Congratulations to Tanner Baldin (Edge 2016) on his recent commitment to attend the University of Hartford! Tanner has been apart of the Edge program for quite some time, suiting up for us at the age of 12.  Over the years, Tanner has developed into an exceptional LSM who is relentless when on ball and has a very high level of lacrosse IQ.  The 5'10, 160lb, Brantford, ON native first began playing box lacrosse for the Brantford Warriors along with the Hamilton Bengals field program.  Tanner is currently enrolled at Trinity Pawling in preparation for Hartford.  We would like to wish Tanner the best of luck at the University of Hartford both in the classroom and on the field.  We have no doubt that Tanner will be a key component to Hartford lacrosse program.

Check out Tanner's Highlight film

We had a chance to catch up with Tanner

Where did you first begin playing lacrosse? Where are you currently enrolled/playing?

I first began playing box lacrosse for the Brantford Warriors and playing field lacrosse for the Hamilton Bengals.  I am now enrolled at Trinity Pawling in New York, where I play for the Pride.

 Why did you choose Hartford?

I chose Hartford for many reasons.  First of all, I was looking for a school that would allow me to play Division 1 lacrosse, but also support my aspiration to become a Civil Engineer; Hartford was 100% supportive of this.  Secondly, as an LSM, I was looking for a school that played a fast paced transition type of game which Hartford does.   Coach Lawrence, Coach Rife and Coach Martin were phenomenal in that they spent a lot of time with me answering my many questions and making me feel comfortable.  Size also played a factor: it was small enough that everything was in close proximity, but big enough that you can meet new people every day. Most importantly it just felt right, and I am excited to become a Hawk.

What are you looking forward to most at Hartford?

Obviously playing lacrosse!

Future ambitions and goals beyond NCAA lax?

Beyond the NCAA, I want to work as a Civil Engineer, have a family, and maybe begin coaching lacrosse.

When did you join Edge? Can you tell us about your experience in the program?

I began playing Edge when I was about 12 years old under Coach Pete Follows.  The Edge program was a great program for getting me the necessary exposure in the US.

Any future advice for Edge members?

My advice for up and coming Edge players especially those interested in pursuing a program such as Engineering would be to not only keep your marks up,  but to start writing your  SATS or ACTS in Grade 9 or 10 and to write them often.  Choose what you want to study and then choose the school you want to attend based on that. Allow the academics to play a major role in the process. Most kids forget the main point of pursuing a career through the NCAA, and that is the education you receive while playing the sport you love.

Favorite memory with Edge?

My favorite memory with Edge would be earning the Silver Medal at the Dick’s Tournament of Champions.  We drove all the way to Florida, lost our first 2 games and then went all the way to the finals losing to FCA, a team that was 2 years older than us!

Who did you look up to growing up?

I’ve been lucky throughout my minor career to have played with a number of amazing guys. I’ve always looked up to the members my first fall U19 Hamilton team. Guys like Derek Searle (EDGE alum), Danny Williams, Tyson Bomberry (EDGE Alum), and Doug Jamieson. I was younger player on that team and I developed more than I thought possible in that single year by modelling my play off these guys. They may seem like small name guys in the huge lacrosse community, but to me these guys were the best players in the world and I looked up to them as a kid.

Any shoutouts, special thanks?

Joel Firmin, Clancy Almas, and more importantly my mom, are the three people I really need to thank.

Joel was the guy who allowed me my first experience with field lacrosse. I was an underqualified basketball player from Brantford and I barely made any of the tryouts in my first year, but Joel chose me to be on his team anyways.  I don’t know why he had faith in me then, but his decision to keep me on the team and give me the opportunity to play field lacrosse changed my life forever. Soon he had me with a long pole in my hand, much to my mother’s discontent, and I fell in love with it. Joel presented me with opportunities which I am now so grateful for, and I would not have made it to this point without his help.

Clancy saw the same potential in me that Joel did. I don’t understand how he had the faith in me but he almost took me under his wing and gave me the chance to play on teams I Initially did not have the talent to compete on. As I played for these teams I developed immensely and it was all a result of Clancy’s help and guidance.

Finally I want to thank my mom and dad. I don’t know what I would have done without these two. They never had any experience with lacrosse but they allowed me to experience the game and supported me in my new passion. They supported me by paying for everything involved with the game, by driving me all over North America, and by being my number one fans. My mom put even more work to help me finally achieve my goals at college. She was always helping me to stay on top of the recruiting process. This took her countless hours of work that still prove invaluable. Whether she was sending an email for me, booking my SAT’s, booking hotels for tournaments, giving me advice, looking at schools, offering her honest opinion on my play, and eventually supporting my decision to attend Hartford. I honestly never would have ever achieved my goal of playing in college of it was not for my mom.