By Jim Hague
Maggie Krakowiak didn’t know how the male tennis players that she was about to take over and coach at Rutgers-Newark would respond to having a new coach who happened to be a woman.
“In all honesty, I never got a negative feeling,” said Krakowiak, whose husband, Wojtek, was the assistant men’s soccer coach at the school last year and was recently hired as the new women’s soccer coach. “They all made me feel welcome.”
That’s because Matt Milwicz made sure that Krakowiak never felt uneasy. The senior, perhaps the most experienced returning member of the Scarlet Raider men’s tennis team, took it upon himself to be the unofficial team leader.
“We were practicing ourselves and waiting to see what coach would come in,” Milwicz said. “I was getting kind of worried that we might not get a coach. When Coach (Krakowiak) came on, she had me to tell her how everything went on, because she was so new to the job.”
Krakowiak appreciated Milwitz’ efforts to act as an intermediary.
“From the first day, Matt has been helping out, giving pointers to the younger players, telling me what things were like last year,” Krakowiak said. “I was brought on real late and didn’t know what I was getting into. Matt made my life a whole lot easier. He has been fantastic. I am also not able to be there every day, so Matt takes the bull by the horns and tells the other players what to do.”
On a team with four freshmen, it is almost vital that the eldest player on the team to take command and lead the others like Milwicz has done.
“I think everyone worked together,” Milwicz said. “It was a team effort. We would call each other and get together to practice. We had all our returning players coming back, so it was an easy transition.”
Milwicz, who has one semester remaining before he gains his degree in accounting, came to Rutgers-Newark from Cranford High School, where he played tennis and ran cross country.
“I liked the proximity and it was a good business school,” Milwicz said of Rutgers-Newark. “I liked the fact that I could go home on weekends.”
That’s because Milwicz is an aspiring soccer official, refereeing youth soccer games (seventh and eighth grade travel games), but last year broke into the freshman and junior varsity high school ranks.
“I just started refereeing high school, but I’ve been refereeing for eight years,” Milwicz said. “Maybe when I get a little more experience, I can do varsity games.”
Milwicz has certainly gained his experience during his tennis days at R-N. Milwicz was the No. 3 singles player a year ago for the Scarlet Raiders and posted a 9-3 record, tied for the best record on the squad. He has also improved tremendously since he entered R-N and joined the tennis squad.
“I feel like I’ve improved,” Milwicz said. “I’ve been getting more experience and playing bigger matches. I’m less nervous during matches than I used to be. So overall, I’ve improved. I’ve been here for four years and the hard work is paying off. I believe I’ll be at No. 3 singles for the year. It’s a tough spot. I’ve played some third singles before, but I feel like I have my work cut out for me.”
“I think he’s going to be among the top three all year,” Krakowiak said. “Matt is definitely a hard worker and will do well for us this year.”
After he’s done with tennis this season, Milwicz will look for an internship in accounting and will pursue a full-time position for when he graduates in the fall.
“I want to get my feet wet in something,” Milwicz said. “I’ll be finished in the fall, so I want to be ready.”
Krakowiak can’t thank Milwicz enough for his work and dedication.
“He’s been such a great help, especially since I came on board so late,” Krakowiak said. “He’s just a great guy overall and very friendly. Every day, he asks me if I need anything and I can’t thank him enough for stepping up. It’s a new experience for me and I needed someone like Matt to help me.”
“We have a good relationship,” Milwicz said. “She’s very nice and a good coach. I’m glad she came aboard.
Added Milwicz, “It’s been a good experience coming here to Rutgers. I feel like I’ve learned a lot. The classes have been good and I’ve made a lot of good friends. It really has been a good experience.”
