Athletics

Sports have always been a part of Mr. Kozic’s life. Whether it has been soccer or basketball (he left the Mount community stunned by his skills on the court during the Catholic Schools Week Faculty/Staff Game), he has seen it as a means of exercise and a healthy outlet for competition.

 

Before graduating from Immaculata High School in 2011, Kozic played soccer for all four years and was the team captain during his junior and senior year. At the University of Scranton, where he majored in Community Health Education and minored in Coaching, he helped his soccer team reach the Elite 8 in the NCAA Division 3 Tournament as a sophomore, later becoming the team captain during his senior year.

 

“When I was in college, I knew I wanted to stay in sports but do something in the administrative side,” he said. “After graduation, I coached JV soccer at Immaculata for two years and then at a club in Piscataway for five years. Next, I was the Assistant Varsity Coach at Raritan Valley Community College for two years before getting my master’s in athletic administration from Ohio University while I was coaching.”

 

During his career journey, Mr. Kozic always envisioned becoming an Athletic Director. But his next stop before coming to the Mount was as the Athletic Coordinator and Health & Physical Education Teacher at Greater Brunswick Charter School in New Brunswick. When he began the position there were little to no athletic offerings. Kozic turned everything around when he established the soccer, volleyball, basketball, and running programs at the school. He grinned with pride when reporting that within three years the school had become established as a member of the CSAL (Charter School Athletic League), allowing the students to participate competitively.

 

“The professionalism of the Mount’s athletic program has set a very high standard for our athletes but at the same time allows them to have fun and be themselves. When it’s time for business, they know how to be committed to the success of the athletic program. They know how to strike that balance. As student-athletes, the focus is on academics first and then athletics. We have to keep them focused and driven to do that. I’ve seen them put 110 percent into everything they do academically, and I know that professionalism will carry over into everything they do on the field."