Anyone who has spent time with Cooper Demallie ’22 as his teammate, proctee, or classmate can attest to the fact that he is an effective leader and considerate peer. His positive energy and relaxed demeanor are contagious and put everyone around him at ease. As both a proctor in Scaife and captain for Varsity Football and Varsity Lacrosse, Demallie’s leadership on campus is profound.
Demallie has been passionate about lacrosse since he was very young. He has various memories of playing lacrosse growing up in his hometown of Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Demallie shared, “Ever since I was born, lacrosse has been a big part of my life. My dad played and coached in my local youth league. I started at a young age and then joined a club team in third grade.” Demallie has always put a great deal of time into lacrosse, and his hard work continues to be evident as he prepares to play lacrosse collegiately next spring.
When asked about the transition into assuming the impactful leadership roles of both proctor and lacrosse captain this school year, Demallie replied, “Proctor-wise, it is nice to have an influence on the younger group so they can continue carrying the Deerfield legacy and being positive members of the community. As a captain of the team, it has been nice to see our team grow.” Demallie shares that the lacrosse team has taken big strides and improved a lot since the beginning of the season. Demallie explained, “Early on in the season, we were trying to find our identity as far as our style of play. We have done a good job of developing our style, and I think we play our best when we play fast. Our team IQ has also improved, [as has] our communication as a whole.”
Demallie also shared his pre- game ritual that helps him get locked in for game time. Demallie shared, “I got this idea from Tommy Stull ’21, which was to turn my lights off a couple of hours before every game and listen to some classical music. It helps me get into the right mindset and gives me this build-up prior to the game. A couple of hours before game time, I want to be calm. Then right before game time, I listen to heavy metal to get amped. Then I feel like I’m ready to go.”
Demallie added that he is highly optimistic about the future of Deerfield lacrosse, “Deerfield lacrosse has always had success. The foundations that we built both last year and this year have set up the program for a very bright future. As seniors, it’s our responsibility to pass down that legacy of success. I believe that the sophomore and junior classes are both shaping up to be very successful.”
When asked about Demallie as a lacrosse teammate and proctor, Sam Whitehurst ’24 said, “Cooper is always keeping the team going and in good spirits.” There is no doubt that Demallie’s leadership has contributed to Deerfield lacrosse’s enormous success not just this year, but throughout his four years at the Academy. Demallie is committed to continuing his lacrosse career at Middlebury next year where he plans to major in Computer Science. In his free time, Demallie hopes to learn to ski, as Middlebury is located in mountainous Vermont. Although Demallie will be greatly missed at Deerfield, his impact on campus is permanent, and Middlebury is lucky to not only have a talented athlete, but a stand-up community member join them this fall.