Whiz Kid: Three-Sport Star Robert Caffrey

Name: Robert Caffrey

Age: 17

School:

Accomplishment: The recent Lakeland High School 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 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). He played midfield for the Lakeland Hornets boys soccer squad, and 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.

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 said 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. He was self-motivated -- running and lifting weights on his own. 

"Going from sport to sport, I didn’t have a lot of time to rest," Caffrey said. "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. He said he has been working out this summer to prepare himself. 

"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 said.

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

"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," he said.

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