Rutgers-Newark Athletics

By Jim Hague

For as long as Olivia Rotunno can remember, sports have always been a major part of her life.

Before Rotunno even attended kindergarten, she was involved in organized sports.

“I played Pee-Wee soccer when I was three,” said Rotunno, a native of Jackson, N.J. “I started playing basketball when I was like five. It was in the blood.”

Rotunno’s fates changed when she was 10 years old.

“I fractured my patella, so that ended my soccer career,” Rotunno said.

When Rotunno was a freshman in high school, she decided to try a new sport, namely lacrosse.

“I never even tried it before,” Rotunno said. “I was intrigued, because it was something different. Learning the basics was difficult.”

Rotunno didn’t even know the proper equipment.

“I didn’t even know what stick to get,” Rotunno said. “It was frustrating.”

But there was a lesson involved with playing lacrosse.

“I wanted to learn everything I could about the sport,” Rotunno said. “I always put 100 percent in everything I do. It’s usually all or nothing. I put my heart into it. Once it clicked, I became more passionate about the sport. I fell in love with lacrosse. Once it clicked, it sort of just took off.”

Eventually, Rotunno became a standout player at Jackson Liberty High School and was part of the school’s first graduating class in 2006.

At that point, Rotunno wanted to pursue her dream of becoming a television news anchor. She was all set to attend Towson University, leaving lacrosse as a distant memory.

“I did it in high school (on the school’s television station) and thought that’s what I wanted to do,” Rotunno said. “When I applied for colleges, I wasn’t going to play sports. I thought that was it. I thought maybe I’d play intramurals or something.”

But before Rotunno walked up to receive her diploma from Jackson Liberty, the coaching staff for the women’s lacrosse team at nearby Georgian Court in Lakewood paid a visit.

“I was set on going to Towson, but Georgian Court really came out of the blue,” Rotunno said. “They came to see me in a game. I didn’t know the coaches were there. We had a meeting and then I visited the school. It all happened within a week toward the end of my senior year. I fell in love with the school and the team. It was a quick turn of events. I said, `Let’s do it.’”

Rotunno had a brilliant career at Georgian Court, earning letters in women’s lacrosse all four years.

She was a First Team All-Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, scoring 22 goals and adding three assists to finish her career with 64 goals and eight assists. Rotunno earned a berth in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Collegiate Association All-Star game.

As a junior, Rotunno scored an astounding 42 goals.

“I always played because I loved the competition,” Rotunno said. “But I also loved the family setting and atmosphere that came with sports. It really was more rewarding that I could have expected.”

Upon graduation from Georgian Court last spring, Rotunno served as an intern for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Jersey. She also worked in the operations department at Six Flags Great Adventure and was involved in the fundraising efforts for the “Restore The Shore” campaign following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in Oct. 2012.

Recently, Rotunno heard about an opening in the Rutgers-Newark athletic department, after Jana Hogenson resigned her position as the Assistant to the Athletic Director for Marketing and Development.

Rutgers-Newark athletic director Mark Griffin received glowing reports about Rotunno from Georgian Court athletic director Laura Liesman and Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference commissioner Dan Mara.

“She turned out to be in the right place at the right time,” Griffin said of Rotunno. “She came in with a lot of enthusiasm. She has a great personality. She’s young and energetic and that’s what we were looking for.”

Rotunno said that the job at R-N was “a perfect fit.”

“I fell in love with the people,” Rotunno said. “That was the biggest thing. Even though I’m no longer an athlete, I was intrigued by the staff here. It’s a totally new experience.”

Griffin said that Rotunno will try to generate interest and participation in Scarlet Raider athletics through social media, promotions, advertising and alumni support for the 16-sport athletic program.

“She’s going to bring a different talent and skills to our athletic department,” Griffin said. “She’s going to open up some good opportunities through social media. We want to give our student-athletes the best opportunity to excel.”

“I think it’s going to be a great learning experience for me,” Rotunno said. “With all the different aspects involved, social media, marketing, promotions. I like the challenge. It’s going to let me see if this is what I might want to do. I think I work well under pressure. It’s definitely not a bad start. I never realized how much I would miss athletics and the athletic lifestyle. I created a life for myself in athletics.”

That is – ever since she was a little girl. Sports have been a part of Olivia Rotunno’s life since childhood and they will continue to be, at least throughout the second semester.