Warriors Training Camp Q&A: Crowley and Schenato

The Vancouver Warriors have been hard at work through 2024 NLL Training Camp presented by Warrior, and their exhibition games, while getting ready for the kickoff of the regular season. Training camp is a fresh start for each team and the Warriors sat down with 13-year NLL veteran Kevin Crowley, and rookie defender Remo Schenato to see their approaches to the team’s preseason.

The Big Cat sheds light on how training camp has changed over the years, valuable advice he’s been given in his career and his role in helping younger players at camp. Schenato is experiencing camp for the first time and discusses differences in the pro game, who his toughest matchups have been and getting comfortable playing at the highest level.

Kevin Crowley – 13-Year NLL Veteran Forward

How has the league changed since you first started, both on and off the floor?

“It’s much more professional nowadays. The players are taken care of much differently than what they were when I initially came into the league. And I think the whole profile of the league has risen. You see more teams in the league, but a larger American fan base than we saw originally.”

How has your approach to training camp evolved over the years?

“It hasn’t really ever changed. I’m not one of those guys who can play in the 50% grey area where you’re not really going that hard because you’re worried about hurting yourself or they’re worried about the next session, I’m kind of an all or nothing player. As much as I should probably take a step back sometimes, it’s just not in my nature.”

Are there any key lessons or habits you’ve developed that you wish you’d known earlier in your career?

“Don’t let the old guy beat you in the runs,” Crowley laughed. “That was a big one actually.”

“There are some guys that are just freaks where no one’s going to beat him – like Brodie Merrill, no one ever beat him in a run that was understood. But a guy like me who’s heavier on his feet and not known for being an incredible athlete, like you can’t let my lumbering beat you up and down the floor.”

“I feel like some young players don’t understand attrition in professional lacrosse where you’re coming out of college and you have workouts with everyone, there’s a whole other level of accountability. Some people are able to maintain those workouts on their own, but some people need that structure and set times to work out where you have a group of 50 other players going to work out at the same time. So, I think learning how to create your own schedules and having something more regimented is helpful.”

Do you notice a difference in the way younger players prepare and approach camp compared to when you were in their position?

“Overall, the players coming into the league are in much better shape and they’re held to a much higher standard of fitness than probably how my rookie class came in the league.”

As a veteran, how do you see your role in helping younger players during camp?

“I believe that I hold my teammates accountable as much as the coaching staff. I think helping the guys where I can, with little nuances, little details that I’ve learned throughout my career, but also holding them accountable for getting their workouts in or what have you, that’s something that I take pride in. Taking players under my wing, like [Johnathan] Peshko, who is a big righty who played the same position, trying to expedite his learning process in this league so he can play at a higher level earlier in his career.”

Are there specific moments or players from your early camps that shaped your career?

“Dan Dawson, Brodie Merrill, Brandon Miller my rookie season – these are guys that I looked up to when I was a kid. So, getting to play with them, especially after the 2009 Mann Cup, playing against them. I remember whether it was Dan or Brodie, the leadership qualities that they possess where, when they spoke in the room you listened. When you mention career, I always give Dan Dawson credit for getting me to think long-term from a business standpoint outside of the sport, especially in the coaching realm. Starting to think about what you’re building throughout your career, so you have a plan when your career is all done and I attribute that to Dan Dawson. That’s probably the most valuable thing he taught me in my career.”

What does a successful training camp look like for you at this point in your career?

“We’re building on the processes that we worked on last year, and we’re way ahead in training camp where we were when we first got together. It’s exciting to have that level of familiarity with the systems, your teammates, and to go into the season with that confidence.”

Remo Schenato – NLL Rookie Defenseman

How did your first day of camp compare to what you had imagined?

“I was going into camp training the hardest I have so when I got there, it wouldn’t be physically, the worst thing that I’ve ever done. Going through it met my expectations. It’s definitely a lot faster paced and more physical. In practice, you’re pushing the tempo all the time, you’re not taking breaks during drills, you’re going hard for the 30-45 seconds when you’re in the drill, and then your break is the 10 to 15 seconds when you’re on the bench grabbing water. The intensity was crazy, which I was expecting, but it kind of exceeded my expectations a little bit.”

What was your ‘Welcome to the Pros’ moment at camp?

“The most recent game that we played against Colorado. Generally speaking, when you’re in Junior, players are either big and slow or small and fast but coming into the NLL, it’s definitely a huge change because everybody’s the best of the best at what they do and physically developed – it’s the best of the best. Being able to play against those guys and matching up against them, really putting my skill, size, and athleticism to the test was definitely an eye-opener for me.”

Who would you say is the funniest guy in the locker room so far?

“Marcus Klarich is hilarious. I’ve known him from playing against him for a couple years. When you play against somebody you try to develop a hate against them. But sitting down and actually talking to him, he’s a pretty cool guy – and he’s definitely a funny guy.”

“The locker room has honestly a great group of guys. I didn’t really know what to expect because growing up in Coquitlam and playing in Coquitlam my whole life I was super close with my teammates. I wasn’t expecting to get to know the guys as quick as I have or for them to accept me into the team as quickly as they did.”

Who do you think the toughest player to go up against in camp has been?

“Either Keegan Bal or Ryan Martel. When I’m catching Martel on my wrong side of the floor it’s been tough. It’s tough to get a hold of smaller guys and track them down, especially a guy like Martel that’s fast, quick and has good agility. It’s definitely hard to capture and contain him. For Keegan Bal, it’s his IQ on the play, he’s almost watching what I’m doing and then reacting to that. So, the second that I take my eyes off him and look off-ball, I’ll feel him back cutting, and I’m like ‘Oh Wow! I’ve got to get him there’. You can’t really take your eye off him for too long while you’re playing defense on him.”

What is some advice you’ve picked up from the veterans so far?

“Being a little bit more patient defensively. In junior, I was one of the leaders on the team and one of the older guys, so I was playing more aggressively to uphold a standard for the rest of the team. I feel like in this league being too aggressive can lead to your downfall, so they’re teaching me about reading the situation and not trying to do too much. In transition they’ve also taught me about patience and knowing who’s on the floor and trying to get it to them at what point to help me be a smarter player. Being around all these high IQ players is definitely pushing me to improve my game and become smarter on and off the floor.”

What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone in your shoes next season?

“I would tell them you’ve been picked up and brought here for a reason so there’s no need to over-complicate things or try and compensate for something that another person isn’t doing. Believing in yourself and your game and being confident in what you do and how you do it is important because that’s the reason you got picked up.”

What’s your favourite pump-up song before going onto the floor?

“There’s so many. Take Me Out (Franz Ferdinand) is a good song. The classic Hells Bells (AC/DC) gets me fired up, and I would say Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill. We played those all throughout Junior ball, so it’s stuck with me in the aspect of getting me fired up.”

The Warriors campaign starts on Opening Night at 9:30pm ET in a showdown against the Colorado Mammoth in Denver.