A 38-year Career Home Run

Celebrating Retirement

A 38-Year Career Home run

By Kristen Weldon

If anyone had told Steve Cannata P ’20 when he came to campus in 1984 that he would spend the next 38 years here, he would have called them flat-out crazy. And yet, the years have a funny way of passing. Time quietly marches on, and the people one meets at places like KO have a way of working their way into the heart and mind. Kind, compassionate, quiet, and humble, Cannata has seen many things change, and many remain the same during his time here. He has made a lasting impression on Kingswood Oxford, and the countless student-athletes whose lives he has impacted.

Cannata graduated from the University of Connecticut and then went on to Central Connecticut State University to earn his master’s degree. From there he was hired by Yale University as an athletic trainer, also working in Yale’s sports medicine and health clinics. One summer he got a call from former Kingswood Oxford Athletic Director Joe Alissi who needed to hire an athletic trainer. Cannata chuckled as he remembered that the trainer who was leaving KO had been there 10 years, which to Cannata back then, seemed like an eternity. Fast forward to 2022 as Cannata celebrates his 38th and final year at KO. During his years at KO, Cannata said he has witnessed a lot of changes. When Cannata first started, there were 825 kids, and the school was “busting at the seams, sharing classrooms, classrooms in the cafeteria,” he noted. The Middle School was on Highland Street so, when it was time for sports, the coaches would have to drive the young athletes back and forth. In the absence of a school nurse, Cannata set up a cot in his office for students who weren’t feeling well to come and rest.

A pitcher for the UConn baseball team that played in the 1979 College World Series, Cannata eventually began coaching varsity baseball at KO. “Baseball opened up everything for me going through school,” Cannata said.

“You have to treat everyone as an individual. There is not one way. Everyone is different and responds differently.”

“It was a big part of my life so it has been really enjoyable for me to stay involved as a coach.” He noted how much fun it is to see middle school kids who are just learning to throw and catch evolve into high school players, many of whom go off to play in college. More recently, Cannata had taken over doing all the scheduling aspects of the athletic department, including the coordinating of buses, game schedules and officials, a daunting task involving minute-tominute changes. And, like so many athletic departments across the country, Cannata and his colleagues have had to learn how to adjust, pivot, and re-pivot for the last few years during the Covid pandemic, which has been no small feat. Whether then or now, Cannata made it all work, taking everything in stride, which fits his laid-back, go-with-the-flow personality and approach. “What I love about the job is that every day is different,” he said. “You don't know what the day will bring, and you aren’t doing the same thing on repeat.” He also said that the people he works with and the kids he trains and coaches have been what has kept him here all of these years. “I get to meet so many of them, and they obviously change year to year,” he said. “And it is fun to keep in touch with kids, especially those who continue to play sports.” He notes many of the students he worked with as athletes year ago now have their own kids who attend KO.

Cannata says that, no matter what task he takes on, his fundamental guideline has been the same. “You have to treat everyone as an individual,” he said. “There is not one way. Everyone is different and responds differently. Whether it be coaching or treating someone for an injury, each athlete has their own way of dealing with things so you just have to be aware and recognize that.” He says it still surprises him how long he has remained at KO and how, while so many things have changed, the important things have stayed the same. When asked what has kept him here for 38 years, he said, “The people and the relationships you develop here.” He also notes in particular the element of inclusion that has been consistent over his years at the school. “I think that everyone has a chance, and there is a spot for everybody,” he said. “You get to experiment and try things and there are so many options.” The person who persuaded Cannata to come to KO, former Athletic Director Joe Alissi, proved to be one of the strongest influences on Cannata. “We were together for 20 years,” Cannata said. “The Alissi family embodied KO athletics, and the mindset then was you do whatever for one another and for the athletics. Whatever needed to be done, we did; it wasn’t a job.” He said Alissi was a person who would give the shirt off his back and was an exceptional role model. Alissi died in a tragic car accident in 2009, and KO still celebrates his life and legacy of each year on Alissi Sports Day. Cannata always makes a point to tell his players about Alissi and the impact that he made on the school and athletic program. “As more time goes on, I want to make sure that I keep his memory alive,” Cannata said.

Cannata also had the opportunity to see things through the lens of a KO parent, which he described as “eye opening.” His son, Nick, attended the Middle and Upper School and graduated in 2020. “I had been here and known how things worked, but as a parent I remember seeing a whole

different side of it,” Cannata said. “When my son was in Middle School, I remember reading through the comments teachers wrote and realized how incredibly well teachers got to know the students here.” He said he also gained a new appreciation for how much work is really involved in being a KO student. “I gained a better appreciation of what these kids do as students, how important time management is, and how much progress they make,” he said. Nick is now a sophomore at Endicott College, majoring in engineering as well as pitching for the baseball team. Cannata equates his son’s seamless transition and success to the education he got at KO. Nick has maintained a high GPA, while also doing internships and already has a job offer on the table, as well as being a standout player and receiving accolades like pitcher of the week. So what is next for this man of many talents? Cannata plans to keep coaching varsity baseball at KO because he loves it so much. He has an around-the-house-list he says has been steadily growing for years that he wants to start to tackle, but might break it up a bit with some travel. Italy is on the short list, as is a return trip to Hawaii. For now, he will enjoy his new-found time watching his son finish his college career by bringing serious pitching heat to the mound.