Thomas McConvey is a student of the game, but if he were to put his scholarly hat on, the dean of his own school knows what grade he’d give his rookie season.
“I’d say I’d give myself a B+,” said McConvey, who finished his 2023-24 campaign with 52 points (28+24) over 17 games.
“I thought I progressed really well throughout the season. One of the biggest things I took away from the season was the need for consistency. Eighteen games can be a long season and takes a toll on the body and you have to ride the waves of momentum, so being a little more consistent is something I took away from last season and something I can work on going into this year. So, yeah, I’d say a solid B+. I’m happy with what I’ve provided and I’m hoping to provide more this year.”
THE KID’S ALRIGHT!
Congratulations to Thomas McConvey, who was named to the 2023-24 @NLL All-Rookie Team! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/J6BPa52JmI
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) May 17, 2024
The soon-to-be 24-year-old (October 21) was drafted first overall in 2022 by Rochester and signed to a two-year contract the following year. McConvey was a dominant player at the collegiate level for the University of Vermont and University of Virginia, but for all his successes leading up to pro, the National Lacrosse League was an eye opener for the young prospect.
“I knew it was a bigger, faster, more physical league going in, but I don’t think you can ever fully prepare for it until you actually play in a game. You realize firsthand how fast the game is and how physical the game really is. I knew it was going to be a challenge and a huge step up from junior, but I don’t think you feel that until you’re in the games and in that atmosphere. I think that caught me a little off-guard last year, but now I’m ready for that going into this season.”
To adjust, McConvey turned to the nuances in his game. After getting off to a slow start, he incrementally improved with each passing week.
Count ’em up… 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
Thomas McConvey scores his 6️⃣th of the game and that’s our rookie’s FIRST @NLL sock trick! 👏🧦 pic.twitter.com/cHkDsm6qm5
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) March 3, 2024
“In junior, I was able to push guys around and be more physical, but once I got to this league, I realized how hard it was to do that. I knew I had to get a little stronger in the offseason and I think I’ve done that. I’m not the biggest guy out there anymore, so I have to be more aware of how I use my body and be more subtle and more aware of how I use my body to fight for the middle in different ways. I think learning those little adjustments and body movements made a difference as the season went along, but it’s definitely a combination of that and playing more NLL games. The more you play, the more you get acclimated to the game.”
“I was trying to talk to as many people as I could. I would say I talked to ‘Fieldsy’ (Connor Fields) a lot. I mean, he’s one of the best players in the world and we work together on the left side. I try to take it all in and keep learning. Everyone was great, though, and they all helped me take a step forward.”
“Dan Carey has been great for me. He was obviously a good player in the league for a long time. He’s been very open with everybody. There’s obviously a bit more of a business side to him with being a GM, but he’s very approachable. He’s a younger guy for being in the role he’s in. He wants to win just as much as us, if not even more.”
THE ROOKIE 🤩
Thomas McConvey scored 6️⃣ on Sunday for his first @NLL sock trick AND set a single-game franchise record! pic.twitter.com/O2dtt96Uo0
— Rochester Knighthawks (@RocKnighthawks) March 5, 2024
“Last Summer, I was still back in Toronto, but I spent the offseason in Rochester this summer and I think that’s been huge. I’ve been keeping a stick in my hand and building strength. I feel confident about my offseason and I can’t wait to see the results in training camp.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m going out there trying to reach a certain stat mark. I’m more concerned about wins and losses. If we win and I don’t score, that’s great. If we lose and I get 10 points, I’d probably be pretty mad. I just want to contribute to winning games, and as long as we can do that, that’s really the only goal. If we can take a step forward and do that this season, maybe we’re coming back here to host a playoff game instead of playing on the road in a tough environment like Toronto last season.”
“I think you have to have the confidence in yourself that you can become one of those players and you can truly see yourself becoming one of those guys. I think I’ve definitely put in the work and all the time in the gym and on the floor to become one of those players. It’s a special breed of athlete and there’s only five or so players like that in this league, so it’s hard to crack into one of those spots. Hopefully I can continue along with my development to become one of those players.”
