Lenny Ialeggio '23 Recruiting Profile

I have always enjoyed sports.  I grew up on them.  Baseball, basketball, football, boxing, hockey, they have always been on the television since I was a little kid.  My mom says I remind her of my grandfather when I sit in front of the television and go back and forth watching various games at the same time.  

I was born in the Bronx, and I have lived in Connecticut since I was four days old.  I live with my mom, my sister, my aunt and my cousin in Milford, Connecticut.  My dad lives in Milford too, he doesn’t live with us but I see him all the time.  I have a big family and we are all close.  A lot of my cousins play sports like me and my sister and we always try to catch each other’s games.  My family means a lot to me, they are always there for me no matter what.

I played little league baseball for a few years, and that was fun.  When I turned 7, I was able to play in my first basketball league.  I had played basketball with my best friend Luis when I was 5 years old, so when we were to actually play in a league we were happy.  I was even happier when Luis and I were on the same basketball team!  Luis and I were guards, and our team took it all the way to championship.  We lost, and I was really upset, but I was hooked.  I knew then I wanted to continue to play basketball and I was going to be the player to look out for, because my game was going to be solid.

The following year, my coach left for a travel team, and my team was going to be split up if we didn’t get another coach.  My mom stepped in and coached me and my team for the next four years.  She worked us hard, taught us fundamentals, plays, basketball 101 and more.  But she also taught us sportsmanship, comradery, and how to play as a team.  There were no superstars on our team, we win, lose, learn as a team.  We all had to take responsibility for our actions both on and off the court.  In four years, our team went 47-1, winning two back to back Hoopfest tournaments, being undefeated three years in a row.  As great as that was, my mom and the other coaches she got to work with us made sure we stayed humble, classy, and never obnoxious.  At one point in a tournament, we were feeling like we were better than anyone else.  So what did my mom do?  She set us up against a team she knew we were going to lose to, and lose we did.  By like 30 points.  In front of everyone.  She told us what she did while we were licking our wounds.  She also told us that she could do that whenever she wanted, so we better never act like we’re superior to any team ever again.  She taught us that there is always a team out there that will be better than us, and that we always need to play as if we are the underdog.  Always stay hungry.  Always want that win, because situations can change at the drop of a dime and you always need to be ready for it.  These are lessons that I have been able to take with me off the court as well as on, as well as my teammates.    

Playing basketball has taught me life lessons.  I know how to assess a situation before reacting.  I can keep calm under pressure.  I am actually a clutch player in high pressure situations, for I don’t let the pressure get to me and more often than not, I can deliver.  I am coachable, I listen to advice and can take criticism.  I am a team leader, I have court vision and I love to hype up my teammates.  I play hard, I work hard, but I make sure I have fun while I’m doing so.  

Academically, I had my best year last year (sophomore) with high honors the whole year through.  I started my junior year working hard, but this year is proving to be harder than last year.  That’s ok, I have no problem with working hard to get what I want.

I am currently playing basketball for my high school, Jonathan Law HS in Milford.  We are getting ready to start our official season in the next few weeks.  I play basketball year round, if I’m not playing for Law, I play for various AAU programs.  I do private training as well.  I am serious about playing basketball in college if given the opportunity.  I’m hoping to do something sports related for my future, but I’m not sure in what capacity yet.  There is so much to see, so much to learn, so many opportunities to explore, so I am keeping an open mind.  All I know for sure is I want to be a force in the basketball world.