86th Annual Father-Son Dinner: ‘Enjoy the Moment’

As a sophomore in high school, Peter Bevacqua ’89 entered the game in the fourth quarter to loud and disparaging jeers from the crowd inside a jam-packed gymnasium at St. Mary’s — his former classmates chanting the Brunswick transfer’s nickname as he peeled himself off the end of the bench.

 

He was a nervous wreck.

 

But after knocking down two free throws, the point guard quickly found himself transformed — wanting the basketball in his hands and thriving amid the hostility and pressure of heated competition. 

 

Two years later, Bevacqua starred at quarterback for the Bruins — his team needing a win in a rain-soaked game against Fieldston to earn a spot in the FAA championship.  

 

Late in the first half and with a linebacker on his heels, Bevacqua rolled to his right and tried to throw the ball through the end zone to salvage another play.

 

The pigskin slipped out of his hands, however, creating a Joe Montana-to-Dwight Clark moment as Geoff Nichols ’89 swooped across the end zone to snatch the fortuitous touchdown pass and boost the Bruins to an eventual 14–0 victory.  

 

Bevacqua was the hero.

 

Now the CEO of the PGA of America, Bevacqua relived a handful of his Brunswick sports memories — of the good, the bad, and the ugly variety — as the keynote speaker at the 86th Annual Father-Son Dinner, held on Thursday, March 10. 

 

“My memories from my time at Brunswick haven’t eroded,” he explained to the audience of more than 600 fathers, sons, and coaches — all on hand for one of the School’s oldest and most longstanding traditions.

 

“They’ve become stronger. They’ve become more important. And they’ve really defined who I am.”

 

To this day, Bevacqua draws on them in both his professional and personal life — whether making decisions about the Ryder Cup or about the lessons he wishes to instill in his three children.

 

And he’s not always looking back on moments of trophy-raising triumph — recalling one specific instance on the gridiron when he stepped out of bounds to avoid a head-on collision with an imposing opponent.

 

It haunted him for years.

 

“Whether they’re good, bad, or otherwise, you can learn from these experiences as you reflect on them,” he explained.

 

“How did you respond? Did you answer the bell? Did you play your best? Did you have your teammates’ backs?

 

“Sports is one of the great things that lights our world. It’s you versus him. It’s your team versus their team. There’s nothing so pure — the teammates you have, the bonds you build.”

 

Bevacqua concluded with some words of wisdom for his fellow Bruins — wishing he could travel back in time to join them and to play one more game for the Brown & Gold.

 

“Enjoy the moment and realize that the decisions you make on the fields are important. They define who you are.

 

“And, as Coach Sampson taught me, we’re all going to win. Be sure to have fun.”