Whiz Kid: Three-Sport Star Robert Caffrey

Name: Robert Caffrey

Age: 17

School: Lakeland High School

Accomplishment: The recent Lakeland graduate was one of nine Section 1 players named All-American in boys lacrosse while playing for the Lakeland/Panas Rebels as an attackman. He will play lacrosse next at Providence College.

Caffrey was also a forward for the Rebels ice hockey squad, where he was Section 1’s second leading point-getter with 71 points (42 goals and 29 assists) and playing midfield for the Lakeland Hornets boys soccer squad, he was named all-state and League MVP.

Key to Awesomeness: For Robert Caffrey, the key to maintaining stamina playing three sports at the high level that he did is his passion for playing them.

Caffrey has always been athletic since he was a kid and in addition to that, he knows his priorities. When he comes home from school, he gets his schoolwork done before practice begins.

“I love sports, that was my main focus, aside from my family and schoolwork,” Caffrey said. “I just tried to keep my head straight on and I enjoyed being with my teammates.”

He also appreciated having coaches who were understanding to his unique situation as a rare three-sport star. Those coaches are Jim Lindsay in lacrosse, Bart Mucci in ice hockey and Tim Hourahan in soccer.

“Most varsity kids only play one or two sports so they are allowed to do a lot in their off-season but for me it’s a little different,” Caffrey said. “My coaches in all the sports were OK with me missing pre-season workouts because they knew I was staying in shape playing another sport.”

Caffrey always did what he had to do to make sure he was fit to play three varsity sports at the level that he did.

“I was lifting on my own, running on my own,” Caffrey said. "Going from sport to sport, I didn’t have a lot of time to rest. It took a toll on my body but it was definitely worth it in the end.”

There was no night that it was more worth it to Caffrey then when the Rebels defeated Yorktown in overtime 8-7 on Will Fallo’s goal in the Section 1 Class A championship boys lacrosse game in 2010. It was the first time in program history that the Rebels defeated their long-time rivals twice in one season.

Lakeland/Panas also defeated Yorktown that year 10-7 in the annual Murphy Cup game.

“We were the first ones to beat them twice and that was a great feeling,” Caffrey said. “We had a great bunch of guys that year, Shawn Honovich, Andy Fazio, they were both All-Americans. We just always played hard. It was great to bring the sectional title back to where it belongs. We wanted to do it for all the guys that played before us, just to show them how much the game means to us.”

It also means a lot for Caffrey to take his lax game to a Division I Big East School.

“I have been working out hard this summer,” Caffrey said. “I have met the guys on the team, they are all great guys. I am very excited to get there, show them what I have to offer and just hopefully grow as a program in the Big East.”

Caffrey’s workout program, which was given to him by the Providence staff, includes running and lifting.

“It’s a six-day week, then we have one day off,” Caffrey said. “That day we can do a private exercise like swimming or play basketball with friends. It’s pretty grueling but it will help payoff in the end when we are playing games and trying to win against other teams in the fourth quarter.”