Priolo named 2024 St. Catharines Athlete of the Year
Buffalo Bandits captain Steve Priolo was named the 2024 St. Catharines Athlete of the Year. Photo: BUFFALO BANDITS.
It is hard to imagine winning one championship, let alone three in one year.
Steve Priolo did just that in 2024, winning a National Lacrosse League championship with the Buffalo Bandits, a gold medal with Team Canada at the World Indoor Box Lacrosse Championships in Utica and a Mann Cup (Canadian senior men’s box lacrosse) with the Six Nations Chiefs.
With that added to his already impressive resume, the 36-year-old St. Catharines native was an easy selection as the 2024 St. Catharines Athlete Of the Year.
Priolo was taken aback when informed of the award.
“It transcends the game,” Priolo said recently on Rod Mawhood’s Niagara Sports Report. “It’s being able to not only be recognized by my city, but hopefully it allows me to give back and inspire lacrosse in St. Catharines and hopefully I’m inspiring the next generation to come up and it’s just a huge honour to be a part of that.
“I’m so grateful that St. Catharines is recognizing me. I’m getting sort of emotional and sweating here just even thinking about what a great honour it is and that my city is thinking of me.”
Priolo said the Bandits title last season stood out above the rest.
“It was a slow start that we had. Everybody was, not out to get us, but everybody was playing hard against us because it’s the 2023 championship and we had some injuries and guys going down, so it was a real grind to come back and even to make playoffs,” Priolo said. “And then once you’re in playoffs it’s a different story. So that’s why that NLL championship was so big. Not only was it back-to-back, but it was a real grind. It was a real up and down season so I felt very elated and overjoyed with winning that championship.”
While Priolo is best known for his exploits on the lacrosse floor, the Holy Cross Secondary School graduate also played basketball at the University of Windsor and even played a season of junior B hockey with the Fort Erie Meteors in 2006/07.
Priolo feels playing a variety of sports is essential for young athletes.
“I’ve been a huge supporter of playing multiple sports and expanding your athletic realm,” he said. “With lacrosse, it’s sort of a dynamic game where everything from basketball and the physicality of hockey and different aspects of athleticism come in so it all kind of combines into what makes lacrosse so beautiful.
“Do things like rock climbing, do things that are abstract because that’s only going to pay off for your sport in terms of things like balance and control and being able to calm yourself. It’s important to do other sports as well because there’s great aspects that you can pull from that will help you through the main sport.”
Priolo wasn’t planning on a career in lacrosse but that changed when he was drafted by the Bandits while still playing basketball with the Lancers.
“I had a decision to make and it’s an easy transfer to Brock to continue my education and be able to go over and play with the Bandits,” he said. “Playing at that professional level was a nice honour to be able to do it at such a young age. So I was back and forth on whether I was going to stick with basketball or go try to play professional lacrosse. And, you know, I’m really happy with my choice and how it worked out.”
Priolo, who teaches at Rosseau Lake College in Muskoka, said support from his family has permitted him to continue to play at such a high level.
“It’s a lot of commitment, there’s a lot of time away from the family and a lot of time even when you’re at home that gets put into things like video and working out, staying in shape and eating right and being meticulous with things and having to miss events,” he said. “I know it’s a strain on my family so I definitely want to thank them for supporting me through this all.”
The award will be presented Monday prior to the meeting of St. Catharines city council. Also being honoured is 2024 Sportsperson of the Year Victor Raso.
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