Cav Williams first tried lacrosse when he was 6 years old while living in Maryland. “I absolutely hated it and vowed never to play lacrosse again,” said Williams. Fast forward 12 years, and Williams is a standout LSM and a key member of the ADVNC SF ‘21 team. Williams is committed to play lacrosse at Georgetown University.
Williams moved to the Bay Area when he was in 2nd grade, and loved playing basketball. When he was 11, the parents of a teammate saw his physical play on the hardwood and suggested he give lacrosse another try.
Williams played for the Firehawks before playing for ADVNC
“My issue in basketball was that I fouled out a lot,” said Williams. “In lacrosse that was never an issue. The physicality of lacrosse is the thing that drew me back in. I was behind on stick skills relative to the other players. So I started playing defense right away.”
Williams played for the Firehawks at first, and then met ADVNC Founder & CEO, Chris Rotelli. Rotelli brought him onto the ADVNC SF ‘21 team that was just then beginning to blossom into a team that could compete against the best teams on the East Coast.
“ADVNC is just awesome,” said Williams. “The coaches are great. I’ve been coached by a bunch of guys that were great college athletes. All the guys on our team have a lot of respect for them, and we all just bought in from the start. All the kids on my team are super nice and really good at lacrosse.”
Williams is a standout on the ADVNC SF ‘21 squad
Cav’s dad, Greg Williams echoes his son’s sentiments about the ADVNC Program. “Chris (Rotelli) does a good job of bringing coaches in that are just great with the kids from a character standpoint,” Greg Williams said. “There’s X’s and O’s and technique, but beyond that, most of the guys who have coached Cav are just great mentors that you’re happy your son is around. The character element of the coaching is a big plus – and its not a given with other clubs.”
As Cav developed as a player in the ADVNC program, his aspirations to play DI college lacrosse grew. “The caliber of the ADVNC club has enabled us to go and compete well in highly competitive tournaments in lacrosse hotbeds across the country,” Greg Williams said. “That’s been a big bonus for Cav developing as a player and from a recruiting standpoint.”
September 1, 2019 was the first day college coaches could contact Cav officially about playing in their programs. “I was nervous,” Cav said. “I had no idea how it would go. I assumed I would get calls from some coaches, but I got calls and texts from a lot of the schools I was interested in. But I was in the middle of football season so I wasn’t stressed about committing early. I knew I had time, and I committed in February (of 2020) right before COVID hit. Georgetown was my first choice from the get-go, and after I did all my visits, they were still my first choice.”
“There were other great schools and programs in the mix,” said Greg Williams. “Maryland, Yale, Villanova, Dartmouth and Marquette. But Georgetown was just the best fit. It has the best combo of the qualities Cav wanted in a school and lacrosse program: Education, size, location, and the trajectory of a program relative to their ability to compete for a National Championship.”
“The school is a great fit for me,” said Cav. “I’m going to get an excellent education there. I used to live in Maryland, and we still have a house just an hour away (from DC). I really enjoyed meeting the coaches and players. The players are determined and down to earth. They are hard working and motivated, but also easy to get along with. In terms of personality and coaching style, I think I will relate well to the coaches there.”
Williams and the NDP ‘21 team made it to the Naptown Finals in each of the last 2 years.
The Williams credit Coach Rotelli for his guidance through the recruiting process. “Chris and ADVNC got us into the biggest tournaments in the country and playing in front of the best coaches,” said Cav. “We made it into the championship game at Naptown last summer and played on ESPN3. That was great exposure. And Chris talked to a lot of college coaches for me to let them know about my skills and character. That made it more likely for me to get recruited by the schools I wanted.”
“I had no doubt Chris would be a great advocate for Cav,” said Greg Williams. “Chris is very well known nationally across the lacrosse community – and he has strong credibility with college coaches. He communicated consistently on Cav’s behalf with coaches over many months during the recruiting process.”
Cav looked up to SHP defenseman Sean Mayle, and will now follow in Mayle’s footsteps as a DI lacrosse player.
As a young player, Cav always looked up to college lacrosse players. Now that he will soon become a college player himself, he had advice for young players who aspire to follow in his footsteps. “Get in the backyard or get your dad throwing with you,” said Cav. “Play with your friends and always have a stick in your hands. And don’t miss practice! That’s when the best development happens. Don’t miss any of them and take every opportunity that comes your way.”