War and the American West, I decided it was something I wanted to fully commit to.

Q: As a 2015 rookie to Major League Lacrosse, can you speak a little about the experience of being drafted by the Lizards and winning the Championship?

CO: It was an incredible experience top to bottom. Having the opportunity to play with such a talented group of guys and also be a part of the inclusive Lizards team culture, on and off the field, was a really unforgettable experience. The 2015 MLL Championship was crazy, traveling down to Kennesaw State University with the team and preparing for a once in a lifetime opportunity like that was really special. The feeling of sitting alongside players that I have looked up to for years and competing with them in a game of that gravity is something I will hold onto very closely.

Q: In light of the upcoming 2016 MLL Collegiate Draft, what advice would you give to the players that are drafted?

CO: I would say to really appreciate the opportunity that has come from many years of hard work, but to put it to the side for the final year of college lacrosse. In my experience, I was very excited when I was drafted, but I knew that I had to put it aside and work hard in that final year to help my team succeed before anything else.

Q: Do you still have a relationship with any of your younger teammates at Yale? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?

CO: I still have many relationships with my younger teammates at Yale. Our coach at Yale, Andy Shay, does an incredible job at helping create an inclusive team culture that tries to focus on everyone's contributions to the group and not necessarily their age or rank on the team. I was close friends with many players and still keep in touch with my Attack lines as well as players from all the different positions.

Q: What other jobs do you work outside of playing for the Lizards?

CO: I work in the Professional Real Estate Program at Cushman & Wakefield.

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

CO: In season, I was conditioning and lifting three times a week and keeping sharp on my stick skills. When practices and games came later in the week and weekend, I really had to focus mentally on what I had to do to play my best and also fit my role on the team.

Q: What was the biggest transition you had to make from being a Yale Bulldog to being a New York Lizard?

CO: The biggest transition was to adapt into my new role on the Lizards roster. I was playing with some of the best players in the world and this meant a switch from a ball carrying role in college to one that was more off-ball and opportunistic in nature.

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?

CO: The energy and enjoyment each of the players gets out of this game is really something special. The atmosphere behind practices and games is serious but there are plenty of moments in which players let loose and create a casual culture that is really fun to be a part of.

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

CO: I think growing the game is an important part of each players commitment to lacrosse because it helps give back to the game that has given us all so much. Promoting the sport in unconventional areas provides younger kids the opportunity to play a sport they previously had no access to and opens up a great future that lacrosse can give, through both the people you meet and the pure enjoyment of playing a fast-paced sport.

Q: Are there any members of the team that have become mentors to you as a new player to the league? If so, can you describe a specific instance that stood out to you?

CO: Matt Gibson has been a mentor to me for many years. I was a freshman when he was a senior at Yale. We played Attack that year together and I have looked up to his leadership since. His lingo and personality always keep things interesting and we are able to play together pretty smoothly.

Q: What is the biggest accomplishment you'd like to achieve in the 2016 season?

CO: In my second year, my biggest accomplishment would be to play in as many games as I possibly can and help put the Lizards in a position to make a run at a second MLL Championship.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

CO: I enjoy hanging out with my four other roommates from lacrosse at college in the city, keeping up with the New York Rangers, New York Giants, and New York Knicks, and playing pick up hockey, squash, and tennis when I have a chance. Going out with Gibby and the other Lizards players out in Long Island or New York is always awesome.

The MLL College Draft will broadcast live on the Lacrosse Sports Network. To subscribe, click HERE.

Conrad and the rest of the Lizards will kick off the season with a Championship rematch against the Rochester Rattlers at Hofstra University on April 23rd. Season and group tickets are available now. Single game tickets go on sale January 27th. For more information, please call 1-855-NYLizards.

Check out the New York Lizards Statistics



Major League Lacrosse Stories from January 20, 2016


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