Lacrosse captain from Massachusetts also introducing children to the water as a surf instructor

By Nick Giovanni

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    MATTAPOISETT, Massachusetts (WBZ) — The captain of the Old Rochester Regional High School lacrosse team in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts is helping his teammates on the field and also teaches a completely different sport in the water.

When senior David Lally is on the lacrosse field, he’s in attack mode, averaging four goals a game for the Bulldogs.

Captain of lacrosse team “He’s really skilled, I think a lot of people take notes from him in practice and in games and try to add his type of things into their games,” said senior lacrosse player Caleb Bousquet, who’s known Lally since first grade.

Growing up as the middle child, lacrosse was a common bond between Lally and his four brothers and sisters.

“It all started in the backyard, just that competitiveness and all messing around,” said Lally.

The senior has taken his family tradition and run with it. This season, he’s the captain for Old Rochester.

“He’s sort of a glue guy, he’s very calm under pressure,” said lacrosse head coach Erich Carroll. “He doesn’t really get rattled, so he keeps things settled for us.”

“It’s great to be able to help out with the younger guys, especially,” said Lally. “That’s kind of my favorite role as a captain, is making sure they always feel involved and just keeping it fun.”

Surf therapy instructor Lally’s other passion is surfing, no matter the season.

“Pretty much whenever it’s good we try and go,” said Lally. “Anything we can surf on around here, we take what we can get.”

For Lally, surfing isn’t a solo sport. It’s an experience he prefers to share as an instructor for Gnome Surf Therapy.

“We surf with all athletes of all ages and abilities,” said Lally. “Typically neurodivergent athletes, autism, Down syndrome and then a lot of athletes with spinal cord injuries.”

Lally gets to connect with kids who may not otherwise get to know the feeling of riding a wave in. He’s helped students from the South Coast to Costa Rica.

“It definitely takes a ton of patience, you can’t push them to be in the water if they don’t want to be,” said Lally. “So it’s definitely a mental game and you’ve got to form a connection with these kids before they can trust you. But it’s a pretty special thing once you break that barrier and get them out on the waves.”

Building connections is what Lally hopes to continue this fall when he goes to the University of Denver to study sociology.

“I like connecting with people, I love people,” said Lally.

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