“There’s intensity on our playing fields because the coaches provide instruction and encourage team cohesiveness."

In the 73 years since Montclair State won its first athletic event (the men’s basketball team defeated the Fawcet School), Intercollegiate Athletics has built an impressive, nationally respected program. But that success is not measured just by the five national championships or the 220 All-Americans the University has produced. This tradition of excellence extends into the classrooms and the surrounding communities.

According to Athletic Director Holly Gera, being at the Division III level allows Montclair State’s athletes to focus on their academic careers while maintaining a high level of intensity on the field. In addition, the 24 men’s and women’s teams all participate in community service. Gera recently gave an overview of what to expect from the teams this year and how academics and community service play important roles in the success of our student athletes.

INSIGHT Online: What are Intercollegiate Athletics’ goals for the year?
Gera: A major goal is to get increased attendance at our contests. One way of doing that is by putting together a pep band and club. We sponsor approximately 150 events each year, and they can be a general source of pride, fun and excitement for the student body.
We’re also looking to help our athletes in the classroom by rewarding academic excellence as well as athletic excellence, and we want to improve our community service outreach.

INSIGHT Online: What is the mindset of a Division III athlete?
Gera: We have a group of young men and women who are committed to athletics. In Division III they play because they love the sport. There are no scholarships. Students come here because they want to play competitive athletics and because they’re striving to be the best they can be. We also like to think they work hard in the classroom because they’re here to get a degree first and foremost. Our athletes are competitive students. As far as playing, I don’t think the mindset is different from athletes who play at a higher level. There’s intensity on our playing fields because the coaches provide instruction and encourage team cohesiveness.

INSIGHT Online: Montclair State is one of the few Division III schools with an academic adviser for student athletes. What kind of impact does that have on athletes and recruiting?
Gera: The University’s decision to hire an academic adviser for student athletes was a great step. Academic Adviser Tara Rienecker has conducted educational workshops for the student athletes, and each class receives particular educational programming every year. For instance, freshmen may attend a program on drugs and alcohol while sophomores may deal with sexual harassment issues. We address hazing with juniors, because at that point these athletes have the potential to haze incoming students.

Tara also connects athletes to all the services the University offers, and she works with them on time management skills. Some students don’t know how to manage their time. They come from high school, living at home with their parents where things are set out for them. Suddenly they’re in college and it’s up to them to get organized. Some people need a little more help with that. We hope we can provide them with the tools they need to be successful, both in the classroom and on the playing field. Tara is a wonderful addition to our program and the student has the right combination of being there to help them out and being tough when she has to be, because ultimately it’s up to the student.

INSIGHT Online: How are you doing in the area of marketing and fund raising?
Gera: We got a good start with Keith Phillips as our associate athletic director, who was responsible for all fund-raising and development activities. Before he left this summer, Keith sent out our second Red Hawk solicitation, and money is coming in as a result of that. He established a strong foundation for the program, and cultivated some corporate sponsorships and partnerships. Red Hawk Pride, the fund-raising arm of Intercollegiate Athletics, is in place, and last year he did a nice job implementing major special events, including the Athletic Hall of Fame and the annual golf outing. A search committee is looking to hire a person who can take that to the next level and be our liaison with parent groups and alumni.

INSIGHT Online: How do our student athletes participate in community service?
Gera: Last year we worked with a group called Heroes and Cool Kids, which is run by former professional athletes. It’s a program in which professional athletes work with college students to train high school students, who in turn go to grammar schools. The idea is to be positive role models, to talk about different situations that occur when you’re an athlete or in school. That was a major project Tara organized. We also did a toy drive in which every team participated. Some of our students did reading projects in local schools, and the softball team worked on a Thanksgiving clothes distribution. We’ve done a variety of things over the years, and that’s something we’re trying to increase. We want our athletes to be good citizens, too.

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