EPISCOPAL ATHLETICS PILLAR

From football games and swim meets to rowing and sailing on the St. Johns River, the lessons and benefits of the Athletics Pillar at ESJ start in Lower School and extend beyond Commencement. Our Lower Schools field numerous teams in five sports; the Middle School’s no-cut sports policy ensures every student experiences being an Eagle; and our Varsity teams annually compete for championships at the district, regional, and state levels. Seniors regularly commit to play a sport at the collegiate level – Episcopal has produced more than 50 collegiate athletes over the last two years. But at Episcopal, there will always be more to athletics than simply winning. ESJ student athletes carry the lessons of hard work, sportsmanship, selfdiscipline and teamwork long after their playing days are over – no matter what level they end up playing. Here we profile a small sample of the many Eagles who have gone on to play in college and beyond and who have reaped the benefits of the Episcopal Athletics Pillar.

pilots, to special operators, finance, contracting, and intelligence officers. It’s easy to find inspiration in talking to them every day.”

Besides his teammates providing him with inspiration on a daily basis, Joe has learned the importance of a team in bringing out the best in everyone.

“Being on a team has taught me the importance of knowing your role in a situation and how that role can enhance those around you. Furthermore, it taught me how your own progression can be achieved by surrounding yourself with people who push you every day,” he said. “It’s very encouraging to have people around to hold you accountable to reaching both your individual and group goals, ensuring that you and everyone around you is doing their part, pushing you to be better.”

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: How did your coaches inspire you over the years?

Joe: Jonesy (Episcopal Baseball Program Director and Head Coach Mike Jones) was at the center of my life in baseball from when I was 12 all the way through high school. He was paramount in evolving my love for the game and developing the dedication needed to continue to play baseball at a higher level. He taught me how important it is to be a good teammate, but also a good man. He mentored me through choosing a college that was the right fit for me and then reached out to the Academy baseball coach, Mike Kazlausky, on my behalf. Then I was lucky enough to play under Coach Kaz at the Academy for four years. Kaz’s number one lesson he taught every player was to “always be a good dude.” He is a huge proponent of developing his players into better men first and a better baseball player second. He treats us all like we are extensions of his family and that’s something I will forever be grateful for.

TME: Advice for someone hoping to play in college?

Joe: For anyone who is looking to play sports in college I would just say that there is a school out there for everyone. After barely being recruited out of high school I got an opportunity to play for an incredible school with a D1 program. I learned so many lessons and met some lifelong friends playing sports in college.

Tara’s teammates inspired her by their hard work and sacrifices.

“In college I had teammates that were making major sacrifices and still putting in effort without complaining. Some of my teammates were in nursing school and they would come to practice after 12 hour clinical rounds,” said Tara.

Being on a team taught Tara many lessons: effective communication, valuing the needs of others, and the impact of her actions on others.

“It also taught me that inspiring others to work hard does not have to be shared verbally, rather demonstrating it can be just as effective, if not more,” she said.

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: What did you learn from athletics that you currently use in your professional life?

Tara: In my professional life I primarily work on different teams for various clients, so my athletic experience has transitioned into my work pretty seamlessly. The biggest impact is recognizing that I have to do my work efficiently and effectively in order for it to be delivered to the client on its deadline. Additionally, learning to communicate with my team on where I am with my work or other potential goals we may have is really crucial for a successful client-team relationship. Athletics also taught me time management skills which has greatly helped in making a schedule to meet my deadlines.

TME: Advice for someone hoping to play in college?

Tara: My advice depends on age, but it mostly comes down to putting a lot of hours in practicing, lifting weights, and doing agility training. I would also recommend working hard in school since that is not only seen as an asset to a college program (and can help you get recruited). It also teaches you the value of putting in hard work and receiving results. For someone in upper high school, don’t be afraid to reach out to college coaches and plan visits. My junior year I went to visit my brother in the Northeast and emailed several schools that I would be in town for a few hours and a lot of them responded to me and showed me around campus.

