Meet a NALL Player: AJ Laffin

Name: AJ Laffin

Position: Forward

Team: Rhode Island Kingfish

Pro Teams You Have Played For: Rochester Greywolves (Can-Am Senior) Upstate Bears (MILA).

Favorite Lacrosse Memory: I have three favorite memories. The first wooden stick that I got from stick maker Alf Jacques from Onondaga and Being voted to play in the 2010 and 2011 Can-Am All Star game. Being drafted by Rhode Island in the 6th round of the draft.

Favorite Pro Player/Player You Base Your Game Off Of: I have two different players who i base my game off of.

Craig Point from the Rochester Knighthawks. He’s an all round player that can shoot, feed, and play defense if needed. He’s constantly moving on the floor and doesn’t let anyone push him around. I base my game off of him because I see a player who will do anything to help his team out.

Favorite player from Rochester would have to be Dan Karg. He grew up playing in Fairport and was one of my coaches while I was in high school. Coach Karg passed away at a very young age but before he did he kept me from making one of the biggest mistakes of my life where I almost quit lacrosse when I was younger. Today I get asked all the time about my tattoo on my leg which I had done in his memory. Before I step on the floor I look at the tattoo and I remind myself that playing this game is a great privilege and I can still play today even though I never know when my last game will be.

Biggest Strength as a Player: Heart and hustle. I have always been known to hustle constantly throughout lacrosse. I have a lot of love and respect for the game and was always told if you’re not moving then you’re not helping, then you’re not playing the game the way it should be played. So I have always played both offense and defense to do whatever I have to do in order to help the team win while playing the game the right way.

Toughest Goalie or Defender You Have Faced: Toughest Goalie would have to be Clint Jones and toughest defender would have to be Josh Kacprzak, both from the Newtown Golden Eagles. Clint is a big goalie who is very quick but also very smart with his clears. I played with Josh at MCC and with the Greywolves. He has always been a close friend but when you step on the floor against him, you don’t want to be anywhere near him.

Laffin’s Thoughts

Born and raised in Rochester New York. Since I was really young I have been playing lacrosse for almost my entire life. I grew up playing in Webster where I played long stick middy and close defense for Webster Thomas high school. I played at MCC in 2007 & 2008. Now going on six years I have been playing for the Rochester Greywolves and traveling to play with other teams all year round out in Tonawanda and Cattaraugus (Seneca nations). For the past three years I have been coaching for the Greece Lightening varsity lacrosse team as the head defensive coach while running a store for All Nations Lacrosse.