Athletics have long been a cornerstone of student life at Malvern Prep. It is evident that the core values of Malvern’s brotherhood are strengthened deeply by the connections and experiences these programs provide. When one arrives on campus every morning, some of the first things seen are the fields that Malvern teams play on: the Quigley Field for football, the yet-to-be-named new baseball field, and the new Father Flynn Soccer and Lacrosse Field. When driving by these athletic facilities, it’s easy to think that they’ve always been there, but the fact is that there were some very generous donations that made these possible.
Malvern’s Director of Development, Mike Treston ‘02, offered insight into the inner workings of the financing and facilitating athletics and the donation process.
“We have had donors support the construction of athletic facilities, which is different from making a gift to the Friar Club, which supports the annual operating expenses of the athletic teams/programs. The largest gift we have received for the support of an athletic facility is $5,000,000,” Treston said.
Some donors may give money to Malvern Prep without a specific program or locale in mind. Treston explained the Malvern Fund and where money is distributed when donated.
“Support of the Malvern Fund gives the school unrestricted dollars, meaning it’s not assigned to specific teams or programs like the Friar Club. Malvern Fund dollars are used at the discretion of the school to support any and all aspects of our budget, including athletics.” Treston said.
Some athletic programs require larger operating budgets and have greater annual financial necessity.
“Typically, the programs with higher amounts of participation, such as lacrosse, football, and baseball, receive the most funding in a typical year. Some of our smaller programs still do quite well on a yearly basis. One area of the Friar Club that could receive more funding is Strength & Conditioning. It impacts every student athlete on campus, and increased funding would elevate every program on campus,” Treston said.
When some of the best athletes at Malvern were asked about their experience with the Strength and Conditioning program here on campus, they had only positive responses about how it has impacted their lives on and off the field.
Michael Ortlieb, a four year varsity lacrosse starter and Duke Lacrosse commit shared his insights and praise.
“The strength and conditioning program at Malvern has been great for me as it has helped me build a very solid foundation in the weightroom, prepared me for my sports seasons, and has been a great way to connect with my brothers,” Ortlieb said.
Another senior, Carnegie Mellon Football commit Orazio Nastase, spoke to his long-standing relationship with the program and how Mr. Erik Miller, Director of Strength and Conditioning, has helped him become the athlete he is today.
“Mr. Miller has also taught me how to live healthily by balancing macros and proteins, fats, and calories. I am lightyears ahead of my peers because of these special years and this great program Mr. Miller runs” Nastase said.
The offseason is a time of speculation for many, but those who take advantage of the tools available at Malvern have a competitive advantage. Varsity basketball starter, sophomore, Nick Harken talked about Mr. Miller’s guidance for development in the offseason.
“Mr. Miller puts in a lot of time during both school days and weekends for the kids who want to improve in their offseason. Because of his constant effort and attention to me and other individuals, I was able to put on a substantial amount of muscle along with other students accomplishing the same due to his instruction.” Harken said.
While some programs may have been unintentionally overlooked from a donor standpoint, large financial donations are the engine that drives success for many programs at Malvern.
Malvern’s Head Lacrosse Coach and Assistant Athletic Director, Mr. Matt Mackrides ‘09 has had first-hand experience of how donor money has affected Malvern Athletics.
“We can’t do the things that we want to do as a lacrosse program and as an athletic department for all our programs without the assistance and the generosity of our alumni and current families’ donations to our programs. There’s a lot of things that we do, from a lacrosse perspective, that separate and differentiate us from other programs in the country.” Mackrides said.
As an alumni and leader of the Friar’s Club, the athletic department’s fundraising organization, Mackrides has an experienced view of alumni impact on athletics.
“I think the alumni network is the secret sauce of Malvern Prep. The hope is that when everybody leaves here, they have a fond memory of their time here, specifically athletics. [As a leader,] my objective is to bring back alumni in any capacity as much as possible,” Mackrides said.
Malvern Football’s Head Coach, Dave Gueriera, spoke about the impact of donor money. During his eight years coaching at Malvern Prep, the program has made huge strides, from installing on-field technology to program trips and winning five Inter-Ac Championships in eight years.
“I think that we draw kids to play here by having the television, the drone, Sideline Huddle technology, access to replay—all those things are going to make us better. It gives us an edge,” Gueriera said.
Coach Gueriera operates the largest athletic team at Malvern. With the help of donations, he is able to provide even better experiences for his players.
“The trips that we take to different colleges, I don’t think we can do without it [without donors]. I think the money that we get for the technology is an unbelievable change in what we’re able to do since 2017,” Gueriera said.
Operating costs are often overlooked by those who aren’t part of the program or don’t see the technology and equipment behind the scenes.
