Alumni Blog
Hermit Pride in Five: Bryce Young ’14
Posted September 24th, 2019
Hermit Pride in Five spotlights our proud Hermits Alumni – this edition introduces the newly-minted Premier Lacrosse League Champion, Bryce Young ’14. Following a decorated four-year career which included an NCAA Division-I National Championship at the University of Maryland, Bryce entered his second year as a professional as a member of the Premier Lacrosse League. He took a moment with fellow alumnus, Manny Dijamco, to share his most unforgettable memories at St. Augustine as a student and discussed what has been the most rewarding part of his role as a mentor to his students and players.
Bryce Young ’14 (pictured 2nd from left) salutes the crowd during Saturday’s PLL Trophy Presentation. Whipsnakes LC defeated Redwoods LC 12-11 in OT to win the Inaugural Premier Lacrosse League Championship.
Your accomplishments as a Division-I NCAA National Champion and now as a professional athlete/Premiere Lacrosse League Champion speak for themselves. However, to your current Hermit Brothers, you are known as a coach, teacher, and role model. What has been the most rewarding aspect of serving as a faculty member at the Prep?
Seeing how special St. Augustine Prep truly is from the perspective of a faculty/staff member has been, hands down, the most rewarding part of returning to my alma mater. The faculty and staff at St. Augustine played a big role in my high school experience and for me to have the opportunity to make a positive impact on even one of my current Hermit Brothers’ time here in Richland is very humbling to me. I see so much of myself in every student at St. Augustine, from the shy, tentative freshman to the eager and excited senior ready for the next stage in his life. This school laid the foundation for who I am today and for me to have that impact on the next Hermit Brother that passes through here is a very special thing.
Bryce and his club’s championship did not come easy; the OT thriller was a physical matchup from beginning to end.
Can you recount a memorable experience (or experiences) during your time as a student at St. Augustine? What made this moment so memorable and impactful?
Some of my favorite memories at St. Augustine Prep came from being part of the Richland Rowdies. Being an athlete, I did not have many opportunities to join my Hermit Brothers in the Richland Rowdie section, but when those chances came, they were unforgettable. From rushing the court in 2011 when our basketball team won the state championship to taking charter buses up to Northern New Jersey to watch our hockey team take powerhouse Delbarton into overtime of the state championship game, and doing it all with my best friends, those are some of my favorite memories at St. Augustine Prep.
In just one year, the Premier Lacrosse League has exploded on the scene by maximizing the marketing capabilities of social media and capitalizing on its best asset – their players. How has being a part of such a dynamic professional sports league helped you in your current role at the Prep?
Having the opportunity to compete in the inaugural year of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) and be a part of something so forward-thinking and dynamic, has been nothing short of amazing. The approach the PLL took with targeting social media as a means to captivate and engage with a niche audience and build a following, has been something I am attempting to replicate here at St. Augustine Prep. Like the PLL, the passionate St. Augustine Prep community is our best marketing tool and our social media following has been the premier platform to share the transformational experiences the school has to offer.
It goes without saying how much Coach Valore means to you as a person and a coach, among all the lessons and wisdom, what do you continue to incorporate in your personal and professional life?
Coach Valore has been everything from a teacher, coach, mentor and friend of mine over the last ten years and one thing that has never changed is his infectious passion towards molding boys into young men. The passion and work ethic in which he approaches everything is something I have always admired and now strive to replicate in my own life.
Bryce shows the finer points of photography with his A-period Photojournalism II class.
If Bryce Young today could speak to Bryce Young entering his Freshman Year at the Prep, what pearls of wisdom would you bestow upon him and all our current Hermits?
Say “thank you” more. Tell the teachers and faculty members of St. Augustine Prep, who, day in and day out, worked tirelessly to put each student in a position to succeed and never expected anything in return, “thank you.” Tell the coaches that believed in you through all the trials and tribulations on-the-field and off-the-field, “thank you.” Most importantly tell your parents who sacrificed more than you would ever know to give you the opportunity to attend an institution such as St. Augustine Prep “thank you.”
