Blazer and Cannon defenseman Belisle (Photo: Boston Cannons.)
During the Mann Cup lacrosse tournament in British Columbia last week, much was made of Brampton Exclesiors key players Anthony Cosmo and Dan Dawson (who play for the Boston Blazers of the National Lacrosse League in the winter months) being unable to make a game due to their full-time jobs as a school teacher and firefighter. Dawson and Cosmo missed Game 4 of the important Canadian series, not being able to make the trek to British Columbia because of an inability to take time off from their jobs. The school year had just begun for Cosmo, and Dawson was just days into his new job as a firefighter.
Most sports fans can not fathom a professional athlete having a full-time job, but in many sports such as lacrosse, that is reality. Then how does one moonlight as a professional athlete? How do you fit in practices, games and promotional experiences?
Blazers forward and Cannons midfielder Greg Downing juggles playing professional lacrosse with his full-time job at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America. "I am fortunate enough to have a boss that is very understanding of my lacrosse responsibilities," explains Downing. "He has been great with allowing me to take time off, but I do have to use my vacation days for any days I need off."
Time to visit friends and family back in upstate New York is especially limited for Downing. "Between indoor and outdoor (lacrosse), I have used up just about all of my vacation days for this year."
With youth lacrosse growing across the nation, some professional lacrosse players have the opportunity to work full-time in lacrosse. Blazers and Cannons defender Mitch Belisle is lucky enough to count himself among those ranks; he works as Events Director for Trilogy Lacrosse, and directs some locations of their boys lacrosse camps. "Both founders of Trilogy Lacrosse are former Princeton lacrosse players, and one is a teammate of mine on the Boston Cannons (Ryan Boyle), so they understand the commitments and responsibilities that come with playing," says Belisle.
Belisle's involvement with the Cannons and Blazers is considered ideal for his position with Trilogy. "Having professional players as our directors and at nearly all of our events is also one of the reasons Trilogy Lacrosse is the leader in lacrosse education, so my participation with the Blazers is beneficial."
But even with a close relationship between his full-time work and his playing professional lacrosse, Belisle admits that there can be difficulties. "Despite doing as much advanced planning between the two at the outset as humanly possible, there definitely are conflicts that do arise. "
Downing agrees, but realizes he's been lucky so far. He admits that he doesn't yet have any interesting stories from juggling his financial career and lacrosse, "until I come into work with a black eye."
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