Today's Leaders Compete Here: Mike Moskowitz, Alfred University

Women's Basketball | 1/26/2021 9:30:00 AM

Mike Moskowitz is in his third season as head coach of the Alfred University women's basketball program. He was named the ninth head coach in program history. 

Before arriving at Alfred, Moskowitz served as an assistant coach at SUNY New Paltz for three years. In that position he aided in recruiting, practice planning, scouting, skill workouts, and film study coordination among other responsibilities. During his tenure, the Hawks went 58-26 (.667), with two SUNYAC Championships and a pair of trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
 
Before moving up to the collegiate ranks, Moskowitz was the JV Girls Basketball Head Coach and Varsity Assistant Coach. Since 2013, Moskowitz has served in various roles at a variety of basketball camps including the SUNY New Paltz Basketball Camp, New York Knicks Basketball Camp and Greg Koubek Overnight Basketball Camp.


Mike Moskowitz - Today's Leaders


School: Alfred University
 
Title:
Head Women's Basketball Coach
 
Year at Current Institution:
Third season
 
College Attended/Class Year:
SUNY Oneonta (2015)
 
Favorite Professional Athlete/Pro Team: Jason Kidd/New Jersey-Brooklyn Nets

Favorite Movie: Superbad
 
Favorite TV Show: Impractical Jokers
 
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: I do not really binge watch anything, but this December I finished The Office. It took me 5 years to finish it one time through.
 
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Mint Chocolate Chip

Recent Community Service Projects Your Teams or Departments Have Worked On: Around the holidays, each of our players and coaches participated in community service projects in their hometowns – some donated clothes, some donated meals, some served meals, some donated toys and some sent packages overseas to military members.
 
How Does The Empire 8 Stand Out Among Other Conferences: I think we offer a great balance of strong academic and athletic programs.
 
Favorite Memory as a Coach/Administrator at Your Current Institution: Ending last season with three straight wins, including our Play4Kay Game and Senior Day.
 
Who Was Your Biggest Mentor and Why: Jamie Seward, Head Coach at SUNY New Paltz. Right from day one, he fully invested in me and my future, even though I was just a volunteer assistant coach. He showed me how to run a competitive program and all of the day-in, day-out details that go into that. Most importantly, he showed me the importance of relationships on and off the court, and how important it is to have a solid work-life balance with your family, even in the busiest of times.
 
Most Rewarding Aspect of Being a Coach/Administrator: Seeing each person who comes through our program grow as individuals so that we collectively can become great.
 
What Have You Learned About Yourself as a Leader and In Your Role: Since becoming a head coach, I have definitely improved in my ability to take a step back and delegate duties to our assistant coaches and leaders.
 
What Type of Leader Are You: Transformational. My goal is to continue to lay the foundation and ground work so that each year we can be more and more player-led and our standards can be set and carried out by our student-athletes for years to come.
 
What Are Some Positive Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic You Have Experienced?: I have definitely become more patient with others and little things in life that used to bother me. As a team, we’ve done two different book clubs since March and we’ve learned a lot about each other, including valuable opportunities for honest self-reflection.
 
How Have You Had to Adjust as a Coach or Administrator to the Pandemic?: We’ve had to become more creative in our instruction. We have had zooms, posted video voiceovers for them, had to come up with ways to simulate different situations in the Fall while social distanced. It’s been a fun challenge for not only our coaching staff, but also our players.
 
One Thing Most People Do Not Know About You: I’m a big fan of Bruce Springsteen – I’ve been to eight shows since my first in 2013.
 
Advice for First-Year Student-Athletes: Advocate for yourself – ask questions, let us know what you need or don’t understand. The sooner you can get over that hump of fear and perceived awkwardness, the better off you will be.
 
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes: Get 1% better every day and keep true to your personal mission – it won’t always be perfect, just like in sports. You have to keep going and find a way to put one foot in front of the other each day
 
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes:
Leave it all out there, enjoy the experience, and finish strong. This is your last ride, last time you’ll be able to be around your friends in this sort of setting, and more than likely the last time you will play in an organized competitive setting. Lastly, solidify references prior to graduation by reaching out to your coaches, professors, and administrators.

The Empire 8 Conference's “Today’s Leaders Compete Here” Series features a coach or administrator from one of its member institutions who exemplifies leadership.

ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit www.empire8.com.
 
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