Emory University’s Ralph and Russell Bridges Award for most Outstanding Career for the 2021-2022 Academic Year

AVCA 2nd Team AllAmerican (2019)

AVCA 3rd Team AllAmerican (2021)

CoSIDA 3rd Team Academic All-American (2021)

AVCA All-Region (2019 and 2021)

1st Team All-UAA (2019 and 2021)

UAA Rookie of the Year (2018)

NCAA National Champions (2018)

NCAA National Runner-Up (2019)

ESJ three-time MVP Varsity Volleyball

ESJ Best Athlete in a Single Sport (2017)

The Florida Times-Union Volleyball Player of the Year (2017)

Two-time All-First Coast 1st Team

Academic All-America First Team as chosen by prepvolleyball.com

Julian appreciates the importance of consistency in success and points to that as something Coach Zubero always showed by example.

“Coach Zubero inspires me through his consistency – he does things to the fullest and gives his best even when he might not want to,” said Julian. “He remains consistent through the process of coaching (in addition to being an athlete himself), and the results have shown for him. This inspires me every day!”

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: What has being part of a team taught you, both at ESJ and in college?

SEC All-Freshman Team

Member of the SEC Championship-winning team

NCAA championship qualifier

ESJ Swimming MVP

ESJ Swimming Coaches Award

ESJ Best Athlete Award in a single sport for both Middle and Upper Schools

ESJ Team Captain

FHSAA State Champion individually and on a relay

Two-time automatic All American

Four-time Episcopal record setter the University of Alabama, Theresa tore her ACL her senior year. A year later at Alabama she re-tore the same ACL.

Julian: Being on a team has taught me the value of competing for something greater than just myself. I experienced this at Episcopal, but as I have participated in swimming at the University of Florida, it is heightened! We are all better when we work together towards a common goal, rather than by ourselves.

TME: Advice for someone hoping to play in college?

Julian: My advice for someone hoping to become an athlete at the collegiate level is to trust the process. Even when it may not be looking like a clear decision, trust the process, and the best will come. For me, this was very important through the different recruiting processes due to COVID-19, but through it all, trusting the process taught me a valuable lesson: with hard work, the results will always come, and there is no need to rush it!

“It was a test of tenacity. I had the best support from both club, high school, and college teammates, friends and family,” she said. “Having teammates is something special. They struggle with you, they work hard with you and they cry with you. Having teammates is something that’s hard to explain, but so unique. They pick you up when you don’t think you can run that last sprint, they push you harder than you ever thought you could, they support you on and off the field. They become family.”

Her setbacks didn’t keep her down though.

At Alabama she went on to become a threeyear team captain, was named Offensive MVP (2013) and Team MVP (2014) and was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll while she earned an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s degree in sports management. She had career-highs in points (18), assists (six) and shots (55). She finished playing for the Tide ranked third alltime for UA with 76 shots on goal.

Theresa went on to play for two years professionally with New Jersey Sky Blue, a National Women’s Soccer League team. She and her husband, Keenan Flynn, live in New York City, where she works for Ralph Lauren as a Stylist for Advertising.

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: Any Episcopal coaches who inspired you?

Theresa: I was very excited to play for my school. Some of my favorite memories are when Coach Villareal coached my sister Allison ’07 and me (my freshman year and her senior year). He was a great coach! He pushed us and wanted us to be the best, but he also knew how to have fun!

TME: Do you still play soccer on a club team or in some capacity?

Theresa: I do love to get an occasional co-ed game under the Manhattan Bridge whenever I can!

University of Alabama Offensive MVP (2013)

University of Alabama Team MVP (2014)

SEC Academic Honor Roll

ESJ four-year letterwinner with 99 career goals and 79 assists

ESJ MVP(2009)

All State (2009)

Ponte Vedra Storm 2009 state championship team, national championship in 2012

“I always knew my own stats, and now I track the stats of other players. Whether it’s a PGA Tour player or a successful amateur player, I use a lot of my own personal experience to figure out what data is critical, how to analyze it and how it should be presented,” said Sam. “With big data becoming more common in sports, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the information and feel pulled in too many directions. Knowing the importance of a clear and sound mind, I try to determine the main takeaways for a player. In essence, how do I communicate opportunities for improvement in the simplest way possible?”

Even though golf is a very individual sport, Sam credits his teammates with providing each other with some healthy competition in addition to holding him to greater accountability.

