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Becoming the first of anything is a pretty crazy opportunity.
Setting the bar for other people to reach comes with a certain kind of pressure. Luckily for Saint Edward’s right now and Navy in the future, Connor O’Brien can handle it.
O’Brien’s recent commitment to Navy makes him the first commit from the Eclipse Florida program. The 2026 lefty midfielder and attackman is in the process of a state title chase with head coach Jamie Hanford leading the way. Hanford has coached O’Brien both as his high school head coach and for the Eclipse.
The commitment means quite a bit to the Eclipse organization and is a sign that things are obviously being done the right way. Not bad for a program that began in Connecticut and for lack of a better term, was sort of a happy accident.
Start of Something Big
“We started about 11 years ago in Fairfield County,” Hanford said. “Chip Buzzeo, myself and Will Koshansky started this thing about 11 years ago. Chip and I grew up in Connecticut together and Will was a Long Island guy that had graduated college and was kind of working in the area. We just kind of kicked it off.”
“I was never thinking about getting into the club world and didn’t really know about it. I was in the finance world. Chip was as well and Will was in college. We just kind of stumbled upon it. There wasn’t anything that good in the area so it was great timing for us. With Florida, there was an opportunity with Saint Edward’s down in the Vero Beach area three years ago and I took it. My wife and kids still live in Connecticut and I basically just launched the Eclipse down here.
Getting kids into elite college programs is always a goal and getting the first one from Florida is a big deal.
“It’s great. I’m happy it happened, but me and my group have gotten a lot of kids committed,” added Hanford. “Probably around 280, 290 over the last 11 years, so it’s kind of what we do and what the expectation is. It’s why we do this. It’s rewarding, but we want to make sure we’re developing, coaching and helping a boy turn into a man.
“We want them to achieve their goals and set them up on the right track and to ultimately help them be successful in life.”
First One Off the Board
O’Brien will now be the one in the Florida program that other guys are chasing when it comes to playing at the next level. Plenty others will join him in short order, but he’ll always be the first, something he takes immense pride in.
“It’s special,” he acknowledged. “It’s super special because Jamie’s my head coach here at Saint Edward’s too, so our bond, our relationship has really grown. So, being his first commit from Florida is very special and it means a lot.”
Hanford knew O’Brien had what it took to play Division I lacrosse because of his work ethic.
“He worked extremely hard,” he said. “He’s an outstanding football player here at St. Edwards and he played for a regional high school (lacrosse) team down here I was coaching with a lot of Vero Beach and St. Ed’s kids combined together for a few summer tournaments. He came to try out two years ago for our Connecticut team and he just didn’t have a great tryout, so he didn’t get put on the top team.”
“This past summer, we had some attackmen down and Connor had been working really hard. We had some room to put him on our team and he had a lights out fall. He was not only playing a full football schedule, but he came up to all six practices and all three tournaments. He met some new teammates from our ’26 Navy team, had a great fall and had a bunch of opportunities fall his way.”
“Navy Really Sets You Up for Life”
It takes a different kind of player and person to want to play at a service academy, given everything else that’s involved beyond the sport. That’s the type of challenge and the type of pressure O’Brien is embracing and believes he thrives in.
“I’ve always had goals and aspirations to play at the next level, but I didn’t really realize until probably freshman year that lacrosse was going to be a ticket to college,” he explained. “I think Navy really sets you up for life. The benefits afterwards…you do have to serve five years, which is okay. Afterwards, you can do any line of work you choose. Any job when they see Navy on your resumé it’s a no-brainer.
“That, and I do better in a structured environment. That structure can allow me to continue to be a leader and be successful. I think that’s what really stuck out about going to Navy.”
For all of the kids in Florida looking to now be the next Connor O’Brien, he had a message when asked what he’d tell them to focus on most in the process.
“You have to use your resources,” he added. “Not all kids might have them, but luckily a lot of the kids in the lacrosse community have the resources and the ability to search for the right path. I think the Eclipse Florida resource especially, if you have the ability to be involved, you’re working with some of the best coaches you can have. The level of lacrosse IQ they teach is invaluable.”
All the way to a commitment to Navy.
