By Jess Waggoner ’12, Staff Writer

Although we are a generally appreciative bunch here at Newark Academy, we also tend to take some of our privileges for granted. I know that I have done it, and I am sure that others have as well.  It becomes important then to step back every once in a while and truly value what we have. That is particularly true in the scope of athletics, and there is no better judge than T.J. Kacur to educate us on just how far N.A. athletics have come, and how lucky we are to have such an esteemed department.

Mr. Kacur came to Newark Academy in the fall of 1979 as a smart, middle-aged sports enthusiast, looking to educate kids on the nuances of sports and physical fitness. In his first year at N.A., Mr. Kacur was not only a physical education teacher, but also a coach for middle school teams and an assistant to the varsity football, basketball, and baseball teams. A few years later he was appointed the varsity men’s soccer coach, a position that he held for twenty-two years.

Now in his thirty-sixth year at N.A., Mr. Kacur is extremely proud of just how far the school’s athletics have come. Most notable, states Mr. Kacur, has been the shift in athletic gender culture at N.A. “The size of our school has changed dramatically,” he points out, “from a lot of boys and some girls to pretty much fifty- fifty. So that changed the sporting.” This shift in gender ratio led to the addition of new teams, including a men’s and women’s  lacrosse team, dismantling gaps in athletic participation and changing any notions at  N.A. that women’s sports are any lesser than men’s.

With experience evident in his voice, Mr. Kacur cringes at the school’s humbler pre-1990 time, “Sharing indoor facilities in the wintertime before our beautiful field house was opened was probably the largest challenge. Both boys and girls basketball had to share one gym and we’d end up having to practice at night and at different times to accommodate for the cramped conditions.”

As far as actual school competition goes, “the biggest change” continues Mr. Kacur, “happened a number of years ago when we went from just being a private school and entering private school tournaments and the country tournaments…to competing in overall state championships. It added opportunities for our athletes, especially when it came to sports like wrestling…even if the team didn’t have a great season, an individual could advance into later competitions.” In our conversation, Mr. Kacur pointedly referenced how my own father, a former Minuteman wrestler, would have benefitted from the evolved system, explaining “If [your dad] was a wrestler here today he would have the advantage of going to districts and regions and possibly going to Atlantic city where the state championship would be. That would’ve been such an experience.”

Looking back at how Newark Academy athletics have changed shows current athletes just how lucky we are to have wonderful facilities and ample opportunities to compete. Be grateful, and if you are ever feeling down about your sports team, just go talk to Mr. Kacur, who can shine a light on just how fortunate we really are.