Peter Kohn


Peter Kohn was a longtime field manager at Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont. He worked with the Middlebury Men's Varsity Lacrosse Team and other Middlebury sport teams for several decades.
In 2004, Kohn was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He is one of the few people who did not play the sport to have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In 2005, a movie was created about Kohn, called Keeper of the Kohn.
In his later years, Kohn spent his winters in Cape May, NJ and Florida, returning to Middlebury each spring to work with the lacrosse team.
At age 77, Peter Kohn died at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. Kohn was unable to recover from a heart attack, which occurred while on a fishing trip near his home in Cape May, N.J., on August 1, 2009.

Early life

Kohn was born in Baltimore, Maryland to Bernard Kohn, whose family owned the Hochschild Kohn's department store chain. As a boy, Kohn struggled athletically and academically due to undiagnosed autism.

Professional career

In 1954, Kohn began as a field manager at Baltimore's Park School. He moved to Middlebury becoming the manager of the men's lacrosse team from 1981-1988. He was also the equipment manager until 2003.

Legacy

Peter was always determined and led by example. Even through a rainy day, Peter always gave it his all. Peter would walk up and down the sideline offering water, dry towels and items from his canvas tote bag. He would crawl through bushes and under bleachers to retrieve lost lacrosse balls. And occasionally, Peter would even lead the team stretch, counting in all sorts of languages from "German" to "Alien".
Before a game, Peter would rehearse his pregame speech in his hotel room. Before every game, a team member would ask him, "Hey Pete what time is it," and Peter would respond with: "It's time to beat."

Peter Kohn Award

Every year an award is given to a member of the national lacrosse community who best represents the idea that "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.".

Award Recipients

1998 – Peter Kohn
1999 – Hank Janczyk
2000 – Buddy Beardmore
2001 – Jim Darcangelo
2002 – Susan Powell
2003 – Bob Scott
2004 – Jerry Schmidt
2005 – Richie Moran
2006 – Jim Grube
2007 – Ed Britton
2008 – Dave Urick
2009 – Richie Meade
2010 – Brad Corrigan
2011 – Dr. Frederick Douglass Opie
2012 – The Colleluori Family
2013 – The Kelly Family
2014 – Steve Stenersen
2015 - Aimee Dixon
2016 - Sgt. James J. Regan and Lead the Way Foundation
2017 - Michael Jolly
2018 - Tom Hayes
2019 - Brendan Looney