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Manhasset regularly churns out as many college-bound players as any program in the country.

One of the reasons for this is not only the Indians’ proud tradition of success, but its tradition of family ties.

Case in point, rising senior John Maimone-Medwick, a defenseman headed to Division III power Williams.

Maimone-Medwick’s brother, James, was a goaltender at Johns Hopkins. Their uncle, Bob Maimone, ranks third in Hopkins history in the following faceoff categories: career faceoffs won, attempted and faceoff winning percentage.

Family ties is one of the things John Maimone-Medwick discusses in this Q & A on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision to attend Williams?
Williams was one of the first schools I was contacted by this summer. It began after the first game of my first tournament when I was introduced to Coach (George) McCormack. We stayed in touch during the summer and then I visited the school at the end of July.

Williams for me was the best option by far, not just lacrosse but academically. Williams was ranked the No. 1 college by Forbes and the No. 1 liberal arts school by U.S. News & World
Report.

For me, academics was very important in my decision, not just the athletics. One of the main factors along with the education at Williams was the coaches. Coach McCormack is a great guy and I can already tell he really cares about his players both on and off the field and I really appreciate all that he has done for me so far and I look forward to our time together. Williams’ campus is perfect for me, although it’s small it made me feel like I was at home, rather than
being at a very large school.

The campus is beautiful and the natural surroundings in the area outside the campus are amazing and also open to the students at all times. I love that the school does a lot to provide things for
the students to do outside of the class room.

Williams is a very athletics-oriented school. Most students are on some athletic club or team and
that was a big positive for me. There are many junior varsity and club teams in addition to the varsity programs. I still play varsity basketball at my high school and would love to continue at some level in college.
Another factor is the availability for student athletes to study abroad. That’s something I’m extremely interested in and probably wouldn’t have found if I had chose a Division 1 school.

Outside of Williams itself, a main factor is that my Long Island Sting coach, Mr.
Ken Miller, who has helped me tremendously, spoke very highly of Williams College and Coach McCormack. With everything Williams has to offer me as a school and as a lacrosse program, it was the best by far and away of all the choices out there for me.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Bucknell, Hopkins, Hamilton, Wesleyan, Swarthmore and Franklin & Marshall.

Once I visited, Williams I knew right away it is a great school and I was thankful to have the opportunity. I’ve visited Hopkins many times because my brother played on the 2005 national championship team, but if I were to pursue Hopkins for lacrosse, my chances of playing there and being a big part of the
team were much less.

What adjustments do you think you will need to make to play at the next level?
Coming out of Manhasset is a huge advantage. We have great coaches who demand very high play from us. The biggest difference for me at the next level will be athletics more than lacrosse talent or skill. The biggest thing in the college level versus the high school level is the size, strength, speed and quickness of the college players.

It’s always the biggest, strongest and fastest who seem to win and it’s not a coincidence. I will continue to work hard at getting faster and stronger but I know it will take a lot of hard work and determination.

I work out with Tom Emma who trains athletes from NBA stars to high school and college lacrosse players. My workouts consist of a core group of guys at the high school and college level, including all stars such as Ryan Young (Maryland) and Billy Bitter (UNC).

These workouts are for agility, quickness and overall speed and being able to work out with these college stars helps to push me even further. I have always worked out with lifting weights on my own, but this summer I am taking it to a higher level.

The biggest thing is bringing a strong work ethic, determination and a love for the game everywhere you go to play. I know it will be an adjustment to play at the next level and  a challenge but I look forward to it.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
One of my biggest strengths is my knowledge of the game. I’ve had a stick in my hands since I was 2 years old and I’ve played organized lacrosse since 5. My brother, sister and three uncles all played college lacrosse and I’ve had the opportunity to watch my brother win a national championship. I know so much about the game and I think that my knowledge for the game is a huge strength for me.

Another strength is my ability to play different positions. I can play all three of the close defensive positions and also play long pole middie. I am versatile and I’m not constricted to one specific spot on the field which is very helpful because in the game of lacrosse you are always moving and never find yourself stuck in one part of the field for the entire 4 quarters.

My love for the game is huge and this pushes me to give everything I have for all 4 quarters to win the game. I’m competitive and although sometimes too competitive in things, it makes me play with my heart on every play and I would do anything on the field to help my team.

My style of play is a freestyle (type of style). I enjoy playing out on opposing players and contesting them on every play, instead of sitting back and letting the offense work freely without any pressure, but being a smart player, I understand the times and situations when laying off is better.

What players have you looked up to as you have moved up through the varsity ranks?
Chris Watson (Hopkins,) Kyle Harrison (Hopkins), Joel White (Syracuse) and my brother (Hopkins). I’ve taken a little piece from each one of these players and try to incorporate it into myself and my work ethic.

Chris Watson was one of the smartest defenders I’ve ever seen play. I never really saw him with many takeaway checks or highlights that most people look for, but he anchored the defense and captained his team to a national championship. His leadership, motivation, character and intelligence both on and off the field motivate me to have those characteristics myself. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to have him coach one of my summer teams and I learned a lot from him.

Kyle Harrison was simply the best in everyone’s mind and in his own. He knew what he was capable of and he pushed himself harder than anyone else. He took the game into his own hands and led his team to a National Championship while also being a captain along with Chris Watson. Kyle’s determination,
motivation and heart are all things I wish to have at the same level as him. I remember one home game against Navy in 2005 he scored five goals in a 9-8 comback victory, including the tying and game winner. He was the best and no one worked harder than him to get there.

Joel White is without a doubt the best long pole middie in the country. His ability to shut down, strip opposing players, get every ground ball and his offensive abilities are things I try to mirror.

Lastly my brother, although definitely the least known of these players, his assets to me are very important. He walked on the team as a backup goalie  and was able to graduate college with a national championship. He was determined to continue to do his best no matter what the obstacles in his way. He was no big name player but the was the kid in practice who was the “dumby” player for the starters, he’d play goalie lefty if the upcoming opponent had a lefty goalie, he’d take shots from people like Kyle Harrison, Paul Rabil, the Peyser brothers so that they could get better and his team could be better and in the end win it all. I try to play with the same determination that he played with. Each of these players has certain characteristics and attributes that I strive to achieve.

When did you first realize you had the potential to play at the college level?
Playing in Manhasset, you realize your chances of playing at the next level are high. Not to say that anything is given to you, of course you still have to work for everything, but the Manhasset lacrosse program from the basic elementary school level is amazing.

I first thought about college lacrosse the summer before seventh grade. My coach, John Gagliardi, said to me after one game, “Just wait till you get recruited and get to play for your college team.

Then, going into middle school and high school, I always heard about different
kids from my school playing at the next level and once I entered high school I knew that was something that I could do.

Playing junior varsity lacrosse, the idea of playing in college was something I knew was possible, but still at that young age seemed like a dream still instead of a reality. The summer going into my junior year was when I got my first recruit.

This summer I was thankfully given many excellent opportunities and I’m very happy to say that I was able to accept the one from Williams College.

* For background info on John Maimone-Medwick, check out his recruiting profile by clicking here.