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05/02/2019 12:00 AMRobbie Lionetti loves playing sports. Ever since he was a little kid, Robbie was itching for the opportunity to compete in high school. Now a senior at Branford, Robbie is in the home stretch of a high school career that’s seen him wear the Hornets’ uniform in all three seasons.
“In my house, both my parents are athletes, so sports and fitness has always been a big thing, and it’s something I’ve always done. It’s a passion,” Robbie says. “I remember in middle school not playing all year, and I could barely get through the day. In high school, when I had the chance, it was just natural.”
Robbie has been a member of Branford’s boys’ ice hockey and lacrosse squads throughout all four years of high school. He ran cross country for two seasons and then joined the football team as a junior.
This winter, Robbie helped Branford’s hockey squad put together an epic campaign in which the Hornets recorded 20 victories, won the SCC/SWC Division II title, and claimed the Division II state crown. Last spring, he made the All-SCC Division II First Team and was named the SCC Division II Player of the Year for boys’ lacrosse after setting Branford’s single-season scoring record with 96 goals.
“Robbie does pretty much everything for us. He’s an offensive machine, he’s a leader, and his lacrosse IQ is really second to none. The biggest thing I’ve seen over the years is his desire to get better,” Branford boys’ lacrosse Head Coach Jim May says. “Robbie is a coach’s dream not only by his skill work, but by the heart, determination, and the love of the sport that he brings.”
Robbie makes it a point to bring passion to athletics. As a senior captain for both hockey and lacrosse, he makes sure that all of his teammates are on board with that aspect.
“If you’ve ever seen me play, I’m very emotional. When it comes to leading, I try to make everyone else love it and have fun,” says Robbie. “When you can get everyone to play and have fun and show the same passion, the team does well. I try to spread that.”
The Hornets played with plenty of passion on the ice during the recent winter season. It means the world to Robbie that Branford brought home the program’s first state championship since the 1988 campaign.
“That banner that says ‘88 is right outside our locker room, and we’ve been looking at it for four years. This was our last chance to go win,” Robbie says. “I felt so happy to do it with the guys. We worked so hard every day, battling through injury, sickness, and balancing schoolwork and our social lives. So much goes into an entire season, and the fact that we won SCCs and states is a huge relief.”
Robbie is having another great season on the lacrosse field this spring. Thus far, he’s scored 40 goals and contributed eight assists for the Hornets, who have a record of 6-4. After high school, Robbie will do a postgraduate year at Avon Old Farms and then join the United States Air Force Academy, where he’s going to play lacrosse while serving his country.
“I decided on Air Force because my grandpa, who recently passed away, was in the military. Serving is always something I wanted to do, but never thought it was possible, because I wanted to play sports in college,” Robbie says. “But when I received an email from Air Force, it was a dream come true. As soon as I got that email, they were the frontrunner. I couldn’t be more excited to go there.”