Senior communication major Drew Madarasz is a key asset to the Geneseo men’s lacrosse team, as he is a figure for the underclassmen to look up to. After graduation, Madarasz plans to use the skills he has learned at Geneseo in the digital marketing field. (Annie Renaud/News Editor)
Geneseo men’s lacrosse’s defensive midfielder Drew Madarasz began playing lacrosse in first grade in Smithtown, New York. He is the third sibling in his family to attend Geneseo as well as the second to play a sport at the college.
“My brother played soccer here and really enjoyed playing a sport at Geneseo,” Madarasz said. “My sister also had a very positive experience, so when it came time to pick a college, I honestly always felt like I was going to come here.”
Madarasz originally picked up lacrosse because many of his family members and friends also played the sport. Madarasz’s family-friend headed the lacrosse youth program in Smithtown, and they taught him everything he knows about the game, according to Madarasz.
In addition to playing lacrosse, Madarasz also played soccer and various other sports growing up, each for a season or two. Madarasz decided to focus primarily on lacrosse and soccer, however, due to the significant amount of time required to play both sports year-round on travel and school teams.
While playing on Geneseo’s lacrosse team, Madarasz explained that he has thoroughly enjoyed forming relationships with the other players and that the team is close.
“All the kids that I play with are some of the best kids I have ever met. Honestly, it’s a very tight-knit group,” Madarasz said. “We’re all one big family and everyone gets along really well, and I can’t even imagine my experience at Geneseo without being on the lacrosse team.”
Madarasz is currently studying communication and when he graduates he hopes to work in digital marketing in either New York City or on Long Island.
During his time at Geneseo, Madarasz has already obtained experience in the marketing field by running the lacrosse team’s social media, Max’s Ink Tattoos & Piercing’s social media as well as participating in the Adopt-A-Business program throughout his junior year. In this program, Geneseo and local businesses in Livingston County partner students with a business based own the students’ credentials and interests. These students work to improve the businesses’ presence on social media and overall marketing techniques.
Madarasz worked with Livingston Lanes and Pub and ran their Instagram account in addition to hosting a fundraiser for Matthew Hutchinson ‘16 and Kelsey Annese ‘16 after their deaths.
When Madarasz is not attending practices five days a week or studying, he enjoys watching sports in his free time, primarily basketball and lacrosse.
Madarasz is proud of the collective leadership the lacrosse team has established among the senior class after the team has become more focused and committed to the winning process with the hiring of a new coach.
“The senior class is a collective leader within itself. Everyone adopted the role as leaders on the team, especially with the new coach,” Madarasz said. “One of his biggest things this year was having the seniors change the culture of previous years with our old coach. So basically, he just relied on us to issue a new culture for our program and change it all together.”
Madarasz hopes that the foundation this year’s team has set will serve as a model for future Geneseo lacrosse teams.
“The coach always says that our legacy will be the success of the team five, 10 or 15 years from now,” Madarasz said. “He said all the success for future teams will go back on our shoulders because we’re the ones that were able to make the change to the culture.”