AFTERCLASS
ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TOM LEAHY ’77
Community First The Hive is home to some of the winningest teams in New Jersey, the region and the nation. For Athletic Director Tom Leahy ’77, the enduring success of Gray Bee sports programs comes down to a single principle: community first.
You came to St. Benedict’s Prep in 1973, the year The Hive re-opened after closing in 1972. What was that like? Well, it was much smaller. There was a total of 90 students and my class was maybe 24 guys. So, much smaller. The Property was much, much different. We didn’t have any soccer fields. We were surrounded by abandoned warehouses actually and the HAB where I’m talking to you from now was a parking lot. But the monks and teachers were all Benedict’s people, and the traditions remained the same.
Did you realize you were a part of something unique? You have to remember that I grew up here. My brother (Headmaster Fr. Edwin Leahy, O.S.B. ’63) went here and my family came to all the athletic events before the School closed in 1972. For my mindset, I was part of Benedict’s. Did I realize it would grow into what Benedict’s is today? Probably not. You live in the moment when you’re 14 years old, and in that moment, I was just part of Benedict’s.
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St. Benedict’s Prep Magazine • Summer 2021
