Considering he didn’t start playing lacrosse till age 12, it should come as no surprise that Ryan Nardi’s physical abilities are ahead of his stick skills.
For starters, the recent graduate of the Fieldston School in New York City is 6-foot-3, 200 pounds. He was also a four-year letterwinner in football.
So a post-grad year at the Westminster School (Conn.) can only be a positive for Nardi.
After that, it’s on to Bowdoin for the start of a promising college career. Nardi has already been formally accepted to Bowdoin.
Now, here’s a Q&A with Ryan on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
I was looking for a school that combined academic excellence with a high level of lacrosse. (Head) Coach (Jason) Archbell is an awesome defensive coach and inherits a Bowdoin program that is coming off an NCAA tournament appearance.
Also, I am really interested in majoring in Economics and Bowdoin offers one of the best programs in the country. Most importantly, I wanted to attend a school that would open doors for me throughout my life.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
I considered Michigan, Bucknell, Dartmouth, Lafayette, Wesleyan and Amherst. I took visits to all of them.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
My grittiness, quickness and patience.
Throwing takeaway checks is all about waiting for the perfect moment to throw it and that’s something I believe I do very well. I have good feet which allows me to keep up with the smaller attackmen and gives me the ability to cover all types of offensive players.
Also, being a football player definitely helps my lacrosse abilities as the toughness and movements carry over to the lacrosse field.
What areas of your game do you think you need to work on?
It’s impossible to be a perfect lacrosse player, so I’m always working to get better in all aspects of my game. The area I need to work on the most is my stick skills.
Who have been some of the biggest influences on you during your development as a player?
A lot of people have been instrumental in my development as a player. I first picked up a stick in seventh grade and played for the DOCs program in New York City. Mat Levine and Ben Kaminow were the ones who taught me the basics of the game and inspired me to love the sport.
I played four years of varsity lacrosse for (Head Coach) Keith Bergin (at Fieldston), who pushed me to become a better player every year and a leader on and off the field.
For the past two summers, I’ve played for Ken Miller and the Long Island Sting. Playing with the Sting brought my game to the next level and Coach Miller was the one who convinced me a PG year would open up many doors in my recruitment. Coach Miller also put me in touch with former Maryland All-American Michael Howley, who taught me everything I know about defense.
My parents were the most important influence on my development and without their support and dedication none of this would have been possible.
How do you think the post-grad season at Westminster will benefit you?
Coming from New York City, the competition is not extremely challenging, for the most part. By playing a year in the Founders League, I will be pitted against the best of the best every game and the increased competition will force me to become a better player.
(Head) Coach (Peter) Newman runs an excellent program at Westminster which will prepare me a lot more for the next level. It’s also another year to get stronger and more mature as I look forward to my playing career at Bowdoin.
* For more info on Ryan, check out his player profile by clicking here.
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Posted In: Recruiting Rundown
