Playing college lacrosse has been Jeff Kratky’s focus for a long time.
After all, the junior midfielder at the Taft School in Watertown, Conn., has been playing the sport since he was in the first or second grade.
It was so long ago, he can’t quite remember which.
But Kratky never envisioned he’d be in a position to play at not one, but several, of the nation’s elite programs.
His proficiency in the faceoff X made the 6-foot, 175-pound right-hander a target of such programs as Virginia, Cornell and Harvard.
In the end, Kratky, a Darien resident, decided on the Cavaliers of UVa.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Jeff on his commitment:
What were the main factors in your decision?
Virginia has a great combination of academics and lacrosse, which is very important to me. When I visited, the guys on the team were all very welcoming and I loved the campus. Coach (Dom) Starsia also toured me and my parents around campus all morning and made us feel right at home. It was a very tough decision, but in the end I could see myself being happiest at Virginia for four years.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
At the start of the recruiting process, I visited a lot of schools, mostly Ivies, but as the process went on the ones I were most serious about were Virginia, Cornell, Dartmouth and Harvard. (Cornell) Coach (Ben) DeLuca, (Dartmouth) Coach (Andy) Towers and (Harvard) Coach (Chris) Wojcik were all extremely nice and didn’t pressure me to make a decision quickly. It was hard to make a decision, but I just felt drawn to Virginia and thought it was the best place for me.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My strengths as a lacrosse player are probably facing off, shooting and ground balls. I’m not a very flashy player, but I have a hard shot and I try to make plays whenever I can. Facing off provides the opportunity to change the momentum of the game and cause quick goals, so I take advantage of that as much as I can.
How did you develop into a faceoff specialist and who helped you learn the ropes?
Facing off was always something I just had in my back pocket, but when I got to high school, I focused on it a lot more because I knew it was a way to get on the field. I have a track of faceoff whistles on my iTunes that I use to practice by myself, and I’ve been lucky enough to work with guys like Dave Jenkins and Chris Eck to learn technique. Working with them really helped bring my game to the next level.
When did you first realize you had the potential to play at the college level?
After freshman year at Taft, I knew I had potential to play in college, but I never thought I’d have as many great options as I did until sophomore year ended. Sophomore year was kind of my break out season.
What were some of the big summer showcase events you’ve competed in the last couple of years and how id you do at them?
The biggest summer event I’ve played at is the Under Armour Underclass Games. We had a great group of guys on the New England team last summer and were fortunate enough to win it all. I played pretty well but it was easy to with so much talent on the team. It was an awesome experience and probably one of the best times I’ve had playing lacrosse. … Outrageous fun.
For more info on Jeff, check out his player profile by clicking here.
Have a recruiting commitment to report? Be sure to email us at info@laxlessons.com.
Follow Joe Lombardi on Twitter @joe_lombardi or by clicking here. Follow LaxLessons @LaxLessons or by clicking here.
LAXLESSONS Links
Recruiting coverage
* Updated recruiting review and commitment rundown (for classes of 2012, ’13 and ’14)
* 2011 NLI Fall Early Signing Period commitment rundown
* Class of 2011 commitment rundown
* For a list of committed players with their profiles up, click here.
* To get your profile up, click here.
Connect with us
* Follow LaxLessons on Twitter by clicking here.
* Become a Fan of LaxLessons on Facebook now by clicking here.
Posted In: Recruiting Rundown