“I think we raised $125,000 this year. Our operating costs are about $115,000. That’s over and above what Malvern pays for in helmets, shoulder pads, equipment, and game uniforms. Of the $125,000 that we raise, a lot of it comes from donations from alumni. We do a lot of fundraising on our own too, selling raffle tickets and self-sponsorship. But it’s a big number we need; I think people don’t understand. I’m just one program, and I don’t know what other programs’ needs are, but we need $115,000, and we can take even more,” Gueriera said.
One of the newest and most valuable additions to the athletic complex at Malvern is the brand-new baseball field. Baseball Head Coach Freddy Hillard spoke on how the growth of donations directly impacts the baseball program.
“Donor money really didn’t start affecting our program until the past several years. Before that, we’d get a few donations per year that we definitely appreciated and put towards expenses to benefit the program. The majority of our funding came through fundraising efforts. Now, over the past several years, the school has made it much easier for donors to contribute directly to individual programs. It has impacted our program greatly in that it’s given us the ability to purchase more things to better enhance the experience for everyone within our program,” Hillard said.
Smaller sports receive benefits from alumni generosity as well. For those who aren’t familiar with Malvern Golf or haven’t checked out the room across from the athletics office, the Joe Redican Simulator Room is the new $150,000 simulator and locker room for the Malvern Golf Team. The MP Locker room is equipped with a state-of-the-art Trackman launch monitor, which records data of the golfer’s swing to the slightest detail on every shot, hitting screen, projector, and lockers for each individual player. It is important to note that this was just a dream two years ago, and without the steps made by our Coaches and Athletic Administrators, it would still be just a dream. In his 24th year as the Head Coach of Varsity Golf, Coach Gary Duda, spoke on how the generosity of donors has impacted his program.
“The idea of having a golf room/simulator room on campus was just a dream five years ago but because of the generosity of donors that truly love MP Golf, this dream became a reality and certainly enabled our program to become the premier program in the tri-state area in terms of what we offer to our players (facilities, course access, locker room, golf simulator). We are now looked upon by other schools as the “gold standard” in high school golf. We are proud of that too!” Duda said.
As is common in any sport, injuries happen. There’s no predicting when something could bruise, tear, or break. That’s why it’s important to have a team of dedicated trainers to prevent and treat any injury that could occur. Dr. Mills is one of the most important members of the athletics department at Malvern, and the service he and his team provide has helped countless MP athletes.
“People can see that we do care about our athletes. We want them to stay within their sports team or community and not drift away. So that’s a reason why we do it here. Anybody can go to a PT place and then probably miss practice and then not be part of the social land. And there’s also a cost to that, while this doesn’t cost anything. This is completely free. And we do the best we can, and we also keep the connections,” Mills said.
When you walk into the training room, everywhere you look there’s equipment that has been donated for the use of physical therapy. From bikes, whirlpools, ice machines, heating pads, weights, to the laser machine that is invaluable to the recovery of student athletes.
When asked about the donation aspect, Dr. Mills provided extensive information about how donations were vital in creating the room.
“As we look around and point out the multiple thousand dollar machines, probably 50% of them have been donated, at least. Money wise, it’s probably way higher, if you were to budget, it’s more than 50% of our budget. But equipment wise, at least half of this, if not a little bit more, is definitely donated,” Mills said.
The Malvern community has a long-held belief in uplifting and preparing the generations that follow.
“Malvern is in the midst of our largest campaign in school history, ‘Malvern Forever: The Campaign for Our Future”. This $65,000,000 campaign is comprehensive and supports three main aspects of our school: endowment, annual giving, and capital projects such as Riley Hall, Vic Maggitti Pavilion, and the pending construction of the Student Life Center. This campaign is aimed to elevate the school on many levels, but most importantly from a financial sustainability standpoint,” Treston said.
In addition to supporting student athletes and their aspirations, Treston spoke about the tax benefits for the donor.
“Malvern Prep is a non-profit 501(c)(3) which allows donors the ability to deduct their gifts from their taxes,” Treston said.
“Donors can go to our giving site (https://www.malvernprep.org/supportus/give-online/friar-club) and make a gift to the Friar Club, which is the athletics fundraising program for Malvern. Donors are able to make a gift to any of our sports programs through Friar Club. Donors can also send a check in the mail in support of a specific team or program,” Treston said.
The impact of donations on Malvern Athletics is immeasurable to the success that we as a school see on the field, court, course, track, pool, or pitch. From state-of-the-art facilities like the Joe Redican Golf Simulator Room to essential technology and equipment that give teams a competitive edge, the generosity of donors has transformed the athletic experience for Malvern Prep student athletes. Coaches, players, and trainers alike have all seen how these contributions strengthen Malvern’s programs and build a sense of community and brotherhood. As these investments continue to shape the future of athletics, it is clear that the support of alumni, families, friends, and donors is the core of Malvern’s success. Thank you to all of the generous donors who make Malvern Athletics exceptional.
