By Nathaniel Charendoff ’17, Staff Writer

Josh Karp ’16 is not your average Newark Academy senior. Aside from completing his grueling, trademark Newark Academy homework, which is more than enough for most of us, Josh is often busy on the practice field honing his lacrosse skills. Early in his junior year, Josh committed to Colgate University for lacrosse. There have been many Newark Academy student athletes that have committed to Division I sport schools, but very few who have gone through the process so early.

As a kid, Josh played tee ball, soccer, and football, just like most everyone else. But, in 3^rd grade, he picked up lacrosse with the local Montville Warriors and never looked back. What appealed most to Josh about lacrosse was just how multifaceted the sport is. As he explains, “learning how to be effective on the field with a lacrosse stick and being able to physically play the sport is just one aspect of the game. Once those skills are learned, there are so many more aspects such as defensive and offensive scheme, communication, and advanced technique that add a lot of depth to a seemingly simple sport.” As he mastered a number of key skills essential to the sport, the goal of playing Division I lacrosse was starting to become a reality.

Many sports are starting to recruit earlier and earlier, and lacrosse is no exception (see chart at left). Even by the start of Josh’s sophomore year, many top schools had finished their scouting. By the time Josh decided he wanted to play DI, it was relatively late. However, he  didn’t let that faze him. He remarks, “I had to keep telling myself that I will find the right fit academically and athletically.” The fall of his sophomore year saw Josh competing at the Jake Reed Blue Chip recruiting camp in North Carolina. His performance earned him interest from schools such as the University of Denver, Holy Cross, and the Air Force Academy, but none of the aforementioned schools fit the profile Josh was after. But, the summer before his junior year, he attracted interest from other top schools by showcasing his talent at another elite ID camp: Maverik Showtime. Five of the most notable were Colgate, Bucknell, the University of Richmond, Brown, and Harvard. He visited countless campuses to determine what he wanted most from a college experience. Of all the schools he toured, Colgate stood out to him most: “I pursued Colgate the hardest because I really liked everything about the school. Thankfully it worked out and I verbally committed in early September of my junior year.”

Josh has also left his mark on the Newark Academy lacrosse team. One of the many players he has inspired is Kiran Damodaran ’17. “As a player new to defense freshman year, I couldn’t have asked for a better player to learn from than Josh,” he says. “It was clear he was just at another level, the stick seems like an extension of his hand, but he was never arrogant or cocky about it. He showed me a lot about the sport and I attribute a lot of what I’ve done in lacrosse to him. He’s a leader in every way on and off the field.”

Besides the prodigious amount of work he puts in to hone his skills, Josh, of course, has to put in the same effort towards schoolwork. When asked about the student-athlete community at NA, Josh commented that they “have to be just a little bit insane. To play a sport knowing the academic pressures that are put on students at NA is a difficult task to take on and I commend every single student-athlete.” From his own experience, Josh suggests that student athletes in particular use their free periods productively and efficiently. This strategy not only helped lighten his workload, but it also allowed him to truly enjoy his time on the field without the anxiety of homework weighing him down.

Josh is currently playing soccer in his last fall season at NA, in order to stay in shape, keep up his footwork, and have fun. He also loves the feeling of being a part of a team and the sense of camaraderie associated with it. He’s very happy with his verbal commitment to Colgate, and looks forward to spending his next four years of school there.

Other seniors who have committed or will be in the near future include George Haglund ’16 to Harvard for fencing, Rebecca Mandelbaum ’16 to Brown for softball, Brett Luing (undecided) for soccer, and Jocelyn Willoughby (undecided) for basketball.