Braeden Pratt ’21
College: St. John’s University
Sport: Lacrosse
Braeden Pratt ’21 may have only played in a Brewster lacrosse uniform for one year, but he still looks back on his time on Brown Field with appreciation. A Beverly, Massachusetts native, Braeden played defenseman for Bobcat Nation in the 2021 spring season.
After his Post Graduate year at Brewster, Braeden went on to compete at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he started every game at defenseman. He was voted team captain in his sophomore year—an historic feat for the program.
In the midst of his junior season, Braeden took the time to connect with Bobcat Nation and reflect on his lacrosse careers both at Brewster and at the college level.
Photo Credits: St. John's University
How did Brewster prepare you for life after high school?
I tell people all the time that going to Brewster was the best decision I ever made. The opportunity to go to Brewster as a Post Graduate put me into a really good position for college in the city. The number one thing I took away from Brewster is my friends. I was only there for one year, but the connections I made with the guys on my team and in my dorm, Hughes House, are still going strong. We talk at least once a week and we’ve traveled together and met up every summer. Also, meeting so many different people at Brewster helped the transition to St. John’s, which is one of the most diverse campuses in the country.
What are your best memories of being a student-athlete at Brewster?
One thing I remember fondly is playing on Brown Field. Anytime I tell someone in the lacrosse world that I went to Brewster, they usually mention two things: Ryder Garnsey ’14 and that the field is one of the most beautiful fields they’ve ever seen. I think I took it for granted while I was there how beautiful Brown Field is. My best memory is probably when we played New Hampton. We pulled away later in the game. I remember Henry Blake ’21 and Brady Hoff ’21 having great games, and it was just a great victory on Brown overlooking the lake and beating a big rival.
Who were the teachers or coaches who had the greatest impact on you at Brewster?
My lacrosse coach Jason Ouellet at Brewster had a really big influence on me. He’s the reason I’m playing collegiate lacrosse. He helped develop me as a player and get recruited. Mr. Cushing, my college counselor, also helped me a lot. I remember during my recruiting process talking to him a lot about it about the pros and cons. I never had an advisor like that in my public high school, and he was a great sounding board who made my decision a lot easier. Mr. Peter Mann has been a mentor since I’ve left Brewster, and I call him every month or two. I also still talk to Mr. Lui, my calculus teacher.
What has been your greatest accomplishment since leaving Brewster?
Last year, I was unanimously voted as team captain as a sophomore. I was the first sophomore captain to be named since the inaugural year of the program in 1981. That is my proudest achievement, especially because it was decided by my peers. I speak so highly of my teammates, and it's mostly because I spend so much time with them and I care about them. But for them to reciprocate that and vote for me is really cool.
Greatest moment while playing in college?
Playing at University of Denver. When you’re growing up playing lacrosse as a kid, you’re always watching Denver because it’s such a historic program and has one of the greatest lacrosse coaches of all time, if not the greatest. And so now to be able to step into that stadium and play on those very fields that I had watched as a little kid, where some of my idols played on, has been an extremely cool experience.
Can you give some advice to our current Brewster students?
Be where your feet are. Our lives move so fast, and we have so much going on, that it's really important to just be in the moment and recognize the importance of a moment. I think back on my time at Brewster and the things I enjoyed as a student-athlete the most were the little moments: being on the bus coming back from a road victory, or just being in the dining hall with my teammates. By living in the moment and understanding that my time at Brewster was only one year, I made the most of it. And it allowed me to build strong relationships that have lasted long past Brewster. So that’s my advice: Be where your feet are and enjoy the game.