You think you’ve got a tough commute.
You think that drive from Marysville or Lake Stevens or Monroe into Seattle is as bad as it gets. Or maybe you feel like you’ve spent half your adult life sitting on that parking lot known as the 405.
Look on the bright side, road rager. At least you’re not Paul Rabil.
For a typical workday trip to the office, Rabil has to log 2,800 miles. One way. And a couple days later, he makes his return trip.
And the crazy part? He doesn’t seem to mind.
“You have to make the best of it,” said Rabil, a Baltimore resident and a member of the Washington Stealth indoor lacrosse team that plays in Everett. “I’m committed to this team and to the state of Washington, so I do it. This profession is what I chose to do.”
What Rabil did not choose to do was move to the West Coast, even though he was drafted by the National Lacrosse League’s San Jose Stealth last year before that franchise relocated to Everett.
And so Rabil already has had to make 20 four-and-a-half-hour flights to and from his Baltimore home — a total of about 56,000 miles — and will make one last cross-country trip when the Stealth play the Toronto Rock in the NLL’s Champion’s Cup at Comcast Arena on Saturday night. Add in eight Stealth road games and Rabil’s frequent-flier mileage has totaled about 80,000 miles since January — or about 42,000 more than the Seattle Mariners will log this season.
And this isn’t just any lacrosse player. In this sport, particularly the outdoor game, Rabil is considered one of the best players in the world.
As Stealth coach Chris Hall said of Rabil: “In the field (outdoor) game, he’s iconic. … He’s the best of the best.”
The thought of Rabil, who maintains his Baltimore residence because he is part owner of a gym there and also conducts clinics and speaking engagements throughout the East Coast, flying coach is akin to Kobe Bryant taking flights from Philadelphia to Los Angeles for every Lakers home game or Felix Hernandez flying to and from Venezuela for each of his starts.
To add to the jet lag, Rabil is one of several high-profile lacrosse players who compete in both the NLL and the outdoor league, Major League Lacrosse. That season begins next week, meaning Saturday night’s NLL championship will lead into a markedly shorter commute for the star of the MLL’s Boston franchise.
“I’ve dedicated myself to the profession, to the game of lacrosse, and that really has to encompass playing in both leagues,” Rabil said of the nine-month commitment that comes with playing in the NLL and MLL. “A lot of the top players do both. If you’re going to pursue a career in lacrosse, it’s better to do both — mentally, physically and financially.”
There are several reasons why Rabil is able to tolerate the travel, starting with his self-described “gift” for sleeping on airplanes. Sometimes he racks out for the entire 4½ hours. Other trips, he watches a movie … or two … or three. He’s estimated to have seen “north of 40” flicks this year alone and ranks Roland Emmerich’s recent epic “2012” as his most recent favorite.
But part of what motivates the 24-year-old Rabil is both his love of the game and the desire to carry it to others. A household name in lacrosse circles, Rabil is trying to help carry the sport from its roots in Canada and on the East Coast to places like California, Seattle and Everett.
“I think you have to look past the immediate, short-term goals,” Rabil said. “It’s about pursuing bigger things for this sport. My predecessors did that, and it’s up to us to carry the torch.”
Coming to the West Coast has not been the only adjustment for the former Johns Hopkins University star and NCAA player of the year. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound Rabil is still learning his way in the indoor game, which is played on a smaller field, uses smaller nets and involves different strategies. Hall moved him from offense to the “transition” position, which is kind of like a soccer midfielder, so that Rabil can learn the indoor game without being relied upon as the team’s primary scoring option.
He’s made a relatively smooth adjustment, ranking fourth on the team in assists and fifth in total points this season. And the Stealth are more than happy to pay for Rabil’s weekly airfare.
“When you’ve got superstar players,” Hall said, “you tend to absorb the added expenses because they mean so much for your team.”
While the commute might be tough on Rabil, it could be the best-case-scenario for a sport that’s trying to expand westward.
“Having Paul Rabil play for the Washington Stealth is a huge bonus for the growth of the game in the Pacific Northwest,” Hall said. “The people in lacrosse all know who Paul Rabil is. (Having him in Everett) gives some legitimacy to West Coast lacrosse.”
Rabil said he thought about moving to the West Coast — he’ll consider the possibility again in the coming months — but opted instead for the long air commutes that typically take place on Thursdays and Sundays in the winter and spring.
You might hate your commute, but the Stealth’s young star is handling his with grace.
“It can be taxing,” Rabil admitted. “But I think it just makes me more mentally tough.”
Perhaps you’d be better off approaching your commute with the same outlook.
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