A different direction
Stamford lacrosse’s Falcon will play — squash — in college
STAMFORD — He plays in an area where schools in neighboring towns are sending lacrosse players to Duke, Notre Dame, the service academies. Players on his own team will bring their sticks to college.
Stamford midfielder Ross Falcon is going to play in college, too. But he’s going to Denison to play squash.
“I really started getting into squash in middle school,” Falcon said before practice this week. “At the beginning of high school, I had to decide what I wanted to do. I was really into my squash. I was also playing soccer and lacrosse ... but I decided I wanted to pursue squash a lot more.”
That journey has taken him from private school here to boarding school in Pennsylvania and back home to his city’s high school. He comes by the sport naturally: His parents are from South Africa; he was born in England; his father, uncles, grandfathers all played squash.
He started playing with his father at Chelsea Piers (“or wherever there was a court”) when he was young, not long after the family had moved across the pond.
He also started playing lacrosse in the city’s youth program, where one of his coaches was Mike Nazzaro, who’s also Stamford’s head coach.
“It definitely helps because I play squash yearround,” Falcon said. “It keeps me fit, working out, staying active. Lacrosse definitely helps my endurance. Squash is a lot of stop-and-go.”
Nazzaro sees hand-eye coordination translating well from sport to sport, and Falcon has good lateral movement like, Nazzaro said, a lot of two- or threesport athletes.
“(Squash) is, like, a unique sport, and I think lot of the kids see that translation onto a lacrosse field,” Nazzaro said. “He’s a competitor and a next-level athlete. Though he might not be an All-American lacrosse player, he’s a starter for us, and he has that work ethic and drive to be a college player.
“When he leads by example... working hard, being on time, being a leader: All those things translate to being a ‘college’ athlete.”
Nazzaro said he saw those characteristics in the younger Falcon, too, a kid who asked questions and wanted to get better.
Falcon spent his freshman year at King School across town. The year after that, he attended the Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., in part for its strong squash program, and he loved the experience.
But the pandemic and other factors, he said, brought him back to Stamford.
“Once he came in here as a junior last year, he stepped in as a leader, one of our main offensive guys,” Nazzaro said. “From there he stepped into a role as captain right after.”
The coach understands Falcon might need days away here or there for squash tournaments. He practices at Greenwich Academy and works with that school’s coaches. His coach at the Hill School got him in touch with Denison in Ohio.
“It’s a small school, but that’s kind of my thing,” Falcon said. “It also has a strong squash program and also strong psychology and economics programs.”
And he liked the athletic culture, too; he’s thinking about looking into club lacrosse.
He’d played midfield when he was younger, then moved up to attack. He’s back at midfield, playing a two-way game this season.
The Black Knights are 2-10 with an exceptionally young team; 11 freshmen are getting regular playing time, Nazzaro said.
It’s still a sport Falcon loves.
“I love just being out here with all my friends. It’s a great place,” said Falcon, who said Nazzaro was very helpful acclimating him to Stamford after coming
home from Pottstown.
It also brings out that competitive nature that I love. Everyone in my family is really competitive; my sister (Samantha) went to Emory for tennis. So I love that kind of side to it. It’s a great way to meet new people.”