Kevin Prunty '20 (above, middle) was forced to make a choice: give up his lifelong dream or risk everything.
Kevin remembers cradling a lacrosse stick when he was just two-years-old. His big brothers played the sport, and Kevin, even as a toddler, seemed to be a natural. He remembers family games in the backyard and years later, watching his brothers play for Siena (before signing his letter of intent to do the same). So many of Kevin's fondest childhood memories involve lacrosse, but he has absolutely no memory of the moment it all went away.
Kevin was a standout lacrosse player at Lakeland High School in northern Westchester county. His senior year, he rebuffed Rutgers and a handful of other programs to be a Saint. As a freshman, he had a successful fall season, but weeks before his first official game, near the end of a grueling Saturday workout, he never saw the 80 miles-an-hour shot that missed its target. And he has no memory of what happened next.
Players and coaches have since filled in the blanks. The wayward shot connected squarely with Kevin's helmet and knocked him out cold. The concussion, nowhere near his first, left him in a haze that lasted weeks. Kevin's grades suffered, and the trainers kept him sidelined through a longer than expected recovery. Initially, Kevin planned to be game ready for his sophomore season, but a family friend, who had suffered a similar injury, suggested an option that only a year earlier would have seemed preposterous: walk away.
Kevin had a history of concussions which make future concussions more likely and more dangerous. Another hit to the head might have jeopardized his long term health. Playing lacrosse had been Kevin's whole life - until he was confronted with the prospect of having children and then forgetting their names.
Kevin chose to retire without ever playing in a regular season collegiate game. He stayed on the team his sophomore year and participated in non-contact drills. He was glad to still be part of the team, but he struggled with the fact that he wasn't actually helping the team. A year later, a coaching change led to an opportunity that would completely change his role.
In 2018, first year head coach Liam Gleason decided he didn't want Kevin hanging around the squad as an injured player. Kevin was worth more to the team as an assistant coach. Kevin gladly accepted an undergraduate assistant position, and for the past two years, he's been coaching the subbing box on game days, working with goalies and face-off specialists in practice, and helping to run the alumni mentorship program.
When the concussion symptoms subsided, his grades rebounded - all the way to the Dean's List. Kevin is currently interning with First Columbia, a commercial real estate agency in Latham, and they have a job waiting for him when he graduates. But first, Kevin hopes to coach his Saints to a conference championship this spring.
"Not everything always works out as planned. The situation I faced changed my life, but I had to try my hardest to bring something positive out of a negative. Thankfully I've had an unbelievable support system through my family, teammates, coaches, and trainers."
Kevin Prunty '20
"We knew Kevin could help us in many aspects of the program, and we wanted him to have a defined role on the team after stepping away from playing. Kevin embraced the role and has taken on even more responsibilities this year. He is an unbelievable asset to our program and we are very fortunate for his dedication and work ethic."
Liam Gleason, men's lacrosse head coach