Before breaking his arm final winter, Henry Hasselbeck was a three-sport athlete who starred in soccer, ice hockey and lacrosse. Because of his versatility, he was incessantly requested which sport was his favourite.
Hasselbeck often deferred answering the query — a coverage inspired by his father, Matt.
“You’re really not allowed to answer that question in our house because the answer is, ‘Just do your best at whatever you’re doing, and while you’re doing it, be 100% all-in at that, and eventually the sport will choose you,’” he mentioned.
On Thursday, Henry Hasselbeck selected the game for him — in faculty, a minimum of — when he verbally dedicated to play lacrosse at four-time NCAA champion Maryland. Hasselbeck, a 17-year-old junior at Xavieran Brothers High in Westwood, Massachusetts, is ready to debut with the Terps within the 2025 season.
Coach John Tillman declined remark, citing an NCAA rule that prohibits coaches from discussing recruits till they signal their National Letters of Intent.
Henry Hasselbeck was additionally unavailable as his father mentioned the household would favor he deal with being a scholar for now. But Matt Hasselbeck, an analyst on ESPN’s “NFL Countdown” on Sunday mornings throughout the season, used a university soccer analogy to specific his and his spouse Sarah’s elation over their son becoming a member of Maryland, which gained final spring’s nationwide title.
“I thought he was a really talented player with a lot of upside, but I don’t know, I’m his dad,” he mentioned with amusing. “So when Sept. 1 [the first day of recruiting for juniors] came, it was very humbling to see the interest that he got from some great programs and none bigger than Maryland. That’s like Alabama football. So it was quite an honor, and getting to know the coaching staff and some alumni, you see why they’ve been so good for so long.”
Matt Hasselback mentioned they visited Maryland, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Air Force and Harvard. But he bought an inkling of his son’s choice when he begged his mother and father to ship him to a clinic final winter in College Park slightly than at a close-by Ivy League college.
“I would just say that Coach Tillman and the Maryland staff, they were just so impressive in every way, and in a way, relentless might be the right word,” he mentioned. “Not in a pushy way at all, but just in terms of really actively getting to know us and allowing us to get to know them. My wife and I really couldn’t be much more impressed with what we’ve learned about those guys as coaches and the program.”
Athletics runs within the Hasselback genes. Grandfather Don performed tight finish for primarily the New England Patriots, father Matt was a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback primarily with the Seattle Seahawks, and uncle Tim was a quarterback for seven NFL groups.
Mother Sarah performed area hockey at Boston College, and older sisters Annabelle and Mallory are junior and sophomore members, respectively, of the Eagles ladies’s lacrosse program.
Annabelle’s expertise as a freshman when Boston College captured the 2021 NCAA championship helped persuade her brother to affix the Terps, in keeping with their father.
“I think through whatever sport it was going to be for him, the opportunity to compete for a national championship with your teammates is something that he really values because he saw what it looks like,” Matt Hasselbeck mentioned. “I think Maryland gives you an opportunity to compete for a national championship with your teammates.”
Henry Hasselbeck is listed as a four-star midfielder, in keeping with Inside Lacrosse. The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Hasselbeck not too long ago accomplished his first season at Xavieran because the beginning quarterback for the soccer group, and his father served as this system’s quarterbacks coach.
Matt Hasselbeck mentioned the story of former Maryland attackman Jared Bernhardt’s journey from Tewaaraton Award winner to NCAA Division II champion quarterback at Ferris State to broad receiver for the Atlanta Falcons appealed to Henry.
“Jared Bernhardt’s story really resonated with Henry, and I think it really resonated with me because he’s a multi-sport athlete,” Matt mentioned. “I just think that some of the best athletes in the country play lacrosse.”
While not utterly shutting the door on soccer, Matt Hasselbeck mentioned any potential provide to sway Henry from taking part in lacrosse must be “impressive.”
“We’ll see what happens, but I think to play lacrosse at Maryland, you’ve sort of got to be all-in,” he mentioned. “Our intention is to play lacrosse at Maryland, and that will be a super-competitive and exciting program to try to compete on.”
Before Henry Hasselbeck made his resolution, his father mentioned a dialog he had with NFL Players Association government director DeMaurice Smith — whose son Alex was a four-year short-stick defensive midfielder for the Terps — proved “very influential.”
“De was the biggest cheerleader and supporter of Maryland lacrosse and the coaching staff,” Hasselbeck mentioned. “That was a powerful voice for us, for sure.”
Smith mentioned he shared with Hasselbeck the time Tillman spent a further hour with Alex and mom Karen on the household residence even after Smith went to attend one other occasion.
“I’m obviously biased, but you could make the argument that he’s the best coach in college lacrosse now, and you could probably make a pretty good argument that he might be the best coach in college lacrosse history,” Smith mentioned. “What I told Matt was, you will never meet a guy who will be more invested in the success of your kid on and off the field, and I truly believe that.”
Smith met Henry Hasselbeck when the latter and his mom visited the campus on the identical weekend in October that the gamers from the spring acquired their championship rings.
“He seems like a wonderful young man,” Smith mentioned. “If he’s anything like his dad, Matt is one of the best executive committee members I’ve ever had. Matt was always that guy who was not only smart and educated, but just measured and wise. Just a tremendous guy, and he led the union through some really difficult times. The kid’s coming, and he looks like a stud, which is great.”
Now that Henry Hasselbeck has made his alternative, his father quipped that he gained’t miss the nightly calls from coaches that his son juggled with homework and sleep.
“Even though the process was stressful at times, I think most recruits would say that the hardest part isn’t saying yes, but saying no to the others,” he mentioned. “This is a dream come true and an answer to prayer. It’s been really incredible.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com