Delaware Sports Blitz Interview: Delaware Tech’s Conor Christie

Photo: Delaware Technical Community College

Delaware Technical Community College student-athletes interviews are back! Every Thursday, Delaware Sports Blitz will feature interviews with the student-athletes from the Community College.

The next student-athlete interview comes from Delaware Tech’s men’s lacrosse team, which is attackman Conor Christie.

Christie talks about everything from the best part of playing his position and how he overcame the challenges that the pandemic brought.

Check out it below!

Related: Delaware Sports Blitz Interview: Delaware Tech’s Brandon Schlabach

How did you start playing sports?

“I started playing sports when I was around 3 or 4 years old. I played soccer, basketball, and football before I started playing lacrosse, which I began in the 3rd grade. I love sports in general and spend a lot of time watching college and professional sports on TV.”

What adjustments did you have to make from the jump of high school to college, regarding the sport you play?

“The main adjustments I had to make from playing high school lacrosse to college lacrosse are just the different aspects and rules of the college game. Each quarter is longer than it was in high school, and we also have an 80-second shot clock. The speed of the game is faster in college as well. I also had to adjust to playing with a lot of new guys, because I always played with the same teammates from elementary school all the way through high school.”

How do you keep yourself in game shape in the offseason for your sport?

During the offseason, I work out/lift weights in the gym 5-6 days a week.

What is the best part of playing your particular position?

“The position I play is attack, and the best part about playing it is getting to have the ball in my stick many times throughout the game. Whether it’s dodging, shooting, or passing to one of my teammates, I just love being on the offensive side of the ball. The spot I play at most of the time on attack is X (behind the goal), and I love this spot because I’m able to see the entire field in front of me.”

What has a former or current coach taught you, that you still use today on or off the playing field?

“My dad was my coach for years, and he always taught me to just have fun on the field. Lacrosse is supposed to be a sport that eases stress, so it’s important to have fun while you’re playing. He also still tells me to this day to give full effort on and off the field, as well as having confidence. Putting in effort and having confidence on the lacrosse field also translates to school, jobs, etc.”

What is a typical day for you when the season is in full force?

“During the season, my main focus each day is getting schoolwork done before practice and games. I always try to hydrate as much as I can during the day. On the weekends, if we don’t have a game, I will usually go to the gym or make other plans.”

What do you feel is your greatest strength?

“I think my greatest strength on the field is my vision. I’m usually able to find teammates to pass it to for a shot, or I can look at the defense I’m going against and make a good decision on whether I should dodge or not.”

What do you feel you are weakest at and how do you work on to improve it?

“There are always things I can work on to improve my skill, but my biggest overall weakness has always been confidence. It has been improving over the past couple of seasons, and what I do to gain more confidence is not overthink as much.”

Describe some of the highlights of your athletic career.

“The biggest highlight of my athletic career so far was when I was at Milford High School, when my team won the Henlopen South Division three seasons in a row. A couple of individual accomplishments, I had were being a three-time 1st Team All-Conference attackman for the Henlopen South, and reaching over 200 career points in those three seasons.”

What is the best part of playing on a team?

“The best part of playing on a team is having to work together to have success. Proper teamwork and chemistry in lacrosse is a great thing to be a part of. The relationships you can build on and off the field with teammates can last a long time.”

How do you stay motivated during the highs and lows of a season?

“What keeps me motivated at all times during the season are the little things. When we lose a tough game, that obviously motivates everyone to fix the mistakes we made to get a win the next game. When we win and play well, it may be harder to stay as motivated, so I look for anything I could have done better in that game on film, even if it’s small.”

What has been the biggest challenge you have faced, and how did you overcome it?

“The biggest challenge I have faced is having my senior season in high school canceled last year. My teammates and I trained hard the entire offseason prior to that, and we had big goals. I certainly was affected mentally, so I overcame it by training even harder for this season at Delaware Tech. I worked out in my garage almost every day during quarantine as well, as practicing even more lacrosse in my backyard.”

In what ways, does playing a sport, help you with your studies?

“Playing a sport helps me with my studies because it makes me have to manage my time more responsibly. It also motivates me to obtain good grades in order to keep playing my sport.”

How would you like to be remembered by your teammates and coaches?

“I would like to be remembered as a good teammate and person. I also want to be remembered as being trustworthy and willing to do whatever it took to get better.”

Why did you choose to play at Delaware Tech?

“I chose to play at Delaware Tech because it was a great opportunity for me academically and socially. The financial opportunities made it very attractive, and the program I wanted to major in is great. I also knew multiple guys who were already on the team, and the coaches were helpful right away.”

What was your experience like throughout 2020 and what does it mean for you to play competitive sports again?

“My experience throughout 2020 wasn’t much different from most people trying to adjust to the pandemic. It definitely changed my perspective on things, like not taking anything for granted. That made me feel the same way about lacrosse, which is why it means a lot to be able to play again. I don’t take any practice, game, or moment in lacrosse for granted anymore because I’m very fortunate to be out there.”