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04/19/2019 12:00 AMJack Broggi is a mainstay on the North Haven boys’ lacrosse squad who’s held a spot on the varsity roster throughout the past four seasons. This year, the senior is donning the captain’s hat for the Indians. Jack plays both midfield and attack, and his versatility helps him lead a team that has playoff aspirations in 2019.
Looking back at the last few years, Jack knows that North Haven has the potential to get back in the postseason this spring. He believes the biggest factor in being a perennial playoff contender is a team’s ability to get better during the campaign.
“In my four years, we’ve made the postseason every year. I think the biggest accomplishment the team has is how much we’ve grown,” says Jack. “The majority of the team isn’t seniors. The younger guys really stepped it up. The transition from youth lacrosse to high school lacrosse is pretty big, and the fact that they stepped up to the challenge is huge.”
Jack is a key cog in a prolific attack for North Haven, but he also plays midfielder. Typically, Jack helps create a triangle on offense, while standing behind the opposition’s net in order to facilitate ball movement and generate scoring opportunities. Jack has 12 goals with eight assists this year and netted the game-winning score in an 11-10 overtime victory versus Southington.
“I do the majority of the dodging behind the net. We usually have a guy at wing, at the crease, and me behind the net,” Jack says. “If we miss a shot, we’ve been strong with our ride and stopping them from clearing the ball. Our defense is good, but we do a good job of not letting our opponents even get to our defense.”
Jack is one of four senior captains who are sprinkled around the field for North Haven. Jack feels that having at least one captain at the attack, midfield, and defender positions keeps the energy level up and ensures that everyone is doing their best each day.
“All four captains have their own little sector. A lot of what we do isn’t just telling the kids where to be. We have to bring energy,” says Jack, who leads the team with Anthony Bello, Shamus Meehan, and Lou Mineri. “We have to bring the intensity, bring the juice. If you bring energy, everything else will follow. If you’re going full speed, then everything will take care of itself.”
Prior to a game, Jack and his fellow captains always make sure that the Indians are prepared for battle. Depending on the matchup and the history between the two clubs, Jack lets his teammates know what they can expect from their opponent.
“After we stretch, we set the tone by saying what the situation is. We talk about how the other team is feeling,” Jack says. “We’ll talk about how they’re going to come out and try to beat us. We tell the team that whatever the opposing team is doing, we have to be a step ahead and bring more energy than they do.”
Head Coach Eric Bailey feels confident in Jack’s abilities as a captain. Bailey says that Jack’s commitment to staying in peak physical shape, coupled with his knowledge of how to play multiple positions, make him a great leader for North Haven.
“Jack has been on the squad for four years. He’s seen it all. He’s only versatile because he’s in great shape, and he’s in great shape because he put the time and effort in the offseason. That effort, along with his experience, makes him someone we can trust in both the midfield and attack,” Coach Bailey says. “Jack has grown up a lot from his freshman year as a varsity player. Now, he realizes what it takes to be in great physical shape and how to be counted on as a leader. I’m extremely proud of Jack and how far he’s come.”
Jack says that he owes his coaches a lot for teaching him to become the player that he is today. Jack had experience playing youth lacrosse before he started high school, but he’s taken his game to a completely different level while competing for the Indians.
“Coach Bailey and [defensive coordinator John Climie] changed my perspective on lacrosse when I came in as a freshman. They taught me basically everything that I know,” Jack says. “You need to go full speed and work hard now. The Xs and Os come during the season. We just have to stay in shape and be ready to go.”
Jack and his teammates are looking to make some noise in the playoffs this season. The objective is to win a state title, but Jack knows that everyone on the squad has to continue honing their skills, so North Haven can hit its stride come playoff time.
“The expectation is to take every game and practice step by step. Every year, the goal is the state championship, but when we take losses, we need to be learning from the mistakes we made,” says Jack, who will attend Quinnipiac University next fall. “Every practice and game, we need to be working hard. It will ultimately shape us up to be the team we need to be to make a good run.”