Rock’s Schreiber in a world of his own
Humble forward one of few who doesn’t see himself as the best — inside or out
“It’s a fair argument that I’ve earned my stripes in the field game, but I don’t think I’m close to that level in the box game.” TOM SCHREIBER
Toronto Rock forward Tom Schreiber is not your average superstar.
At 25, last season’s National Lacrosse League rookie of the year is already “the best lacrosse player in the world, period” according to the experts at ESPN, and backed up by many of his peers.
Like many elite athletes he deflects some of that praise, quick to note that while he’s been the most valuable player in outdoor Major League Lacrosse for the past two seasons, he’s just getting started in the indoor box version of the sport. “My family and friends were psyched. They thought it was cool,” Schreiber said in a telephone interview from his Long Island home, which makes for a long commute — along with teammate and longtime friend Kieran McArdle — to play for the Rock on weekends. “My family — from my dad (Doug, U.S. lacrosse Hall of Famer), who was my coach growing up, to my cousin (Scott), who is my strength and conditioning coach — they thought it was awesome.
“For me, it was scary. And I’m super appreciative. It’s not something I agree with, but I appreciate it. I think it recognizes, maybe a bit more, the field game. And it’s a fair argument that I’ve earned my stripes in the field game, but I don’t think I’m close to that level in the box game. So, any holler back at me is fine in my books.” Rock coach Matt Sawyer has worked with Schreiber for just over a year now, and says he’s as humble as it gets.
“My first reaction was: good, he’s getting the recognition and it’s definitely deserving,” Sawyer said at the Rock’s practice Friday, in advance of Saturday’s game against New England at the Air Canada Centre.
“But this isn’t something he is looking for . . . if you know Tom, he is humble. He is a good person who wants to be good, and he deflects praise about himself. But it’s a nice honour for someone who is as good a person as he is at his craft.”
Outdoors, Schreiber’s Ohio Machine won the league championship over Denver, which fulfilled a dream Schreiber had harboured since high school. Winning once makes him hungry for more. Drafted with the first overall pick in the MLL, Schreiber leads a busy life: playing in two leagues for a total of 40 weekends a year and teaching the sport to kids in Long Island.
In his chosen profession, even the best in the world is no millionaire. So, he also works part-time — with former Princeton University teammate Luke Armour — as the New York rep for a California-based venture capital firm, Chaac Ventures.
Machine teammate Peter Baum, a former league MVP candidate himself, said he thought Schreiber was the best in the world after they won the title.
In the days to come, ESPN lacrosse analyst Paul Carcaterra, as did U.S. Lacrosse magazine in a feature story — sounding the trumpets that the player himself never would.
Best in the world or not, Schreiber is fielding calls on the notion not while sitting in a fancy restaurant or expensive car, but while waiting for McArdle to show up for their regular practice before heading to Toronto.
Schreiber works on shooting and stick skills seven days a week and does strength training with cousin Scott Schreiber, who “used me as kind of a guinea pig” to expand his basement training facility into Thrive Sports Performance in Syossett, N.Y.
Sports is in his DNA, inherited from a dad who played lacrosse at the highest level and a mom (Liz) who was also very athletic. “My dad would push me to work hard, but in a good way,” he said. “We always talked about a kind of (central theme), to gain an edge, and he said the way to do that was the work you did after practice, like those shot and stick skills.
“With my dad, and my cousin Scott training me and supporting me every day, I owe a lot to them. My mother was a four-sport player in high school. I was a quarterback in high school myself, and I used to practise football with her. I’d throw a ball 40 yards, as hard as I could, and she’d just catch it and throw it right back to me.”
The Schreibers also ran a deli in Long Island while Tom was growing up, waking up at 4 a.m. every morning to set the place up.
Joining the Rock was also a bit of a wake-up call. Despite his credentials, he had to wait his turn for playing time, before a string of injuries opened the door last season. He broke out with a 10-point game last February against Buffalo.
To ease the transition from the outdoor to indoor game, he’d purchased one of the smaller NLL-sized goals to shoot at back at home. There was also buddy McArdle, who would work with him on skills and bend his ear as a travel companion. They’re also big fans — Schreiber cheering for his hometown Islanders, McArdle favouring the New York Rangers.
The Rock’s public relations crew drew up a plan to market Schreiber as “Captain America,” which could prompt some chirping in the Toronto dressing room. But teammates recognize it’s part of the sizzle that’s needed to sell lacrosse in a city where the sport faces stiff competition for sports entertainment dollars — the Leafs, Raptors, Toronto FC, Argonauts, Wolfpack, Marlies and more.
“I don’t hear our guys get on him for (Captain America),” Sawyer said. “I’ve heard Tommy Gunn (from Rocky V), but mostly our guys are pretty supportive. Tom’s a good person, and I think that’s evident to anyone who meets him.”
Schreiber will get on a plane Sunday, bound for Long Island, where he’ll soon take in a concert by his favourite band, Pearl Jam. He’ll also spend time with his girlfriend, Kathleen Sharkey, who plays for the U.S. Olympic field hockey team. They share tips on training methods and mental approach.
According to the world’s best lacrosse player, he isn’t even the best athlete in his relationship.
“It’s not even close. It’s her. She plays in the Olympics and she’s won a national college title,” Schreiber said. “We can talk about our lives and support each other, but we can live a normal life together, so I’m pretty lucky.”