GAMES — Love of Lacrosse Lures Middle’s Joe Sweeney

The measure of a person is more accurately calculated when observing how he or she responds to adversity. What happens when things go wrong? What is the response to disappointment?
Cervical stenosis took away the game Joe Sweeney loved the most. The soon-to-be-18-year-old was experiencing dangerously frequent “stingers” so he was forced to say goodbye to football.
At 5-11, 195 pounds, Sweeney enjoys being physical in the athletic arena. He grew up as a fullback, tight end and linebacker, all positions, which especially invite collisions on the gridiron.
Moving on to Middle Township High, the Court House resident appeared on his way to becoming a force. He earned quality time as a freshman and became a favorite pupil of the upper classmen on the Panther squad.
“My goal was four varsity letters in football,” he said. “I loved running the ball.”
The seniors steered him away from baseball in the spring of his first high school season. They urged Sweeney to try lacrosse for the first time in his life.
The neck problem halted football in October of his sophomore season and would also signal the close of his tenure as a 185-pound second-year wrestler. The only son of Tom and Kristy Sweeney did not pout or feel sorry for himself at the disappointing news. Instead he turned all of his considerable energy toward lacrosse.
“The seniors convinced me to play lacrosse,” said Sweeney. “They needed someone for the defense and I volunteered. I started four games as a freshman.”
Sweeney used his desire and unending work ethic to excel at lacrosse. He gained exposure and greater understanding of the intricacies of the sport by competing with the South Jersey Shamrocks summer tournament team after his sophomore and junior scholastic seasons.
When he first showed up in West Deptford as a still relatively raw lacrosse athlete, he was quickly chosen for the top level Shamrock “orange” squad.
His natural ability and ferocious approach to the game led to second team All Cape-Atlantic League status the end of his sophomore season. He followed that up with first team CAL recognition as a junior.
As a defender, Sweeney is called upon to do the dirty work. Although he managed to score a hat trick versus Oakcrest earlier this season, Sweeney’s usual job description is to take on opposing scorers, locate open teammates with crisp assists and engage in the inevitable contact the sport requires.
“It’s the fastest sport on two feet,” said Sweeney. “You need a team effort to be successful. You need to assist each other with the ball. You have to find open looks.”
While admitting that football had been his “first love” because of “the opportunity to hit people,” Sweeney has accommodated his medical limitations quite nicely. He will take his acquired passion for lacrosse to Montclair State next season where he’ll compete for the Red Hawks.
Sweeney visited larger schools and was widely recruited, including a concerted effort to lure him to the University of Tampa, but the Avalon lifeguard did not want to endure warm winter temperatures.
“Montclair is far enough away and close enough to come home in case I want to visit,” said Sweeney. “The campus is crazy. They have 15,000 students. And I need seasonal weather. When I visited Tampa in October it was 100 degrees.”
Sweeney said he’ll pursue a health and physical education degree at Montclair. He hopes to return to the area to teach and coach lacrosse.
As for his final high school campaign, Sweeney’s Panthers were 14-2 through Sunday with coach Tom Griffin awaiting word about state playoff seeding after a Monday battle with St. Augustine Prep.
“Joe’s a competitor and he’s not afraid to go one-on-one with somebody,” said Griffin. “When he got here we gave him a stick and he tried to hit as many people as he could. Now he does it the correct way. He’s tenacious and he won’t give up on a play.”
Sweeney’s mother, Kristy, beams with pride about her son’s accomplishment in overcoming the injury and playing a crucial role in the lacrosse team’s success despite not receiving the publicity the offensive players achieve.
“Eighteen schools approached him about playing lacrosse in college,” she said. “It was an incredible experience. I had to do a resume for him. He’s a humble kid and he plays a non-glorified position but he’s worked very hard to get where he is.”
It’s remarkable how seamlessly this former football player and wrestler overcame disappointment and transitioned to a sport he knew so little about just a handful of years ago.
“Lacrosse is about body positioning, moving your feet and keeping your head on a swivel,” he said. “You can’t shy away, even when a shot is coming right at you. You take hits and you give hits.”
Sweeney also serves as one of the Panther captains, another sign of the respect his coaches and teammates have for his skill and work ethic.
“I love hanging out with my friends,” he said. “And I love trying new things.”
Evidently.
Reach Rossi at joerossi61@comcast.net
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