From boardrooms to lacrosse field

Published on September 1, 2006 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Portland Lumberjax News Release


PORTLAND, Aug. 31, 2006 - Damien Davis, the six-foot-one-inch Portland LumberJax defenseman has a competitive streak. Not only does this trait surface during each and every LumberJax game, but he also takes it straight into the boardroom where he works. As a financial analyst in Baltimore and a professional lacrosse player in Portland, Davis has found his love for competition in both jobs.

His demanding financial career puts emphasis on constantly staying up to date with the market and his clients. Yet playing lacrosse in the NLL requires a lot of travel and long weekends during the season. Enjoying both careers, he is forced to make sacrifices to maintain a balance. Davis gives up all of his holiday time in order travel to Portland for practices, promotions and games.

For the past three years, Davis has worked for Brown Capital Management, Inc., a company that ranks among the nation's leading institutional investment management firms. Based in Maryland, the company is 100 percent minority owned and the first of its kind in the investment management industry.

After a daily, morning gym work out, Davis reaches his job at 7:30 a.m. and immediate begins writing reports that outline the holdings for the week. Davis is constantly researching his companies and clients keeping updated on news for his portfolio managers. Pleasing his clients takes effort; however, the tenacious 25 year old says that he embraces the challenge.

"I'm still young and relatively new to the business so I want to impress my colleagues and show them how hard I work," Davis explains. "I became really interested in the business during college because it was competitive. It involves what I like to call 'educated gambling' which makes the job more exciting. You want to impress your clients and make them as much money as possible."

He sees lacrosse as being just as aggressive, fighting to win and impress audiences. In order to stay current with his work, Davis uses the airplane or the hotel as his second office, answering emails and doing research for the company. He is constantly on his toes, making sure he's aware of new information that will benefit his clients in between practices and games with the Jax.

"I guess I have the competitive itch to succeed. It follows me from my work each day and into every Jax game as well," he said.

Davis signed with the LumberJax in 2005, ready for the inaugural season and excited for the year to come. Previously he played for the Anaheim Storm with teammates such as Rich Morgan, Pat Jones, Adam Bysouth, Ryan Powell and head coach, Derek Keenan. The chemistry within the wide array of core players no doubt contributed to the formula for the team's success in clinching the Western Division Title. Still, Davis credits another source for the accomplished season.

"Angela [Batinovich] and the management team really stand out in my mind," Davis explains. "They did a great job getting fans in the seats and making the team feel accepted. The crowd that came to the games last year was always excited and upbeat. I've played for teams where very few fans came and when they did, they didn't seem to care much for the sport. Playing for the Jax is a whole new ballgame, and that's my favorite part about playing in Portland."

In 2003, he became only the sixth African American player to be named first-team All-American. He was also twice named a second-team All-American while at Princeton. Davis has years of experience playing outdoor lacrosse throughout college as well as in his current summer league. He is only one of two American players to compete for the LumberJax and was forced to quickly adapt the Canadian style of box lacrosse.

"The pick-and-roll game in the [indoor league] is challenging to learn. In the outdoor league, offensive players can't set moving picks, but a lot of guys push off in the indoor game," he explained. "The game is definitely faster, and there is less stopping on the field."

Davis volunteers when he finds free time between being a financial analyst and playing in two lacrosse leagues. He helps coach a middle school lacrosse team at St. Ignatius Loyola Academy which is blocks away from Brown Capital Management. Most students at the tuition-free Jesuit Catholic school are at-risk boys who are being prepped to attend private high schools.

Davis' demanding schedule as a financial analyst and a professional lacrosse player consumes most of his time. His competitiveness pushes him to impress his audiences whether at Brown Capital Management or with the Portland LumberJax. Over the past three years, he has established a system that keeps his life organized and allows him to juggle both careers.

He explains, "When I'm at work I want to succeed for my boss and my colleagues, but here in Portland when I'm on the field, it's all about winning for the fans."

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National Lacrosse League Stories from September 1, 2006


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