NLL Insider

An All-Star forward with an All-American pedigree, New York Titans captain Casey Powell has made a triumphant return to the world of indoor lacrosse. The field phenom-turned-indoor All-Pro takes time out to discuss the Powell spotlight, his Titan hopes, and being an American in a Canadian’s game.

So obviously an expansion franchise comes with a few difficulties. Looking at last season compared to where you are now how has the team developed?
I think we came into the season with a full head of steam and with a lot more confidence than last year, but after dropping two straight it puts us in a similar situation to where we were last season. It’s time to get on with our winning ways and stop thinking of ourselves as a franchise and more as a team that needs to pull together.

It’s been said over and over that in this league there are no easy games. What do the Titans need to do in order to be competitive in this eastern division?
Well we really wanted to be 2 and 2 coming out of our first four games, so we’re a game behind where we wanted to be and our schedule certainly doesn’t get any easier. When we looked at the schedule at the beginning of the season there were games that we needed to win, well didn’t necessarily need to win but would have liked to, but now we have to mark them on our calendars as must-wins. Playing in Minnesota on Friday and then playing at home against Buffalo, two really big games for us that we have to split. Though obviously it would be nice to take both.

Have you set any goals or expectations this season for yourself or for the team?
I felt like I had a good season last year and I hope to continue to build on that. I feel like I’m playing okay though my play has dropped off the past couple games. As a team we want to make the playoffs so I think that if we can somehow scratch and claw to 8-8 there’s a possibility we can get there. A lot can happen and there’s a lot of parity in the league so every game is really important.

Having so many American players on the Titans, do you feel like you guys are playing a different style of lacrosse than some of the other teams are?
No doubt about it. I think we use our speed and athleticism to play really good lacrosse, but the other teams play unbelievable box lacrosse so we’re trying to create a new style that’s a little faster and a little less Canadian. The teams that have been together and played together the longest always seem to win so we’re still trying to gain experience in this game and come together as a team.

Is there anything you think the league could do to attract more field players?
I think having the opportunity to play at an earlier age always helps. I think we should create a box lacrosse system in the States similar to the Canadian box lacrosse system where guys are playing all summer and throughout the year at a very high level, a very competitive level. It’s a great game, but a lot of Americans don’t know a whole heck of a lot about it and a lot of them are intimidated by what they hear about box lacrosse and not enough of them are going out and experiencing it for themselves. I think a lot of young field players would have a great opportunity to make it in this game. It’s taken me a long time to settle in and feel comfortable with it, so I think if we could start at an earlier age and have a similar system to what Canada does it would go a long way.

Let’s do a hypothetical here. A young field player gets drafted and asks you what to expect from the indoor game. What do you tell him?
Well it does happen to me, a lot of the young guys do come up and ask. Basically I tell the guys you go out and play one side of the floor and sort of concentrate on doing those little things. When I first started playing indoor I tried to do everything and I quickly found out that that’s not what makes a good indoor player. You have to pick and choose ways to help your team out on the floor, whether it’s transition, being faster getting up to offense, setting picks. If you’re not a great shooter then try to become a better passer. You really kind of have to reinvent yourself as a lacrosse player. Find your strengths and use them as much as you can.

People tend to get so wrapped up in what they’ve heard about the Powell brothers that sometimes your actual accomplishments in the league can get overlooked. How does that affect you?
I certainly hear a lot of negative talk about the Powell brothers, especially when it comes to players that haven’t played with us. We do get a lot of hype and a lot of attention and some players dislike that, but we’ve played this game very hard for a very long time and we respect it just as much as the other players that have made this their living. People usually don’t knock us after they’ve played with us and gotten to know us. I can’t really get too caught up in what they think. I just try to play as hard as I can.

You’ve got one of the biggest names in lacrosse, the kind of name that puts fans in seats. Does the pressure of being such a focal point ever get to you or is it something you’ve learned to thrive on?
I used to let it bother me, but now I embrace it. Any way that we can help the game grow — Ryan and myself or whoever’s in the league — I think it’s great. Whatever brings the fans in the fastest. We’re just trying to make the game not necessarily always bigger, but better. That’s kind of what I try to do.

Can you talk a little bit about how you got into doing the radio show? [Inside the NLL with Casey Powell on SIRIUS Satellite Radio]
I’ve done radio shows in the past with Syracuse University, stuff like that. I’ve always kind of been interested in the media aspect of it and again it’s another way we can promote the game. The league came to me and told me there was an opportunity with SIRIUS and I jumped at it right away. I’ve been fortunate because this game has opened up a lot of opportunities and different experiences and I’m just trying to get a little taste of everything. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy having other players on, getting their insights on how they feel about the league and how it feels back.

Looking at your career stats for this league, there are a couple gaps of a few years. What is it that keeps you coming back to the NLL?
I’m a competitor. I’ve played with guys like John Grant, Colin Doyle, Gavin Prout, Brodie Merrill and all the Canadian superstars like Gary Gait, I’ve played against them and I see that they continue to push as hard as they can and it’s kind of inspired me to come back and see if I can better myself as a player. It’s a totally different game from what I was used to growing up, but I’ve really fallen in love with it lately and enjoy playing it and I enjoy the challenge of trying to get better.

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