As many of you may or may not know, I have had the unique pleasure of not only growing up around De Smet lacrosse, but also have had the unforgettable experience of being able to play for coach Sennett for three seasons. When I was a youngster, I thought coach was quite possibly the most intimidating man I had ever met, but even at the young age of 8 or 9 I could tell that there was something special about him. Not until I had the opportunity to play for him though, did I actually get a real sense of who he was. He was a great man who, outside of my immediate family, has been one of the most inspirational persons in my life. His passion for coaching was like nothing else I have ever encountered. Moreover, he truly loved and cared about each and every one of his players. He was more than a coach though. With his commanding presence, he was somebody who you could look up to or when something wasn’t going right you could always ask him for his advice. He was somebody you could always count on.
Something I will never forget is after losing the 2005 state championship game coach came up to me in the parking lot and gave me a great big hug. I was balling my eyes out at the time and not mention extremely sweaty and probably smelly. At that point, crying uncontrollably, I told coach I was sorry that we couldn’t win it for him and that I hadn’t played better. In response, coach looked me in the eyes and said something along the lines of: "you shouldn’t be sorry for anything because there are far more important things in life than winning or losing one game." He truly did care and I will never forget that.
Coach was an amazing man who will be sorely missed. I am truly a better person for having known him. Thanks for everything coach, you were the best.
Michael Patterson (’05)
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