Bill Craddock is imaginative, inquisitive and analytical.
In his world, there is more to playing goal than blocking the ball and there is more to life than playing lacrosse.
The Archbishop Carroll senior goalie is committed to lacrosse. He stays focused for the entire game, and he studies the sport and pursues ways to improve during the off-season.
"I try to think things through," he said. "I try to do more than just step in front of the ball. I've been to a lot of camps and they teach you all about angles and stepping right and covering from behind. It can get technical."
Said Carroll lacrosse coach Jim Oliver: "He's a fountain of goaltending knowledge. He spends a lot of time going to camps and learning about the position. He's got a new technique for this and a new technique for that. I learn a lot from him."
Lacrosse is just one of Craddock's interests.
He's also accomplished in computers, kung fu, music and art. The Craddock family has had computers in the house since the early 1990s, and Craddock has been on the Internet since the early 1990s. He has designed Web sites and is currently interested in 3-D modeling.
"It's like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park," he said. "I'm more interested in art than programming."
Craddock also applies the computer to his music.
"With my computer I can hook up everything with the stereo and turntable," he said.
Meanwhile, lacrosse isn't his only physical outlet. He's been involved with kung fu for two years.
"That's really helped with my lacrosse," he said. "I feel more comfortable using my hands and everything. Kung fu is graceful. Some people think it's fancy, but it's more efficient. You're using less movement to get from point A to point B."
In Craddock's world, there's room for very little wasted motion or time. But there has always been a place for lacrosse.
"I've basically grown up on it since I was little," he said of lacrosse. "I come home from school, go to lacrosse practice, and then do what you have to do."
Next year, he will attend the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he plans to play Division III lacrosse and major in film-video-animation.
"I looked around for a major and they had exactly what I wanted," Craddock said. "I approached the school and they were positive."
RIT is getting a positive impact player, a goalie who has played the position since fourth grade. Craddock started playing when he lived in Fairfax, Va.
"That was the big sport," he said. "Everybody down there knew what they were doing. I tried goalie and liked it. I went to a summer camp, and everybody said I stunk."
Not for long, however.
"I played for two indoor teams and got the knack for it," Craddock said. "I had good reflexes."
In seventh grade, the family moved to Radnor when Craddock's father, Steve, took a new job. Craddock stayed with lacrosse, playing for community teams in Tredyffrin-Easttown and Radnor.
"Since I've moved up here, I've refined my game each year," he said.
As a freshman and sophomore, Craddock split time in goal with Evan McGroarty. Although he wasn't a full-time starter, he still earned third-team all-Catholic honors as a freshman and second-team honors as a sophomore. He continued to learn the game from assistant coach Ray Lockhard.
"My first year everybody was so big and the shots were so much faster," Craddock said. "It took some time getting used to. Sophomore year it became a lot easier."
While Carroll lost to La Salle in the Catholic League title game in 1997 and 1998, it still achieved a winning record last year despite losing a strong group of seniors. One big reason was Craddock.
"He's got quick hands and he's fundamentally sound," Oliver said. "He rarely gets beat because he's made a mistake. He gets beat because somebody made a really good shot. The kids know they're safe with him in goal. They know he's there and don't have to worry."
Carroll is off to a 2-1 start with Craddock in goal this year. His best game may have been a 14-5 loss to Radnor in which he made 20 saves.
"He made some incredible saves," Oliver said. "I'll be sorry when he leaves. He's just been phenomenal for us, not that the kids backing him up won't be, but he's an exceptional goalie. He's got a different style. He's smart, extremely smart. He wants to be in the right position all the time. There are some goalies that are more instinctive, where Billy is more calculating."
While Craddock brings intellect and thought to the game and his position, he appreciates the physical and mental aspects of lacrosse.
"People say goalies are crazy," he said. "I have a high threshold for pain. It doesn't bother me, getting hit by balls. I enjoy it."
