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Graham Bocklet didn’t have to look far to find some positive role models when it comes to lacrosse.

The John Jay junior grew up surrounded by it. His four cousins either played or played at the Division I level — attackman Mike Bocklet (Fairfield University), defenseman Matt Bocklet (Johns Hopkins), attackman Chris Bocklet (University of Virginia) and attacker Casey Bocklet (Northwestern).

Because Matt Bocklet is the lone defender in the group, he has a special impact on the development of Graham Bocklet, a longstick defender/defenseman.

“Being a part of the Bocklet family has definitely helped me become a better lacrosse player,” Graham Bocklet said. “All of my cousins, including Matt, have influenced me to become the best player on and off the field.  They always tell me how important lacrosse is but they always remind me to keep the grades up.”

So it should come as no surprise that Graham Bocklet is also will play at the D-I level. He has given a verbal commitment to the University of Vermont.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound left-hander, a converted long pole, has good field awareness and footwork and is especially adept at getting ground balls — abilities on display in his highlight reel.

Now, here’s a Q&A with Graham on his commitment.

What were the main factors in your decision?
Vermont has always been a comfortable place for me because I grew up going snowboarding with my family every weekend and actually went to school in Vermont when I was in sixth grade.

Burlington is a perfect fit for me and I love everything it has to offer.  I’ve always liked the feel of the University of Vermont and once I found out that they had a Division I lacrosse program, it was a no-brainer that UVM was going to be my first choice.

What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Some other schools that I had visited were Siena College, Marquette University, Binghamton University, SUNY Cortland and the College of Holy Cross.  I thought all of these schools had great programs, but I didn’t feel as comfortable at any of them as I did at Vermont.

What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I think that as a player I am best at ground balls, field awareness and footwork.

I’ve only been playing long pole for about nine months now and once my coach put a long pole in my hand everything started to fall into place.

Along with playing defense, I am also very comfortable playing offense and I love being able to cross the midfield line so I can score.

How has being a part of an extended family so involved in lacrosse helped you and how big of impact did your cousins have in your development as a player, especially Matt Bocklet, who is also a defenseman?
Being a part of the Bocklet family has definitely helped me become a better lacrosse player.

All of my cousins, including Matt, have influenced me to become the best player on and off the field.  They always tell me how important lacrosse is but they always remind me to keep the grades up.

Even though I don’t see my cousins a lot because they are so busy, whenever they are home, they are the first ones to invite me to the John Jay turf and they teach me things that not every coach teaches their players, like goosing the (ground) ball or behind-the-back shots and passes.

Matt has always been like an older brother to me and we have a very close relationship.  Since Matt is the only defenseman in his family, I am constantly asking him questions about how I can become a better player.  He is filled with amazing pointers and tips, and since he’s been playing the game for so long, he’s always got stories to tell along with them.

My uncle, Barry (Bocklet), and his son Mike have also helped me tremendously through the college recruiting process.  Uncle Barry is like a second father to me.  He is always at my house asking me how my tournaments went or at my games analyzing me and finding ways to help me improve.  I don’t know what I would have done without him and he has had the biggest impact on me as a developing lacrosse player.

What travel team did you play on this past summer and what were some of the showcase events you competed in?
This summer I played on Primetime 201,4 run by Nick Daniello.  Some tournaments we played at were King of the Hill, Tri-State, MVP, and the Maverick Showtime Showcase.  I’ve never been closer with a group of guys and I’m excited to see them and play with them next summer.

* For more info on Graham, including his highlight reel, check out his player profile by clicking here.

* 2012 Fall Signing Week story/photo archive

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