Pj Ruggiero '24 Recruiting Profile

Watching seasons get postponed, suspended, and even canceled has put things in perspective for me.   Being able to play the sport of Lacrosse is an opportunity.   Opportunities are never guaranteed in this life.   My Mom has always hammered home the idea that being the best player doesn’t guarantee the best team.   You need a team that protects each other and supports each other and pushes one another.   Being coachable is very important to me.   Struggle and hardship have helped me to gain drive and focus.   I have been very fortunate growing up in my household.  I understand that is all due to the hard work of my parents who made something from nothing.   I have a window to do something special.  If I waste it, that would be all on me.   It is up to me to make the most of it.  

My goal is to find a college that inspires me and challenges me to be a better person and student-athlete.  I want to engage in a place that interests me.  Academically I want to excel in all of the classes that will help me after college find a job that interests me and can provide a steady income.  Currently, I maintain a 3.4 average, and my academic interests at the moment are Aviation, Engineering, Math, and Finance. 

That mission is not very different from the one I want to pursue on the field.  I want to step into a system that is built on a culture of success.  Success that isn’t only defined by winning more games than you lose, but one that is about working to be at your best on and off the field.   Winning to me is defined by the fight.  The amount of work, if put into something, to be better each day.  The ability to build on the work and efforts you and your teammates/coaches put into something.  It is the journey that makes it so special.   Lead with your effort and outwork everyone.   I am growing up in an athletically competitive family which has driven me.   I will bring an unmatched intensity and energy to a team both on and off the field.  

In Lacrosse, I am a 2 year starter for the Varsity team at Haldane High School in Cold Spring, NY.  Defense is my primary position, but I spend time playing LSM, SSDM and Man up at Midfield.    I am a strong team/help defender, who is very often asked to defend the other teams best player.   I enjoy understanding  the inner workings of our defensive system.  I like making calls to help my teammates find coverage.   I am aggressive with my stick checks while making sure I am able to recover and not find myself out of position.   I am strong at getting the ball off the carpet.   I make crisp clearing passes.  I am left-handed and very comfortable switching to the right.  I have a very solid lacrosse IQ and have built this foundation by watching films and studying specific position play while watching games.   I also played every position over the many years of playing lacrosse starting in first grade.  As a sophomore now I was named as an All-League selection for the second year.  I continue to be  a leader in takeaways in Section 1 Class D.