8 minute read
Sticks in the City
sticks city the in
Carolina men’s and women’s lacrosse programs benefit from New York City connections
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BY ANDREW STILWELL // PHOTOS BY KARA CANNIZARRO
When 2013 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and Patterson Award-winner Kara Cannizarro came back to Carolina as Director of Engagement and Development for the women’s lacrosse program in August of 2017, she felt there was one thing missing that would make the lacrosse program “complete” in every way.
“I met so many amazing alumni postgraduation, all who wanted to help me and other recent graduates succeed,” Cannizzaro said. “It only made sense to formalize it and capitalize on our network.
“We decided that it would be an awesome opportunity if we could coordinate an effort to bring our current student athletes to the ‘working world’ of New York City so that they could experience different industries and start to understand where they wanted to work postgrad,” she continued. “After we had that idea, it was presented, and everyone was excited about it, so I started reaching out to prominent alumni in the New York City area. It was really well received.”
During the past two fall breaks, members of the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs have traveled to New York City to meet and network with multiple lacrosse alumni from both programs who work in the city.
The “pipeline” of UNC lacrosse to New York City has existed for many years, but it has become more “formalized” during these recent trips. Men’s lacrosse alumnus and 1988 graduate John Moore, Chairman and CEO of The Marwood Group, noted that he has hired multiple interns from UNC for nearly 20 years.
“I’m a big believer in the internship program,” Moore said. “Over the last few years, with Kara, Jenny [Levy] and Joe [Breschi], we’ve just kind of joined forces, and been able to more ‘high profile’ it for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. It’s a three-legged stool. You’ve got the athletics, the academics, and the experiential learning. It all handshakes really well.”
Women’s lacrosse head coach Jenny Levy realizes the importance as well.
“By formalizing the program, it became clear that this sort of engagement with alums was very powerful,” said Levy. “It created new relationships, connections and mentoring opportunities for our student athletes and alums. It is an organic way to
connect the past and present of our program in a transformational way.
“There is so much pride when you are a student-athlete at North Carolina because the traditions of success and the overall standards of excellence are in the fabric of all you do. Continuing to grow this culture after graduation through connecting our student athletes with our alums for career opportunities creates a deeper and lifelong connection to Carolina,” Levy continued.
During the two-day trip, the student athletes visited companies including Bank of America, Google, The Marwood Group, Oath and Goldman Sachs; attended a 90-minute networking session with New York City-area alumni at Wells Fargo; and were treated to one of the “toughest workouts in New York” with an early-morning session at ToneHouse by women’s lacrosse class of 2012 alumna Laura Zimmerman.
For Zimmerman, who works in Credit Sales for Bank of AmericaMerrill Lynch’s Global Markets, the opportunity to “give back” to current student athletes is extremely rewarding.
“I had a fantastic experience overall when I was at UNC, and I love being involved and ‘hands-on’ in these networking sessions, because I want to be able to help future student athletes and future students at UNC, in order to get into some of the best positions we have to offer, whether it’s here, or in another industry. I just want to be able to help provide guidance,” she said.
“It’s really fun for me, because I loved my time at Carolina, and I love living in New York City now. I love being able to give a picture of what it is to be a Carolina alum in New York,” Zimmerman continued. “I love selling them on the experience. Taking them to a 6 a.m. workout, being up at 5:15-5:30 in the morning, and seeing how busy the streets are, and then racing to work after that hour’s workout. I love displaying to them that this is what it means to be in the ‘rat race’ and ‘the grind,’ and how hard we work, and how it pays off in other ways. It’s really exciting.”
“A Recruiting Opportunity”
The networking trip and professional alumni base has become a big recruiting point for the Carolina coaching staffs, largely in part to the alumni’s willingness to mentor the “next generation” of Carolina Lacrosse.
