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04/27/2017 12:00 AMCoaches love having athletes like Ryan Davis on their team. Ryan, a senior at Valley Regional, always plays hard and is constantly looking for ways to help his teams get better. That’s one of the main reasons why Ryan was named a captain for both the Warriors’ boys’ lacrosse and soccer squads. Of course, it also helps that Ryan plays an integral role to his teams’ success on the field. In lacrosse, Ryan handles the face-off duties almost exclusively for Valley. On the soccer field, he was named All-Shoreline Conference First Team and made All-State for the Warriors last fall.
Regardless of the sport, Ryan approaches the responsibility of being a captain with the utmost seriousness. He often looks for opportunities to work with his teammates during practice and help them improve their game in any way he can. As the main face-off man for the lacrosse squad, Ryan typically takes other players under his wing and gives them pointers on how to grab possession from the opposition.
“At any point, I try to step in and help, no matter who it is,” says Ryan. “For face-offs, I’m the only person on the team that’s older. So I try to push the other kids and help them.”
Valley boys’ lacrosse Head Coach George Hudson believes that Ryan is one of the best at handling the draw, and the numbers back him up as Ryan has won 74 of his 108 face-offs this season. However, Ryan does much more for the Warriors besides securing the ball.
“In all the games, he dominates the face-off. You’re not getting possession without the face-off, and he’s up there with the best of them,” says Hudson. “Also, his ability to push transition. He knows when to settle and when to go.”
Ryan is using these instincts throughout the current campaign as he and the Warriors look to improve upon last year’s 8-9 record. Ryan believes that a deep postseason run is possible, but knows that the Warriors have to play together and for each other to make that happen.
“We have a younger team this year. We need to build up the chemistry, and that will help us reach long-term goals like Shorelines and states,” Ryan says. “We just have to be friendly with each other. Talking to each other in school, hang out when we aren’t in school, get to know each other better than just on the team.”
The Warriors’ team-building approach is working thus far as they currently stand at 5-1 and are in position to once again reach the postseason. Of course, the best chemistry in the world isn’t enough if a team doesn’t score goals, and Ryan and company have been supplying them in droves this year. So far, Ryan has 11 goals on 25 shots to go with his 12 assists. Ryan’s high shooting percentage shows that he’s savvy when it comes to picking his spots to push the offensive pressure. Of course, as a midfielder, Ryan has to play effectively on both sides of the ball, and Coach Hudson believes he’s an asset to the team no matter where he is on the field.
“He’s balanced both ways,” says Hudson. “He’s one of our offensive threats. He has the green light whenever he has the ball on his stick to go, but he plays great defense for me, as well. He’s a blue-collar two-way middy.”
Ryan’s defensive prowess was always on display when he hit the soccer pitch for Valley Regional. A defender, Ryan looked to stifle the opposition whenever they got into the Warriors’ backfield. Even though Ryan plays different positions in his two sports, he feels that his experience in one helps him with the other.
“Soccer is a slower pace than lacrosse, but endurance is necessary for both,” says Ryan. “Playing soccer has helped my endurance in lacrosse and vice versa.”
Boys’ soccer Head Coach Mick Fearon appreciates the leadership qualities that Ryan brought to the Warriors, who advanced to the semifinals of the Class S State Tournament last season. While Ryan isn’t the type of captain who typically gets into a teammate’s face, Fearon notes the other ways in which he led the team.
“He’s a quiet leader,” says Fearon. “Over the years, he always came to camp in good shape. He’s not a very vocal person, but he leads by example with his conditioning and his play on the field.”
Ryan knows how important it is for him to set a good example, and not just because it helps his teams win games. Ryan tries to establish successful habits for his teammates both on the field and in life.
“As a captain, I want them to carry themselves respectfully,” says Ryan, who thanks his family for their support. “Treat the other team, coaches, and refs with respect. That’s one of the biggest things.”
It’s comments like these that show why Ryan’s coaches trust him to lead their teams.
“He’s the kid you want,” says Hudson. “He’s a great player, a great leader, and a great kid to be around.”