When the Buffalo Bandits released their training camp roster for the 2014 season, the list contained the names of thirty six lacrosse hopefuls giving everything they can of themselves in a chance to make that final active roster. One of these participants vying for a spot on the team is Cliff Larkin.
Larkin’s burgeoning career is distinguished by a profound sense of versatility, adaptability, and motivation to build the skills needed to transition. The 5-foot-9 165lb. forward from Baltimore, Maryland really is a coach’s dream player. His 2013 CAN-AM Senior B Lacrosse League head coach from the Buffalo Creek Thunder Matthew Sledzewski summed it up rather nicely. He says, “Cliff is what every coach wants out of a player. He is smart, athletic, listens and executes what he is asked to do.” Buffalo Creek Thunder GM Anthony Rivera agrees. “He is also a great team player, did what the coaches asked of him and when they asked him to do something, he played it out to a T.”
His playing career began on the fields of St. Paul High School in Maryland. It was there that he lettered three times in lacrosse among other notable accomplishments. He continued to develop his skills when he continued on to college playing for the Princeton Tigers as an attacker for three seasons. During sixteen games of play, Larkin recorded 4 goals, 6 assists, and 10 ground balls.
Two years after his collegiate field lacrosse playing days were over, Larkin moved to the Western New York area and decided that he would like to transition his field lacrosse skills to find further possibility in the world of box lacrosse. Larkin searched around the area and inquired with Buffalo Creek Thunder GM Rivera about the possibility of trying out with no box lacrosse experience.
Completely changing your lacrosse game from field to box will bring its share of growing pains, but Rivera was impressed with Larkin’s ability to pick up the game so quickly. In a suitable analogy, he says “Like a duck to water once we explained it all to him, he started moving the ball and himself very quickly. His ability was raw and he moved very well on the floor. Once he figured out that he could avoid the hits and beat most guys on the first step he exploded on the floor.”
This newly found realization of his box lacrosse skills combined with his lacrosse IQ paid off in dividends for Larkin in terms of his 2013 statistics with the Buffalo Creek Thunder. In just 11 games alone, Larkin almost tripled his former field lacrosse stats by recording 13 goals and 19 assists (32 points), which placed Larkin second on the team in points.
Indeed transition has been the key so far for Larkin’s progressive developments to his game and will hopefully continue to be with his potential upcoming stint with the Bandits. His experiences thus far have shown us that persistence and the ability to adapt will take you a long way.
