00:00Frank Walks, it's time for Frank Walks. Frank Talks while Frank Walks, it's time for Frank Walks.
00:09The New York Atlas Bulls are in the PLL Championship game and it's this Sunday, 1230 at SI Stadium in Harrison.
00:18You know, I'm going to be there to cheer on the Bulls and you know, one of the Bulls' big key players is Trevor Baptiste.
00:26And he's about to join me on a Frank Walks, which of course is always refreshed by Body Armor.
00:31You know, it's been powering my walks for over 700 straight days.
00:40And let's go for a walk.
00:43Alright, yeah, Trevor, thank you for joining us, you know.
00:47I don't know that much about lacrosse, but I remember going to a few games last year.
00:52And the way you are on the face-offs, it's almost like a cheat code.
01:01No, I appreciate that.
01:02What is it like to just be down on the ground, getting those face-off ways, that you get a big goal and you get the ball right back to your team?
01:12Yeah, no, it feels good. It's really exciting.
01:14I think, you know, lacrosse is a possession game, you know, so when you can play, make and take it, it really helps your team.
01:20And they're juice goals, you know, and a face-off guy can score or you score a great, a big goal, then you can get that ball back and score again.
01:27You can really put a team down.
01:28I mean, it really like is a momentum just like changer.
01:31Right, right, right.
01:32I mean, and if I'm not mistaken, you win about two-thirds of your face-offs.
01:40Yeah, about that, yeah.
01:42I mean, that's incredible.
01:43That means two-thirds of the time, it's basically like land or water ratio.
01:51Oh, that's it, that's how much you shot me face-off.
01:56It's like two-thirds of the time, the atlas are getting that ball.
02:02Yeah, that's a good, I've never, that's a great comparison.
02:05I like that, I like that, I'm going to use that, I like that.
02:08Water to land, water to earth, water to earth ratio, I like that.
02:14Now, you're from New Jersey.
02:16Yeah, yeah, yeah.
02:17You grew up in the Morristown area.
02:19Yeah, yeah.
02:21What was it like learning how to play lacrosse in New Jersey?
02:25I thought that growing up I was pretty, I think I benefited from it.
02:29I think lacrosse is a northeastern sport, like it's pretty dominated.
02:33I think there's a lot of great talent coming up in New Jersey.
02:36So when I first started it was tough, like I wasn't great.
02:41I felt like a lot of kids and players were playing for a while
02:45and they were a lot better than I was.
02:48But it was a great place to play to push myself for sure.
02:52Because New Jersey's like one of the top, it's not like, maybe not the reputation that Long Island has,
02:58but New Jersey's always had great lacrosse players.
03:01Yeah, no, absolutely.
03:02I think that, I think New Jersey doesn't get as much love by the lacrosse team as it should.
03:08I think there's been so many great players that come out of New Jersey.
03:10But you're right, like Long Island, upstate, Baltimore, I put Jersey up right with them.
03:17I obviously got a little biased though.
03:19You know, I got a little biased.
03:20And now you're going to be playing for the PLL Championship this weekend in Harrison.
03:26That's right.
03:27Back home.
03:29Coming back home.
03:29I mean, you got to do it for the home fans.
03:33That's it.
03:34We got to do it for the home fans.
03:35We got to do it for the New York fans.
03:37You know, and we're really excited.
03:38I think this is the first time that the Atlas have made to the championship since the inception of the league.
03:44And you've been there the whole time.
03:46Been there the whole time.
03:47You're the last of the original members of this team when the PLL was formed and founded.
03:52Exactly, yeah.
03:54So the PLL started in 2019.
03:57You know, we've had so many great players that come through our team.
04:00And I feel like we just always came a little short and maybe underachieved in some ways.
04:06Well, last year, I remember they had a great regular season.
04:09And I don't know what happened in the playoff game.
04:13Yeah, it was like a heartbreaker.
04:15Overtime, overtime loss to the Whipsnakes in the semifinal.
04:20And that was tough.
04:22That was tough.
04:22But I think we're better for it.
04:24I think it's going to put us in a great position for this weekend.
04:28It seemed like you just had a little bit of struggle early in the season this year.
04:32And then you just found your momentum going into the playoffs this year.
04:37Absolutely.
04:37And I think with everything, like, you know, with all sports, you want to peak at the right time.
04:41And, you know, so I think that maybe other years we're so hot out the gates and then we face some adversity down the stretch.
04:49I think we're pretty battle-tested.
