JVAces

Northern Highlands Football Q&A

I recently sat down with Northern Highlands head football coach, Chris Locurto to find out, after a tough 0-10 2007 season, what steps are necessary for the Highlanders to turn it around in 2008.

Mr. Greg McDonald: Ridgewood High School Athletic Director

Hey everybody. This is Alex Sarappo. I interviewd Mr. McDonald, athletic director at RHS. I hope you enjoy th interview, and send me some feedback!

Sorry You're Gonna Have to Wait

For the next five weeks I am going to be in London and then Granada, Spain. I'm especially looking forward to Sunday's  Euro 2008 Final between Spain and Germany because I will be in Spain. It should be pretty crazy especially if the La Furia Roja (The Red Fury) win in Vienna for their first European trophy in 44 years. Hopefully I'll be able to share how the game is and other stories from my trip on my arrival. I'll be back contributing regularly in August and if you have anything you want to ask me please don't hesitate to email me at smodi91@gmail.com

Meet Northern Highlands Athletic Director Robert Williams

Robert Williams has been the Athletic Director at Northern Highlands for 6 years now.  He taught health and physical education, coached soccer, basketball and baseball, as well as served as an assistant athletic director, athletic coordinator and supervisor of physical education at other schools.  Williams was also the head baseball coach at Highlands for 3 years prior to becoming AD.  He applied for the position when former Highlands AD Herb Cohen announced his retirement, along with a few other candidates, and was offered the position.

Summer Training key to fall success

            As the days grow longer, class begins to wind down and the countdown until summer vacation pushes towards single digits. Students around the high school are excited about the possibility of spending time outside in the beautiful weather and taking a few weeks of rest before beginning a summer job, camp, or a family vacation. However, as the final pitch in the baseball State Tournament of Champions ends the spring sports season, the preparation for the 2008-2009 sports already begins.

Each year more and more students participate in athletics, which has ultimately led to sports around the league and county becoming extremely competitive and specialized. In order to keep pace with the growing competition, Demarest student-athletes are forced to begin training as soon as spring sports end.

Hello everyone, this is Joe Bruno.  I have here my first blog with the JV Aces.  I interviewed my high school's Atletic Director.  Below are my questions to Mr. Roll and his responses.  I hope you like it.  Please comment.

Q: What are you most proud of from the past season?

A:  I am very proud of the many league championships that we won over the course of this past season.  These include football, volleyball, boys and girls soccer, and wrestling.  Also, I am very proud of our athletes and how they conduct themselves both on and off the court/field.  They show great sportsmanship at all times, while representing Paramus, Paramus High School, myself, but more improtantly themselves and their families.  I feel our atletes do a great job in doing the right things!








Q: What got you to this point as an Athletic Director?

A: I was a Physical Education teacher for 17 years before becoming an Athletic Director.  While working at Belleville High School, I was also the head coach of the basketball team for 13 years.  I then moved on to Passaic Valley High School, where I was a Phys. Ed. teacher for three years.  I then moved on to Elmwood Park High School, where I worked for one year.  Finally, I got my first position as an AD at Fort Lee High School, where I worked for 5 years.  After working in Fort Lee, I made my next transition here, to Paramus High School as the Athletic Director.








Q: What are you most proud of during your coaching/ AD career?

A: There have been so many great experiences throughout my career, so it is hard to pick just one as my proudest moment.  If I had to pick something I have done that makes me proud, it would have to be the positive influence that I have been told to have on the kids.  Along with this, comes the maturing of all of the student-athletes that I have worked with over the entire course of my career, which I have been very lucky to experience.  I would have to say that these are the things I am most proud of during my career.







Q: What are you looking to accomplish for next year?

A: For next year, and even further down the road, I am looking for continued success in all sports that the school has to offer.  I am hoping we are able to hang as many state championship banners as possible for multiple sports, for both girls and boys.  Also, I am hoping to continue to upgrade our facilities.  We just got a new weight room, which is more spacious, cleaner, and easier to move around in.  If we can continue to upgrade these facilities, along with the fields and basketball courts, that would be a great accomplishment.






Q: Are there any other sports that you might add or changes to the program that you might make for next year?

A: There are no sports that I am planning on adding for next year.  We just added a lacrosse team, for both boys and girls, so I do not see us adding a new team of any kind quite yet.  We are though, looking to make strides to improve what we currently have.  In two years, the 2009-2010 school year, we are looking to have lacrosse represented as a varsity sport.  Right now, our lacrosse program is Junior Varsity. 

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