This week is for real.
Finally, after six weeks of preparing for the upcoming season, the Bandits face another team in the National Lacrosse League, which counts in the 2024-25 regular season standings.
Like beating a tether ball, the club plays Rochester inside the Blue Cross Area on Saturday night. On Friday, December 13, the Ottawa Bears play host to the back-to-back champs. Then, after a bye weekend, it’s the banner-raising home opener on December 28.
The Gift
Bandits head coach John Tavares noted how tough it was to make an NLL club last week. Most players’ talent level presses the gifted line in athleticism and tendencies.
Knowledge and rudimentary skillsets are constantly tested as they seek the edge of the envelope in creativity.
Many players in the NLL have the uncanny ability to adjust and adapt to improvisational moves, which, when done in synchronicity with others to achieve success, is nothing short of amazing.
Joni
Singer, songwriter, producer, and artist Joni Mitchell was comparable with a gifted approach to chord progressions, tempos, lyrics, and intermixing sound from rock, jazz, fusion, and folk.
She constantly pushed the boundaries of her improv work, seeking new sounds, rhythms, and octaves. Although she practiced the basics, she always sought a unique sound with her lyrics.
This brings us to…
Bandits forward Josh Byrne, who has developed into one of the best players in both lacrosse disciplines, is one player for exposure to this exceptional level of performance, like Mitchell in her craft.
He has achieved success through dedication and hard work and continues to earn accolades, most notably as the NLL’s Most Valuable Player in this past regular season and playoffs.
He is gifted but is always looking to improve his play and creativity.
Bryne wears the number 22 in respect to two other great, gifted players in the game: Gary Gait and Casey Powell.
Deep Down
While in exceptional shape, Byrne commits himself to therapies necessary to continue relentlessly pursuing success for himself and his teammates. This starts with workouts accompanied by other Buffalo-based Bandits players.
“We’re in the gym four times a week and shooting probably three times a week. And then there are practices and games,” said Byrne.
After being selected first overall in the 2017 NLL Draft, the New Westminster, BC, native has made Buffalo his home and, along with other players, takes advantage of the facilities, including Cold Therapy at BuffaloCryo.
Brrrrr…
“For the last six years, we’ve been heavily into cryotherapy. We do that three, four, or five times each. During the playoffs, probably gets up six times a week, sometimes twice daily. It helps us mentally, keeps our bodies healthy, and avoids sickness. It helps your systems flow properly, and everything is up to par. Cold therapy and stretching are at the core of it.”
And this season, Byrne has taken the plunge.
“I’ve even gone further with my cold plunge. I have it in my basement, so even when you get back late from a game, I can get it in immediately and try to recover faster.”
To be the best
In just six seasons with the Bandits, Byrne has scored 245 goals and 357 assists for 607 points in 108 total games, an average of almost six points per game.
Last regular season, the prized lefty scored a career-high 53 goals for a point total of 135, two shy of teammate Dhane Smith’s regular-season NLL record (Smith finished the last regular-season campaign with 134).
Searching for more
This takes a commitment to be even better, seeking more options to stay the best.
“I also added acupuncture to my routine. At Bosa Acupuncture & Wellness, Dan Dominguez is by far the best acupuncturist in Western New York. He teaches classes all over the world and is truly incredible.
“He’s the only guy that I’ll let throw a needle in my body. That’s unlocked things I’ve been having problems with for years, and I’ll walk out of there feeling like a new man.”
Shoot…Shoot…Shoot
With all of the accomplishments, including finishing the last seven regular season and five playoff games with 93 points, a 7.75 points per game average, the rudimentary shooting regime is a constant.
It started last season with a ground-up approach by watching basketball players and how they work on their shots.
“I watched Steph Curry warm up. He doesn’t walk onto the court and start draining threes. He begins right at the rim and visualizes seeing the ball go into the net from little shots. Then, he backs up once he feels his mechanics are smooth and starts making more complex shots. So, I added more structured shooting routines, and it’s helped my game mentally.”
Byrne said watching the ball hit a corner of the net doesn’t have to be at full speed. He places the ball into the corner and watches it hit his spot rep after rep three or four times a week.
“So, when that championship game comes around, that overtime, it’s just another shot. The shot that you’ve practiced thousands and thousands of times over the year.”
The mental aspect
As we all know, NLL lacrosse is a challenging physical game. Opposing defensemen are all over the forwards in a small area of space. There is a limited time to react, and that takes forerunning the game in your mind.
“Something that I’ve tried to work into my routine pregame is resetting my nervous system with guided meditation, breathing, and visualization, going through how the game should go.
“Walking into the locker room, you go through your routine and what you need to do. You go through warmups and the anthem while breathing, thinking about the shots you want to take, how the goaltender will play you, and how you can get your teammates open.
“You trust yourself because you know the work you put in, and your teammates trust you to take that shot because they also see it.”
Byrne said that, through the steps, he feels the game is a walkthrough since he’s already played it in his mind.
To the edge and back
The improvisational work by the players on the NLL level confirms that they are gifted and awarded through hard work.
“But there are also times in your mind that you’re playing out the game where you pick the ball from a save or off the boards; you’re just dreaming of different moves and being creative because you have to react to a ball trying to do whatever you can.
“Those plays are entertaining because they are not planned at all. A couple of plays between Chase Fraser and me where we exchange passes, I throw a behind-the-back pass to him, and then he grabs it, performing an around-the-world shot into the upper corner – Just two guys on the same page, and understanding what we want to do and try and be creative.
That is improv at the highest level.
If music be…
Bringing music back into this cycle, I’ve always wondered if the players can hear the music in the NLL game. I came to find out that it does and provides an outside influence for Josh.
“One of the reasons I play in the NLL is the music; it helps me relax a little bit. Music is big, with specific songs you can relate to and put you into the proper mindset.”
Friends are a must
Other influences on Byrne are family and friends. He is grateful to have such wonderful people around, winning or losing; he knows extraordinary people will love him.
And that includes all of the fans of Banditland.
Coverage of Saturday’s game in Rochester
Radio coverage of Saturday’s game will be on 1520 AM The Bet and online at audacy.com. The pregame show will start at 6:30 p.m. and feature game setup, comments from coaches and players, and a “live on the line” interview.
The game will be on ESPN+ and CW23. Broadcast time is 7 p.m.
If you want to listen to the radio call, freeze your TV as the players prepare for faceoff. Once you hear “game on,” unfreeze your TV.