This article looks at the salaries and other earnings of Waterdogs players in the Premier Lacrosse League.
Their entire compensation comes from several sources. We’ll review each in turn:
- Monthly club wage set by the Waterdogs head coach
- Brand sponsorships
- Coach and assistant coach roles at school and college level
- Private camps and clinics
- Employment unrelated to lacrosse
Which Waterdogs Players Are Paid The Least?
The minimum contract across the league is $25,000. This is the entry-level salary for draft picks and undrafted selections in their rookie year.
The top four draft picks across the league get a bonus. However, Waterdogs didn’t pick up one of the top four in the 2022 college draft.
These are the players they drafted:
- Jack Hannah
- Jake Higgins
- Jason Reynolds
We can also expect more experienced players who weren’t in high demand from other clubs to be on or near the base contract.
For example, Waterdogs picked up Christian Scarpello from the player pool in 2021. Scarpello wouldn’t have good leverage to negotiate much higher than the base contract.
Although by putting in a strong season, he could negotiate upward the following year.
How We Estimate Player Salaries
Waterdogs Lacrosse Club doesn’t publish player salaries. And although we talked to several contacts, it’s fair to say that the players themselves are fairly tight-lipped on the subject.
However, we have enough information to put together some reasonable ranges based on experience and status.
We know that Andy Copelan, head coach at Waterdogs, has a league cap of about $735K per year for player wages.
As long as he keeps to the $25K minimum, he can allocate salaries however he sees fit for the club.
Of course, it’s up to players to sit down and negotiate with Copelan for what they think they’re worth.
Most Waterdogs players don’t reach the $35K league average
The league has stated that the average pay for players is $35,000. But we calculate that most players don’t reach that number.
How so? Follow along, it’s not hard…
Three college draft players on the base contract add up to a total of $75K.
With the cap at $735K, that leaves $660K left for the rest of the roster.
Let’s say that there are a total of 25 players on the full roster. If the other 22 players were paid the same after the rookies take their cut, each would get about $30K.
That is below the reported PLL average salary, so we know that this can’t be right.
We also know that last season’s All-Stars must be making more than the solid pro who doesn’t make every starting line-up.
I took a long look at the Waterdogs roster and came up with reasonable salary ranges that make the numbers work.
Salary ranges
Several players on the Waterdogs roster were All-Stars in the 2021 season. These are the players who were in the best position to negotiate for higher salaries (we’ll get into the specific figures in a minute).
We also expect team captains to be in the highest salary range.
In order for the stars and team captains to earn more than the average contract, at least fifteen experienced players must earn less.
We figure that the Waterdogs players fall within five salary ranges:
- Rookies
- Developing players or players who are no longer in demand elsewhere
- Senior players who aren’t guaranteed starters
- All-Stars and captains
So, let’s get into the numbers!
How Much Do Players Earn At Waterdogs?
All-Stars and captains at Waterdogs Lacrosse Club earn from $35-$38K per season.
Experienced players who regularly make game-day rosters earn from $25-35K per season.
Draft picks receive a base contract of $25K.
Veterans who were not in demand from other clubs are also on the base contract.
These figures may seem low but remember that this is for a season that is about five and a half months. I’ve put the monthly equivalent of the top end of these ranges in the table below.
| Status | Annual ($) | Monthly ($) |
| Rookies | 25,000 | 4,545 |
| Developing | 27,000 | 4,909 |
| Senior | 30,000 | 5,455 |
| All-Stars | 38,000 | 6,909 |
Who are the top earners?
There were two players in the 2022 Waterdogs roster that made the All-Star team in the previous year. We expect their club wages to be a minimum of 35 thousand dollars.
Two other players were appointed by the coach as team captains. I expect that they get a bonus with the extra media duties and on-field leadership. This also puts them at the top end of the salary range.
Here is the breakdown:
| Name | Captain | All-Stars |
| Liam Byrnes | Y | |
| Zach Currier | Y | |
| Steve De Napoli | Y | |
| Mikie Schlosser | Y |
Sponsorships And Brand Advertising
It’s well documented now that Paul Rabil’s first sponsorship deal was with Under Armour for twenty thousand dollars. That was back in 2008.
There still isn’t another player who has gained his huge profile. But the dollar amounts now will vary from $3-10K for dedicated lacrosse gear brands and up to $20K for bigger brands that sponsor the top players in the league.
Let’s take Warrior and New Balance as an example of a sponsor. They actually used to have Paul Rabil on their books but have parted ways.
But they do have some Waterdogs in their stable of sponsored athletes, namely Ryan Brown and Kieran McArdle.
This kind of sponsorship doesn’t just come with extra income. The players also get customized gear through the season.
Of course, that has the monetary value of not having to pay for replacements.
Coaching At Schools And Colleges
Several Waterdogs players have coaching roles at college level.
Charlie Hayes is an assistant coach at the University of Detroit Mercy.
Matt Whitcher is a defensive coach at York College in Pennsylvania
So, how much does an assistant coach make at college level? I looked at some current job listings and the salary is about $30,000 per year.
Coaching Camps And Clinics
Outside the academic year, plenty of players provide lacrosse clinics in the summer.
Some players run their own clinics, which is probably more lucrative but takes a bit of work.
Ryan Brown set up a lacrosse clinic with Deemer Class that provides private training.
Other players are hired by companies that plan and manage clinics across North America.
Eli Gobrecht is one of several coaches at Cityside Lax, who run camps in the Pacific Northwest.
Playing In The NLL
Some players start their season indoors in the National Lacrosse League and then play through the summer in the PLL.
Kieran McArdle is one of the Waterdongs roster who extended his lacrosse income by switching leagues. Check out our review of player salaries at the New York Riptide.
Ryland Rees also switches between the two leagues. We have more detail in our review of player salaries at the Rochester Knighthawks.
Employment Outside The Lacrosse World
Waterdogs players are employed by the club for under six months of the year. They also don’t train full-time during the season.
The standard schedule is to take a Friday off for travel and training. That means that employers can take on players for a four-day work week.
Some players have well-paid jobs outside of the sport. Let’s look at a few to get a flavor.
Ryan Conrad is a financial analyst at KKR, a global investment company.
Steven DeNapoli is a project manager at AECOM Tishman, a construction company.
Keeping with real estate, Mathew DeLuca is an analyst at Conrex, a property management company.
There are many players across the PLL who have similar jobs in finance, insurance, and real estate.
But Kieran McArdle bucks that trend. The talented player combines his lacrosse career with being a PE teacher in a school in Washington Heights, New York.
How Do Waterdogs Afford Player Wages?
You may be wondering if the gate receipts and television revenue for the league are enough to cover player wages at Waterdogs.
The answer is that they’re not.
However, Waterdogs and the PLL have some very wealthy investors.
I’ve described a few of the big hitters in our article about who owns Waterdogs.
