It was a great year for the Schreiber boys varsity lacrosse team. They finished the year with an impressive 13-4 overall record and went 8-2 in conference play. After getting past the quarterfinals, the team saw their run come to an end in the semis. Two reasons for the team’s magnificent run were the play of Joe Froccaro and Hayden Braider.
This spring, Froccaro, a senior who graduated from Schreiber last month, was named to the Newsday All-Long Island Lacrosse team. He was also selected as an UnderArmor All-American and played in that game on July 3. The game was aired on ESPN U.
Braider, who will now enter his senior year at Schreiber, had been selected to the Dan Daly Cup All-Star Lacrosse Team on June 24 at the Mitchell Field Complex. In addition, Braider was chosen as one of the top-20 lacrosse players in Nassau County.
For Froccaro, lacrosse runs in his family. He has several mentors and family members who have had a tremendous influence on him. “My two older brothers and my sister played, and I was always trying to keep up with them,” said Froccaro. “I was lucky enough to be able to play with my brother Jake for a couple of years in high school and will be playing with him again for two years in college.” Froccaro continued, “Being the youngest of four lacrosse players, I practically grew up on a lacrosse field. As a kid, I was always getting chased off the field during games because I would run on the field during timeouts to shoot on the goal.”
Froccaro is excited that he will play lacrosse at Villanova University next year with his brother, who recently transferred there. His sister Jackie also played there in her last year as a graduate student. Two of his uncles have also played lacrosse at a high level in both college and professionally. While his siblings encouraged him to play, it was his father who became instrumental in helping him mature into the player he is today.
“From practicing with me and coaching me, to taking me to just about every lacrosse event I’ve ever been in, he is always there for me,” said Froccaro. Between balancing work and play, Froccaro kept it simple by just trying to stay ahead of things. “It’s not always easy,” said Froccaro. “I try to be as organized as possible.”
Braider started playing lacrosse in the fourth grade for Port Youth Activities (PYA). His coach, Ed Athanasian, helped instill his love for the game and his career took off from there. Braider continued to play for PYA through seventh grade, when he started playing for the school teams. This summer, he will be playing travel lacrosse for FLG. Another person who played a crucial role in Braider’s admiration for the game is his high school coach Tom Rooney. “Coach Athanasian and Coach Rooney have had a major influence on me as a person,” said Braider. “Their belief and encouragement in me has taught me commitment and [to] strive for excellence.”
Being a student athlete has been a huge part of Braider’s life. All the habits he formed from lacrosse have transferred over to the classroom. “Being committed to doing well and working hard has led to me being on the Principal’s Honor Roll all four quarters of my junior year,” said Braider. “I believe that being an athlete has had a huge impact on my student life in a very positive way.” Braider’s hopes to return to the field in his senior year, with the aspirations of moving on to the college level once he graduates.
Both Froccaro and Braider are multi-sport athletes. Froccaro played football, basketball and tennis, as well as lacrosse. However, lacrosse will always be his number-one sport. Braider has played multiple sports since middle school. He played varsity soccer since freshman year. He played junior-varsity basketball in his freshman and sophomore year. He played for the varsity team in his junior year.
Braider’s favorite memory was being pulled up to the varsity lacrosse team in his freshman year. He was called up for the playoffs and the team went on a run to the county finals. “Seeing the way my teammates played together and trusted each other really inspired me to be that great,” said Braider. “Seeing that makes me want to make another county championship run and this time win it.”
Both of these athletes have displayed success in their high school careers. Froccaro feels that his has come from practicing and constantly being out there on the field. Braider attributes his accomplishments to team play and believing in each other. These fine athletes look forward to continued success both on and off the field.
