Meet Kristen! Kristen is not just a Physical Education teacher and lifeguard; she’s a lifelong athlete with an inspiring journey intertwined with sports. Throughout her life, sports have played a significant role, leaving a positive impact that she passionately shares with others. Kristen advocates for athlete mental health, highlighting the profound benefits sports can bring and how to overcome challenges.
During her time at Ocean Township High School, Kristen excelled as a multi-sport athlete, participating in soccer, basketball, swimming, and track. Her standout performances in soccer State Tournaments and crucial contributions to the track 4×100 team showcased her athletic abilities. Continuing her soccer journey at Springfield College while pursuing a degree in Physical Education and Health, Kristen’s commitment to the sport endured even after college. She played for the Peninsula Aztecs in the Garden State Soccer League for ten years, keeping soccer an integral part of her life.
Although she didn’t pursue competitive swimming in college, Kristen found a new avenue in life-saving competitions. Joining the Monmouth County and US teams, she achieved remarkable success, competing in four national championships with Monmouth County. Kristen became a world champion in beach flags and the 90m sprint for her age group at the World Championships.
On top of all of that, Kristen earned her Masters in Sports and Exercise Psychology. Kristen works one on one with athletes, ranging from competitive athletes to regular exercisers. Because of her background as an athlete she is very relatable to the athletes she works with, allowing them to be more receptive to talking about what they are going through in their sport.
Kristen’s dedication to helping fellow athletes also shines through her coaching roles. Currently she is coaching middle school track, but she has also coached varsity soccer and swim, earning recognition as the GMC Swim Coach Of The Year in 2016. Kristen was also a CrossFit coach and personal trainer. Currently, she shares her knowledge as a high school health and PE teacher in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and ensures beach safety as a lifeguard at Sea Girt beach. Kristen’s commitment to a healthy lifestyle continues at System Athletics in Manasquan, NJ, maintaining her fitness routine five or more times a week. Athletics has had a positive impact on Kristen’s life and it shows! Read about Kristen’s reflections on athletics!
Q: What sports did you play growing up?
Everything! Tennis, soccer, basketball, softball, skiing/snowboarding, ocean sports, swimming, track.
Q:Was there anything that made you hesitant about starting your sport(s)?
I loved playing all sports so narrowing it down to three in high school was hard. I was equally good at tennis as I was in soccer and had to pick because of them being in the same season. I was less confident in tennis and ended up playing soccer, then continuing in college. I was nervous at first because everyone had been on the same travel team growing up. My mom never allowed me to play travel because she didn’t want me to burn out. I didn’t think i was as good as them because I had only played rec. It made me work harder and it turned out I was the only one in my grade to play in college.
Q: What female athletes (or any athletes) did you look up to?
Mia Hamm, University of Tennessee women’s basketball, Andre Agassi, Tino Martinez, Tony Meola. They were all athletes I watched growing up and just seemed to love everything about their sport and help grow the game. I would try to play how they played and copied their moves/skills.
Q: What is your favorite memory associated with sports?
My favorite memory was definitely scoring the winning goal against Middletown South my senior year to move on in states. We were in double overtime, I had bronchitis, and we had never gone that far in states before. I read the goal kick and essentially scored on an open goal. We took the ball and everyone on my team signed it. I still have it in my house. My second was being the anchor on the 4×100 sprint team at lifeguard nationals in 2015. When we won, we won the whole tournament and it was the first time in about 20 years that Los Angeles did not win.
Q: How has playing sports helped shape your life?
It shaped my life because of my love of sports, I now teach it. I also had a lot of success but also a lot of failures and mental breakdowns after games. This led me to get a masters degree in exercise and sport psychology. I help younger athletes cope with the mental side of sports to help them become the athlete they want to be and it’s really rewarding when they improve on and off the field.
Q: What advice would you give to young girls who are just starting off in sports?
Play everything and don’t give up. Play with the boys and show them that you belong. Always smile and have fun – it’s a game and the happier you are playing, the better you will be and it will be contagious. Work hard – be the hardest worker on and off the field but have fun.
Coach Rachel 