“Being part of something bigger made me more focused because my preparation and performance dictated not only my position on the leaderboards, but also the team’s position. If the team lost by a couple of shots, I would be thinking about those missed short putts and more eager to practice those in the future,” said Sam. “Every stroke matters just a bit more when you are playing on a team. In the 2019 Ivy Championship, if every Dartmouth player had shaved a stroke off each round, we would have tied Princeton for first and gone into a playoff.”

2019 Second-Team

All-Ivy League Honors (Top 10 finish)

Dartmouth MVP Award 2019

Finished 3rd at the 2018 Firestone Invitational, Akron, OH (64-79-67)

Finished 5th at the 2018 Cornell Invitational (66-72-74)

Played in the 2018 Ivy League Championship (2nd place team finish, top 20 individual finish)

Varsity Golf all four years while at ESJ, Co-Captain as a sophomore and junior, Captain as a senior 5th Place (Individual)

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: Advice for someone hoping to play in college?

Sam: Have a good attitude. If you can honestly tell yourself that you did all that you could and the result was not ideal, that’s just part of the sport. As you progress, better golfers will have smaller misses, but they will also have stronger recovery skills. A lot of this comes from thought process and preparation.

Fun Fact: One of my former Dartmouth teammates is getting his PhD right now and comes down to caddy for me during PGA Qualifying School. I think I have the smartest caddy of any player.

FHSAA State Tournament 2016, 4th Place (Team)

MVP Award as a junior and senior

ESJ Athlete-Scholar Award

The Florida Times-Union All First Coast Golf Team

AJGA Transamerica

Scholastic All-America Team

FCWT All-Academic Team

Sports taught Conor many things, including being able to accomplish more as a team than as an individual, and the strong relationships formed through overcoming adversity as a team.

“Sports taught me the importance of putting a greater goal above my personal desires and that there is no shame in relying on others to accomplish great things,” said Conor. “I played both team sports and individual sports, but even with individual sports like wrestling I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish half of what I did if it weren’t for great teammates (like Scott Dollison ’16) pushing me every day.”

In his professional life as an account executive at Datadog, a software company, Conor uses his lessons from lifelong sports accomplishments to succeed.

“The biggest takeaway is to never stop learning. In sports there was always room to get better and the same applies to the workforce. The more value I can bring to my employer the better off I will be,” he said. “I’ve found that engaging with my co-workers, embracing the grind of work, and keeping a positive attitude when things look grim are a huge part of making a positive difference at work. I learned all of these lessons through my athletic career.”

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: How did your coaches inspire you?

Conor: I was fortunate to work with many incredible coaches and I'm thankful to every single one. One coach who will always hold a special place in my heart is Brad Ahearn. Brad lost his life when I was a junior at Episcopal and I didn't get to work with him for a full season, but what that man taught me in the short time we worked together is priceless. I learned a great deal about wrestling from Brad and I'll never forget winning a district championship my junior year, despite being projected to lose to both the Providence and UC 220 wrestlers. After that match I shared a special moment with my Dad and told him those wins were for Brad. I am also very appreciative to Coach Tony Boselli who taught me a great deal about playing offensive line my senior year.

TME: Advice for someone hoping to play in college?

Conor: Play the sport you love and don't lose sight of the joy that sports brings. Playing in college is hard enough, and if sports become more of a job than a passion your chance of success diminishes because you risk burning out. That is not to say don't work hard because that is important. Just realize your career will be over before you know it so embrace the grind and find joy in the little moments whether it be at practice, on the bus ride to compete, or the actual athletic event.

Q&A WITH THE MAGAZINE OF EPISCOPAL

TME: How do teammates inspire you?

MK: My teammates inspire me to be the best version of myself that I can be. As teammates, we all share a common goal in the pool, so each day we push each other to be better than the day before whether that be in the pool, in the weight room, or outside of swimming. In college, being away from your family, especially as a freshman, is a major change, so to be able to have that support system that you can rely on is so special. We push each other each day and each practice to be the best that we can be. Having positive teammates who lift me up is one of the reasons I love swimming. They inspire me to work harder for them, and to be someone they know they can rely on.

TME: Advice for someone hoping to play in college?

