One on One with Luke McCallion

Luke McCallion is a Philadelphia area Laxer who won a Championship with Cabrini and has played in World Games.

A face-off specialist, Luke plays both box and field and is a thriving businessman.

So, Kevin M. Neibauer caught up with Luke to get to know the man.

Let’s go One on One….

KMN- Where did you play youth ball?

LM- Ashbee Pre-k to 8th Grade

KMN- Havertown guy, what was It like playing there?

LM-Playing at Haverford High School was awesome. I made some of my greatest friends on that team and learned some great life lessons from my coaches, Dan Greenspun, Greg Decina, and Steve Young.

KMN-One year at Vermont, what brought about a change?

LM-UVM is a beautiful campus, I love Burlington and Coach Chris Fiefs and Jake Bernhardt are two of the greatest guys I’ve met. Also, two of the best coaches I could ever have. I just decided that school wasn’t the right path for me, so I actually dropped out to pursue a career in Digital Marketing and Business Coaching.

KMN-One year at Vermont, what brought about a change?

LM-Upon returning home, Steve Young reached out to me with news that Cabrini needed a faceoff guy. I met with Coach Colfer and Coach Garling and I was sold. I changed my major to digital communications (I was previously a civil and environmental engineering major at UVM) and joined the team! What an incredible experience.

KMN- Face off specialist…how long have you played the position?

LM-I’ve been facing off since 8th grade. I was actually an AA Midfielder in high school and then when I got to college I became more of a specialist.

KMN- You recently played in the World Games…talk about those experiences…

LM-The World Games are incredible. I represented Sweden in Israel two years ago and this past year I represented them at the Indoor Lacrosse World Games in Vancouver. I thank lacrosse for giving me the opportunity to travel, meet amazing people, and introduce an awesome sport to people around the world. I’m hoping to play again in Poland this summer for the European Championship games

KMN- Box… when did you start playing that version of the sport?

LM-I didn’t play organized box lacrosse until about a year ago. The first time against true competition was in Vancouver with Team Sweden. Got to learn a lot from some recognizable names like Tommy Johnson who won with the Edmonton Rush, Wade Bucktooth, and Coach Ed Shenandoah.

KMN- You just agreed to play with the Grim Reapers in the Philadelphia Box Lacrosse Association. How did you hook up with the Reapers?

LM-I was lucky enough to be contacted by Bill (Nitti) Kennedy. Looking forward to the season already!

KMN- A few Cabrini teammates play with the Reapers. What, if any, expectations do you have going into the season?

LM-I’m expecting the chemistry to be unreal! I’m beyond excited to get another chance to play with some old teammates!

KMN- Are you coaching and or mentoring at this time?

LM-I coach with Mesa Lacrosse and now and then with Haverford High School. I run a few clinics and do some individual mentoring as well.

KMN- What is your major?

LM-I started out as a civil and environmental engineer. After interning, I decided that’s not how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. Dropped out. I transferred to Cabrin and changed my major to digital communications but I felt that I could teach myself better than the classes so I dropped out again! Now I work full time with Bad Rhino Inc. and do some freelancing work on the side. Super happy with my decision.

KMN-Bad Rhino… what is that?

LM- I love working for them, they’re all awesome and it’s the lifestyle you dream of. We work remotely a few times a week and the guys in charge are super understanding. Not to mention, we were named the #2 Digital Marketing Agency in all of PA by clutch! I’m super happy they brought me on board.

They’re on board and understanding about lacrosse as well. I took two weeks out of the office to play in Vancouver and they were totally cool with it, which was huge!

Thanks to Luke!

Kevin Neibauer

Kevin has followed and promoted the game of lacrosse since May 19, 1974.
The same day the Philadelphia Flyers won the Cup, the Philadelphia Wings were introduced to Neibauer and Philadelphia.

Kevin has covered many sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and.. lacrosse. A former licensed football referee and baseball umpire, Kevin brings a unique insight to his game coverage.

A published writer in JustHockey Magazine, Kevin covered the American Hockey League as well as a monthly story on a pugilist where Kevin used the pen name, The Rink Rat. Neibauer turned his attentions to lacrosse for a few years and does his part, whether podcasting or writing to grow the game. Kevin branched out to his roots and currently provides insight for all Philadelphia teams for Edge of Philly as well as his full-time duties with LaxPhilly.