Malvern Honors Fathers and Sons at 70th Annual Banquet

By JIM MACK

The annual Father-Son Banquet, now celebrating its 70th year, is Malvern Prep’s longest-running tradition. On Monday, the School paid tribute to two outstanding members of the community who best embody the values that Malvern holds dear and welcomed a past parent and NFL Network analyst who shared some inspiring words with those who gathered for the event in the O’Neill Sports Center.

“If you can live without it, you probably should.”

This comment from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick changed the life of Mike Mayock P’09. Belichick was talking about coaching football, but Mayock used these words as motivation as he pursued his passion to be involved in the sport despite the financial strains of a growing family. Mayock has remained close to the storied coach since Belichick was the linebackers coach for the New York Giants when Mayock was a defensive back for the team in the 1982 and 1982 seasons.

While Belichick continues to be a great influence on Mayock’s life, it was his son, Mike, Malvern Prep Class of 2009, who set Mayock on his current career path. Mayock brought Mike, who was 10 years old at the time, to a dinner similar to Malvern’s Father-Son Banquet where he was the guest speaker. On the car ride home, Mike shocked his dad with his insightfulness (and abruptness).

“You’re a hypocrite, Dad,” Mike said. “You told all of those people to follow their passions, but you are not following yours.”

Mayock, who had a successful career in commercial real estate, had a gnawing desire to get back into the game he loved in some capacity. His son’s words made him follow that dream in earnest. He took whatever broadcasting gigs he could find, starting out as a sideline reporter for radio at high school football games. He called every contact he could in the industry. It was a slow and nerve-wracking process, but he tenacity, and the relationships he had developed over the years, eventually got him to where he is today –as the NFL Network’s top draft analyst with frequent television appearances across the football landscape.

The message he wanted to get across to the Malvern crowd was this: “No matter what your passion is, you gotta feed that flame.”

He urged the fathers to support their sons in whatever they want to do. He also noted that he has witnessed an entrepreneurial spirit in his son and other Malvern alumni, and he said it was important to always try your best. That work ethic is what people remembered about him, and it has made his career.

“You never know what impression you are going to leave,” he said.

The highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Father and Son Loyalty awards, which recognize a commitment to Malvern Prep and the School’s Augustinian values of Truth, Unity and Love.

For his work in helping Malvern Prep students participate in real-world learning experiences and his service with the Malvern Prep Fathers’ Club, Dave Dinehart P’16 earned the 2016 Fathers’ Loyalty Award. Dinehart, who is the Chairman of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Villanova University, has been instrumental in connecting Malvern Prep students with Villanova’s ongoing engineering service in Panama. He has also been a consistent volunteer with the Fathers’ Club, most recently serving as chair of the Father-Son Retreat.

The Student Loyalty Award is what Malvern President the Rev. Jim Flynn, O.S.A. calls “the most important award at Malvern Prep.” This person best represents the mission, character and values of the School. This year’s winner,Ben Yankelitis ’16, is, as Fr. Flynn said, “a top student, a person of great faith, character and integrity, someone who brings energy and enthusiasm to everything he does.” Flynn noted Yankelitis’ many successes and activities, including the National Honor Society, the National Science Honor Society, the Speech and Debate Team, the Academic Competition team and his award-winning work as Co-editor of Malvern’s student newspaper, The Blackfriar Chronicle. Most important, as Flynn said, “He is one of the finest people you will ever meet.”

The Father-Son Banquet is sponsored by the Malvern Prep Fathers’ Club. The event is possible because of the hard work of parent volunteers, most notably Michael Mankowski P’16’18, Chair of the Banquet, and Sal Triolo P’20, President of the Fathers’ Club.

See the photos.