Nick Nanosky '21 became the third member of The Yellow Jacket for his efforts on driving home the championship culture. 

Nanosky had the unique experience to play in both of the Ohio Athletic Conference Championships at BW. “Getting the opportunity to play in two championship games shapes the culture because it exposes you to what its like to play in those moments,” Nanosky said. “Coming up on the wrong end twice will continue fueling the Coach Tatro and the guys still in the program. I believe it has laid the foundation for adding resiliency into the culture of the program and will continue bringing the best out of the guys in late April/early May.”

Nanosky took part in the Student Athlete Leadership Colloquium with Dr. Alan Kolp. From here, building the championship culture took off. “Shaping the culture was something that captivated me after partaking in the Student Athlete Leadership Colloquium with Alan and the Center for Innovation and Growth (CIG),” Nanosky said. “Once named a Captain my junior year focusing on culture became the priority on a daily basis. Trying to build consistent championship habits, set the example of what it looked like to do more and work smarter, with a strong foundation in relationships with teammates, was how I went about doing that.”

Choosing BW for him was easy because of the fit of the university. Academically, athletically, and socially it was the best fit for him. “BW offered me multiple options for Major’s that allowed me some wiggle room in studying what I was passionate about while also pursuing acceptance into Medical School,” Nanosky said. “Athletically, BW was a team at the time looking to get its first conference tournament win and a chance in the OAC championship game. I was eager to join a program where I could compete for the chance to help the team win playoff games, ultimately lifting a program to a better place and helping achieve some program “firsts”. Socially, BW was a fit because it was located 25 minutes from where I grew up in Medina and it was a smaller school.”

During his junior year, the season was cancelled due to Covid. This created unique experiences in trying to lead the team, but the took them head on. “Masks everywhere, limited team gatherings, limited social life made it difficult to really get to know the new Freshman prior to the Spring.” Explained Nanosky. “Throughout the fall the seniors made sure that guys were showing up and maxing out their effort and attention levels with the sparse time we had. Once practices got rolling in January though, we felt urgency to get everything figured out and continue building the younger guys into contributors on our 2021 team-which yielded solid results throughout the course of the season.”

Nanosky wanted current and future Yellow Jackets to know three things. “First, the men’s lacrosse program is a family. Second, all of you will have an important role pertaining to the teams success, whether you see field on game day or not. Third, make sure you remember to have fun playing,” Nanosky said.

During his senior season the team preached the word trust and being a family. Coach Tony Tatro talked about how Nick led the charge his senior year. “When Covid hit, we talked to guys and talked about how building trust and those relationships were going to be important,” Coach Tatro said. “Without that leadership and building that trust, when everyone is masked and you can only see a few guys at a time, that leadership sparked a really awesome year for him.”

On receiving this honor, Nanosky said, “Receiving this honor made me emotional. Considering having my junior year cut short with a knee injury and COVID, and senior year hindered by the same things, it felt humbling to be recognized as a significant contributor to the program’s growth. My goal was to put the program in a better position to compete for them year in and year out while also building a family centered culture. Receiving the honor feels like validation that myself, and the special group of guys I graduated with, accomplished leaving the place better than we found it.”

The Nanosky family has made their mark on the BW program with each learning from each other. While they may have different personalities, they all preached the same thing. “They all have a strong work ethic and while they are different its all the same for them; no excuses and preparation is huge for them,” Coach Tatro said. “They have all influenced it each other and are all super tight. Seeing Nick learn from Mike and now teaching Jake its special to see.”

On what he will remember, it comes down to that family experience of playing together. He played two seasons with his older brother, Mike, and one season with his younger brother, Jake. “Scoring off of one of their feeds or assisting on their goals, or generally contributing to their success on the field meant a lot to me and is something I will never forget the feeling of in those moments,” Nanosky said.