“When we’re recruiting kids and their families, parents will wonder if it’s a ‘four-year commitment for my son’ or a ‘40 year commitment for my son.’ I think that’s why we sell the fact that our alumni are so invested in our players’ futures as much as we are,” said men’s lacrosse head coach Joe Breschi. “Sure, you’re going to get a tremendous four-year education, a tremendous four-year lacrosse experience, but most importantly, it’s going to be a 40-year investment in your son’s life and future. We can show the networking opportunities and the abundant alumni network that is throughout the country and beyond that will available to their son.
“For alumni to still have their ‘hands in the cookie jar,’ so to speak, and to have that connection with Chapel Hill based on their experiences they’ve had here, and the chance to give back to the program that made such a great impact on their lives is just an unbelievable feeling,” Breschi continued. “That’s why we started this opportunity, not only to expand the recruiting opportunities for men’s and women’s lacrosse, but also to continue to cultivate the relationship with the alumni and the program.”
The alumni agree.
“I talk to Coach Breschi about it all the time. It’s a great recruiting tool, understanding that you have this professional network that people can plug into,” said Jonathan Fox, managing director for the Marwood Group, and 1997 UNC men’s lacrosse captain. “Parents and kids both are a little bit more ‘heads up’ with what happens after school. It can be a powerful tool. Things like that bring the alumni closer and gives us another reason to cheer for the kids when you
get to know them. At the end of the day it all nets positive for the program.”
“More Than Networking”
In addition to the mentorship from alumni, lacrosse studentathletes get to do a little mentoring of their own during these trips, by putting on a youth lacrosse clinic in Harlem.
“I think we preach, as men’s lacrosse and women’s lacrosse programs, the opportunities that these student-athletes have, to give back,” Breschi said. “To give back to the sport that has meant so much to them, and afforded them the opportunities to play at a place like the University of North Carolina.”
“The opportunity is there to give back to Harlem Lacrosse, by having the chance to touch the lives of these kids in Harlem, who maybe have picked up a stick for the first time and maybe they’re seeing that there’s opportunities in this game. It was enlightening for our student athletes and the coaches to go and make an impact, a small impact, but certainly make a difference in the day of giving back to the youth in Harlem.”
For the student athletes who attended the trip, the Harlem lacrosse clinic was one of highlights of the trip.
“I’ve done that clinic two years in a row now. It was amazing just seeing what the name UNC Lacrosse – men’s or women’s - meant to these young kids in a struggling neighborhood in Harlem. It meant a lot to us to be able to help them and use lacrosse as an outlet to
make their lives better,” said junior attackman Mike Guerlin.
“The clinic was probably the most interesting and heartwarming thing I’ve honestly ever done,” said freshman midfielder Brooke Rooney. “The girls were so excited to see us. They almost made us feel famous in a way.
“They were so excited just to use our sticks, which was something I took for granted a little bit,” she continued. “I think they actually mentored me in certain ways just with how grateful they are. That was one of the first experiences I’ve ever had where I just took a step back and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, I should be more like them.’”
A Really Extended Family
Everyone involved with the lacrosse program, from student athletes, to coaches, to alumni, wants to continue to foster the networking and mentorship that is gained by these networking trips.
“Our motto for the program is Family. Academics. Lacrosse. In that order,” Breschi explained. “When we recruit, they’re going to be a part of a really extended special family that reaches well beyond the lacrosse program. It’s the university. It’s the athletic department. It’s all those who have come before you and the far-reaching alumni that continue to open their arms to all student athletes. The family aspect is preached, but most importantly, it’s lived.”
The student athletes and alumni both agree.
“Being a part of the UNC family, specifically lacrosse, is something both current players and former players really enjoy and grab on to,” Guerlin said. “It means the world knowing that we have a support system that goes beyond our four years at Carolina. We know that being a Tar Heel is something really meaningful, and something that a lot of people take very seriously in the workplace.”
“During the networking event, we get a pretty good alumni turnout,” Fox said. “It’s a great time for us to all get together. When we get together, we all talk about how we need to do it more often, and by hosting this trip, it gives the alumni a fantastic reason to do so.”