MK: Work hard in school and in sports! Hard work never goes unnoticed and it will eventually pay off. Reach out to schools you might be interested in. Even if you aren’t sure, it never hurts to look. Don’t be afraid to reach out to schools first! Just because they haven’t reached out yet doesn’t mean they are not interested. If you are taking a vacation or visiting somewhere, look up colleges near you and tour their campus for an afternoon. This helps you to narrow down what you like and don’t like. Make sure to have fun in the process because you only go through high school once!

TME: Any ESJ or college coaches who inspired you?

MK: Coach Zubero is such an amazing coach who really cares about all of his swimmers. Along with the time commitment to the sport, swimming is an incredibly mental sport. Coach Zubero gave me confidence in myself to execute my swims strategically for every meet. Over the years he helped me create the perfect pre-race plan for my swims that is vital in college swimming and that I still use today. In addition, Coach Zach was an amazing assistant coach and always found a way to keep the pressure light and the atmosphere fun. Oftentimes swim meets are filled with nerves and anxiety, and Coach Zach was always there to help calm us down. He was a great reminder that at the end of the day, competing in sports is meant to be fun!

University of Florida Women’s Swimming finished fifth at SEC in 2022

2022 CSCAA Individual Scholar All- American ESJ Swimming MVP for three years (2019, 2020, 2021)

Set five ESJ school records (individual and relays) students as well. Prior to 2012, five sports offered off-season training opportunities through ESJ coaches.

From 2012 – 2022 the number of ESJ sports offering off-season training opportunities through ESJ coaches grew to 15. Finally, the investment in full time strength and conditioning coaches provides opportunities for students before, during, and after school to condition for their sport.

Excitingly, Episcopal has added three sports in the past few years, including Beach Volleyball (which included coordinating the fundraising and construction of the Conser Beach Volleyball Training Center on the Knight Campus), Sailing, and Girls Weightlifting. All three have seen success as they become established programs with participation from Middle and Upper School students.

Episcopal Athletics is positioned strongly for the future, providing students, coaches, and teams with the support, facilities, and opportunities they need for continued success.

Additional Steps Forward in Athletics

• The Athletics Department supported the Beaches Campus gym project, providing specifications that would allow the Beaches Campus to host both Lower School and Munnerlyn Campus teams. Munnerlyn Campus volleyball and basketball teams have already held JV and Varsity contests in the new Beaches Gym.

• Collaborated with The Bolles School on the creation of ESJ-Bolles day; a day where the two schools compete on one campus in six different spring sports. This day has become a great source of school spirit and pride. Last year the Eagles secured victories in Baseball, Softball, and Girls Lacrosse.

• Introduction of Captain’s Leadership Lunches, which recognize and teach our team leaders at the Middle School, JV, and Varsity levels.

• Partnered with Under Armor for ESJ to ensure teams are competing for ESJ in the highest quality uniforms consistent with school branding guidelines, including logos and colors.

• In 2013 ESJ became the first school in the area to offer live streaming of athletic events so that family and friends can view their Eagles compete from anywhere. ESJ now has four facilities that are able to livestream events.

Eagle Fuel

Eagle Fuel is an initiative to support and enhance student nutrition following workouts. This is done through post-workout recovery drinks and energy bars that are available to any student following a workout. Wyatt Walker, Director of Strength and Conditioning, consulted with a licensed dietician to identify the best postworkout foods for our students. Eagle Fuel will be available beginning the second semester of 2023 in the Jangro concession stand. “It’s extremely important to refuel your body with the right nutrients following a strenuous workout. We are fortunate to be able to offer this resource to our students through the Eagle Fuel Station, which is easily accessible and nutritious,” said Wyatt.

“ESJ’s Lower School athletics program seeks to build skills, promote teamwork, foster a love of the game, and provide a competitive and fun outlet for students to be physically active as part of a healthy lifestyle,” said Matt Flakus, Lower School Athletic Director. “If they fall in love with a sport or sports in Lower School, we look forward to watching them continue in Middle and Upper School.”

Lower School students also have the privilege of actually playing on the Munnerlyn Campus. Both boys basketball and flag football have held Lower School finals on the Munnerlyn Campus. As part of Lower School Family Fun Night, Lower School cheerleaders are mentored by Varsity Cheer and cheer under the Friday night lights during a Varsity Football game. Lower School runners had the opportunity this fall to run cross country on the Munnerlyn Campus as well.