04:51And we're also feeling great.
04:52We're feeling good.
04:54So what do you mean the keys will be for Sunday's game?
04:57I would say, one, you know, the Outlaws are really talented.
05:03They got star-studded attacks.
05:05So I think just keeping them quiet as possible.
05:09You know they're going to get a few goals.
05:11But, you know, owning our matchup there, shutting down transition.
05:16They got guys that can really run up and down the field.
05:18They can shoot two-pointers.
05:20And you've got the connection to Denver.
05:21You went to University of Denver.
05:23Yep.
05:23Yeah, yeah.
05:24So I'm familiar with the area.
05:27I went to University of Denver, lived in Denver for many years.
05:31So, you know, I think we just got to be confident, too.
05:35I would say that's the third thing.
05:36Like, confidence is key.
05:38And I think that because we haven't reached the championship yet, it could be something to overthink, you know.
05:45But I don't think there needs to be an overthinking.
05:47I think we just got to go out and play.
05:49Now, for someone who's never watched a cross before, what are some things you'd like to point out to them?
05:56I would say the speed of the game.
05:58So some people call it the fastest game on two feet.
06:03I think that we get up and down the field quick.
06:06It's under a minute shot clock to get a shot off.
06:10So the game's going up and down.
06:12Promotes athleticism.
06:14And then I would say the skill, you know, just being able to shoot the ball.
06:18We're shooting the ball over 100 miles per hour.
06:21We're passing.
06:21You're not seeing a lot of drop passing.
06:24And we just control the ball well.
06:26So I would say those two things.
06:27And you also play in the NLL.
06:31What's the difference between the NLL and the PLL?
06:34Yeah, so the NLL is indoor lacrosse, which is basically a different discipline of the game.
06:38It's played on a hockey rink, put turf on the ground.
06:44Smaller goals, bigger goalies, five on five.
06:48And it looks like hockey, more or less.
06:50It looks a lot like hockey.
06:52And the PLL is the true lacrosse.
06:56Yeah, that's field lacrosse.
06:58Yeah, field lacrosse.
06:59The traditional lacrosse, whatever you want.
07:01Jim Brown played.
07:02Exactly, yeah.
07:03Jim Brown played field lacrosse.
07:05Yeah, exactly.
07:06Exactly.
07:07So when you're digging out in there for the face-off, what is the key to getting that face-off win?
07:15I'd say speed.
07:16Speed is definitely a big one.
07:19Technique.
07:20So it is a pretty technical position.
07:23You know, I kind of break it down real simply as like rock, paper, scissor, right?
07:27So if someone's trying to go for the clamp, you know, I think that, you know, maybe a rake move might be better.
07:33So you might be able to throw a different move depending on what your opponent's doing.
07:37And then I would also say tenacity.
07:39You know, like it's a physical position.
07:41You're grinding down.
07:42You're kind of wrestling somebody to get that ball.
07:44But then you've got to run up.
07:45Because you have to get really low down there for that.
07:47It's like, it doesn't look easy.
07:50Yeah, no, exactly.
07:51You've got to get low.
07:53You've got to drive.
07:53You're using your full body to try to get that ball.
07:56And then you've got to run and go pick it up or pass it to a teammate and run and join the play.
08:00Do you feel pretty sense?
08:01Oh, yeah, yeah.
08:02So right here, I usually start down on my knee like this.
08:07And then I've got my stick in my hands like this.
08:10Now I'm clamping down on the ball like that.
08:12And then, you know, when you get tied up, you're kind of like wrestling, circling the ball.
08:16And then the other, your opponent's here.
08:18So you're kind of driving against each other like this.
08:22You can also face off standing up like this, too.
08:25So you might see that this weekend as well.
08:28So we're right here.
08:29Down the ball's in between us.
08:31They're saying, down set whistle.
08:32You're just driving through that ball.
08:34Driving through that ball and trying to pick it up.
08:37Be explosive.
08:39I'm going to be at that game.
08:40I'm going to be rooting for you.
08:41Appreciate that.
08:42It's this Sunday at S.I. Stadium in Harrison.
08:48Being at a root on the New York team.
08:50We haven't won one in a while.
08:52So let's go.
08:53And thanks for joining us.
08:54No, thanks for having me.
08:55Thanks for having me.
08:56Let's go.
08:57Let's go.
08:58Let's go.
08:59Let's go.
09:00Let's go.
09:14Let's go.
09:23Let's go.
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