By Jim Hague
Ever since he was a little boy, Kenny Rienecker dreamed of eventually becoming a doctor.
“I was always very interested in the field,” said Rienecker, a senior at Rutgers-Newark and a member of the R-N men’s volleyball team. “I think for as long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor.”
But about three years ago, fate made Rienecker’s decision to pursue a career in medicine even more important.
His father, Kenneth, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or more commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” the same progressive neurodegenerative disease that claimed the life of the New York Yankees legendary first baseman two years after being diagnosed with ALS in 1939.
“With my Dad coming down with ALS, it became even more of a reason for me to study medicine,” Rienecker said. “When I found out my freshman year here (at Rutgers-Newark), I was ready to drop out of school and go home (to Glendale, N.Y.) and help out with my Mom. But my Mom (Deborah) and Dad both convinced me to stay in school and study to become a neurobiologist.”
Last October, Kenneth Rienecker succumbed to the hideous disease after a three-year battle. He was 53 years old.
“I was pretty much prepared for it, because there is no cure for ALS,” Rienecker said. “But it was still tough to lose him.”
“He’s been strong through it all,” said Rutgers-Newark director of volleyball operations Karl France. “Sure, he’s hurting, knowing that his mother is at home. But Kenny has always kept his head on straight, through all the pain. Ever since that day in October, when he got the news, he has been dead on for us and ready to go. I was always impressed with his makeup. He’s always been a strong guy and always been sensitive to other people’s needs.”
As Kenny Rienecker began plans for his final volleyball season at R-N, he thought of his parents.
”I always dedicate everything to my parents,” Rienecker said. “They’ve always been there for me every season, not just this one. But I’ve used my father’s passing to fuel my drive. I just keep on working harder.”
France was looking for Rienecker to be a leader for this year’s squad, especially since the Scarlet Raiders have nine freshmen on the roster.
“He learned from the guys who were here before him and he’s bridged the gap to this year’s bunch of young guys,” France said. “Kenny is one of the more verbal members of the team. He speaks to the young players. You can see that Kenny cares about the young guys. Sometimes, you have seniors who might feel threatened by the young ones coming in, because the young ones are fighting for playing time and possibly taking the playing time away from the seniors. But Kenny has gone above and beyond the call in doing what he can to help out.
Added France, “Kenny’s done a nice job bringing everyone together.”
Rienecker doesn’t know if he’s played that much of a bonding role this season.
“We have all the returning players back from last year and the coaching staff is the same,” Rienecker said. “The young kids have picked up things fast. I guess if I have something to say, I’m not afraid to say something. But I don’t know how much of a leader I am.”
Rienecker has been a stabilizing force for the Scarlet Raiders thus far, helping them to a 2-2 record. But more importantly, the team won the Golden Dome Classic for the first time in several years. Rienecker was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
“Winning the MVP was nice, but winning the Golden Dome for the first time since I’ve been here was more important,” Rienecker said. “It was great to finally win it as a senior.”
Rienecker is currently second on the team in kills, total assists, total points and points per game.
“It’s been my best season so far, but I can’t settle for this,” Rienecker said. “I always want more. I always want to do better.”
“Kenny dedicated himself to come back this season with a renewed vigor,” France said. “He worked very hard on his game, on his swing, on his health. He had some injury problems in the past, but he’s come back this year a much stronger young man. I was expecting him to have a good year. He’s just in a great frame of mind. He’s very keyed up to play.”
The Scarlet Raiders will have a huge test this weekend, when they travel to Ohio to face Ohio State and Ball State.
“I’m so excited about that,” Rienecker said. “The young kids will gain some experience and I’m looking forward to see how we perform against the best.”
When Rienecker is not playing volleyball, he’s concerned with his academic standing. He’s majoring in biology with the hope of eventually attending medical school, although Rienecker said that may take another academic year to achieve.
In the meantime, Rienecker has a job at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York, working with a neurobiologist.
“I’m getting hands-on experience, one day a week,” Rienecker said. “It’s good to get in that medical atmosphere and at such a great hospital.”
Rienecker is also very visible with the rest of the volleyball team at R-N basketball home games, donning bizarre costumes and wigs to support the teams.
“It started my freshman year and we want to make a physical presence at games,” Rienecker said. “We get to act like normal college kids and no one gets in trouble.”
Except perhaps when the volleyball group all wore togas a few years ago.
“We had the togas on and nothing else,” Rienecker said. “And it was a cold night.”
All in fun, because part of Rienecker’s life has been way too serious of late.
“He’s very instrumental in getting to where we want to be,” France said. “He knew his day would come and he’s been ready for it.”
“I’ve been so pumped up for this year all summer,” Rienecker said. “Nothing was going to stop me this year.”
Apparently not.
