2008 Woodie Awards
#26, once the "new kid," now a leader: Mule Profile: Carlo Morrongiello
Beth Schwartz
Issue date: 1/31/08 Section: Sports
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Senior Carlo Morrongiello started playing lacrosse when he was eight years old, one year after he was adopted. By the time he joined the other students at his elementary school in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, New York, groups of friends were already established. Morrongiello reflects on being the "new kid" at school and overcoming his discomfort by learning and playing lacrosse, which helped him assimilate into this unfamiliar culture. "I didn't know anyone. Getting involved in sports would definitely help my social life. So my parents introduced me to lacrosse, a sport that I never even heard of before. Since then, I've been in love with it."
As a communications major and art studio minor, with a concentration in photography, Morrongiello has proven that he is academically versatile, flexible and dependable. These traits are enhanced by learning a sport or any other regimented activity, he suggests. "Off the field," Morrongiello says, "lacrosse has helped me to take charge of my responsibilities, starting when I first played as a kid." This mature sense of responsibility is manifested in Morrongiello's ambitions for next year, as he is looking to live in New York City, hoping to work for an advertisement or entertainment PR firm. Of course, he won't stop playing lacrosse; New York City parks are perfect for zesty lacrosse games.
Because Morrongiello's passion for lacrosse concurred with his absorption of this new culture, lacrosse memories from his youth are very dear to him. Morrongiello remembers his parents videotaping games throughout his whole lacrosse career. Occasionally, Morrongiello watches these videotapes with friends and family, laughing at the bloopers, yet also smiling, recognizing how far he has come.
Morrongiello is also very proud that his sister, junior Ruth Morrongiello, is an "All-Star" player on the Woman's Lacrosse Team. Ruth, #13, chose this number in honor of Morrongiello, as his number in high school was #13. The Morrongiello family feels these numbers are special, as #13 is half of #26, Morrongiello's current number.
Besides Morrongiello's intrinsic rewards that come from lacrosse, he has gotten much recognition. As a Cold Spring Harbor Seahawk, Morrongiello played on the Junior Varsity team in the ninth and tenth grades. However, when the Varsity Lacrosse team entered the playoffs, he was chosen to play, in both ninth grade and then again in tenth grade. During his senior year at Cold Spring Harbor High School, and what he identifies as one of his biggest accomplishments, Morrongiello received Honorable Mention All-American.