Rumson hockey coach teaches from experience
Area’s youngsters under
Karoly’s tutelage at
Red Bank Armory
![cRumson hockey coach teaches from experience Area’s youngsters under Karoly’s tutelage at Red Bank Armory While many people are sunbathing or swimming, Julia Karoly is spending much of her summer vacation on the ice, and that’s just the way the Rumson resident likes it. Karoly, who is entering her sophomore year at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where she plays on the well-regarded women’s varsity ice hockey team, is a camp instructor at the Red Bank Armory Ice Complex. She spends her days teaching young players, mostly boys, the fundamentals of the game. “It’s fun to be on the ice with them and I hope that I can be a role model, especially for the girls in the program,” she said. “I enjoy coaching the boys. They respect me and listen to me, so it’s really not a gender thing. It’s about hockey.” Karoly has been about hockey since she began playing the roller version of the sport at the age of 8. Two years later, she took the ice at the Navesink Country Club, where she became the first girl to participate in the program under Coach Doug Brooks, who now owns the Armory. “Mr. Brooks told me that I’d be the only girl,” Karoly recalled. “I didn’t care. I just wanted to play, and he taught me. The way I play now is the result of his influence. He stressed discipline and fundamentals, and he expects 100 percent effort all the time. If the puck was in the corner, he’d expect you to go get it. That’s how I play.” Karoly proved to be tenacious in the corners and soon was playing for Navesink’s squirt travel team as a 10-year-old. She played travel hockey at the pee wee level for two years, where checking is permitted, and spent another year as a bantam. “It was a bit difficult for me because I had to change in a different locker room, and I missed the camaraderie with my teammates,” Karoly explained. “I think other people thought about it more than I did though. It was a tremendous experience. The boys on my teams were all great, particularly when players from opposing teams got on me. Our guys made me feel like I was part of the team.” At the bantam level, Karoly often found herself going up against boys who were much bigger than she was. Although she was hard to hit because of her speed, Karoly admitted she was becoming a bit tentative with the puck. As a sophomore at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, she reluctantly opted to switch to girls hockey and began playing for the Princeton Tiger Lilies bantam “A” club. Coming out of a boys program, Karoly found herself spending time in the penalty box at first as she worked to finish checks. It didn’t take her long to adapt and she helped the Tiger Lilies win district and regional titles and earn a trip to the USA Hockey National Tournament before ending ranked sixth in the United States. Unassuming and modest, Karoly deflected talk of her personal achievements and instead talked about the team’s success, which continued. The Tiger Lilies won the districts the following year and had a solid season in 1998-99. “It was a big adjustment for me to go back to no checking,” she said. “I took too many penalties at first and, as a result, I started to play timidly. Eventually, I just got used to it, but playing with the boys was a blessing. It taught me to be more aggressive and to make plays faster. Also, I’m a pretty fast skater and I can burn people.” The move to the Tiger Lilies proved to be fortuitous as Karoly’s play attracted the attention of several college coaches. In the end, the choice came down to Brown University or Williams. Although Brown is a Division I school, Karoly knew she might not play regularly there for a year, perhaps two. Williams offered her the opportunity to play as a freshman. “Williams has a good reputation for winning athletics and I wanted to go to a school that was competitive, but also strong academically,” she said. College hockey was another adjustment for the Rumson resident, who also played soccer and track in high school. Rigorous dry-land training started when she arrived, although on-ice practice didn’t start until Nov. 1. When it did, the sessions were grueling. Karoly was up to the challenge and earned a varsity spot. “It was a big change for her,” Williams Coach Joe Milan said. “She’s a great, team-oriented kid, and on the ice she kind of deferred a little too much to her teammates.” As the season progressed, Karoly began to play a regular shift as a right wing and occasionally at center. In all, she played in 22 games, scored a pair of goals, and had three assists. The Ephs (pronounced eefs, according to the Williams College Web site; it is short for Ephraim Williams, who founded the college) went 16-8 and finished third overall in ECAC and reached the final four in the conference tournament. “The level of play in college is outstanding,” Karoly added. “Every player on every team is good. Personally, I thought I did OK, but I could have done better. The toughest thing is adjusting to the academics. It takes a lot of discipline to keep up your grades. After practice, I’m pretty tired, but I have to make time to study. It’s the same when we’re traveling. I did quite a bit of studying on the team bus.” “Julia is one of the faster players in the league,” Milan said. “She really came on as the season progressed. In one game against Amherst [which also tried to recruit Karoly] she only had one goal, but she was the most dominant player on the ice. She’s just a great kid who works hard and is incredibly coachable. We’re really excited about her potential.” And, with her first college season in the books, Karoly is looking forward to fulfilling that potential this winter. “I want to be an impact player,” she said. If nothing else, Karoly’s dedication and attitude are certain to make an impact on the kids she is instructing this summer.](https://nmg-multisite.s3.amazonaws.com/ImageArchives/HUB/images/2000-08-09/01p1_lg.jpg "cRumson hockey coach teaches from experience Area’s youngsters under Karoly’s tutelage at Red Bank Armory While many people are sunbathing or swimming, Julia Karoly is spending much of her summer vacation on the ice, and that’s just the way the Rumson resident likes it. Karoly, who is entering her sophomore year at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where she plays on the well-regarded women’s varsity ice hockey team, is a camp instructor at the Red Bank Armory Ice Complex. She spends her days teaching young players, mostly boys, the fundamentals of the game. “It’s fun to be on the ice with them and I hope that I can be a role model, especially for the girls in the program,” she said. “I enjoy coaching the boys. They respect me and listen to me, so it’s really not a gender thing. It’s about hockey.” Karoly has been about hockey since she began playing the roller version of the sport at the age of 8. Two years later, she took the ice at the Navesink Country Club, where she became the first girl to participate in the program under Coach Doug Brooks, who now owns the Armory. “Mr. Brooks told me that I’d be the only girl,” Karoly recalled. “I didn’t care. I just wanted to play, and he taught me. The way I play now is the result of his influence. He stressed discipline and fundamentals, and he expects 100 percent effort all the time. If the puck was in the corner, he’d expect you to go get it. That’s how I play.” Karoly proved to be tenacious in the corners and soon was playing for Navesink’s squirt travel team as a 10-year-old. She played travel hockey at the pee wee level for two years, where checking is permitted, and spent another year as a bantam. “It was a bit difficult for me because I had to change in a different locker room, and I missed the camaraderie with my teammates,” Karoly explained. “I think other people thought about it more than I did though. It was a tremendous experience. The boys on my teams were all great, particularly when players from opposing teams got on me. Our guys made me feel like I was part of the team.” At the bantam level, Karoly often found herself going up against boys who were much bigger than she was. Although she was hard to hit because of her speed, Karoly admitted she was becoming a bit tentative with the puck. As a sophomore at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, she reluctantly opted to switch to girls hockey and began playing for the Princeton Tiger Lilies bantam “A” club. Coming out of a boys program, Karoly found herself spending time in the penalty box at first as she worked to finish checks. It didn’t take her long to adapt and she helped the Tiger Lilies win district and regional titles and earn a trip to the USA Hockey National Tournament before ending ranked sixth in the United States. Unassuming and modest, Karoly deflected talk of her personal achievements and instead talked about the team’s success, which continued. The Tiger Lilies won the districts the following year and had a solid season in 1998-99. “It was a big adjustment for me to go back to no checking,” she said. “I took too many penalties at first and, as a result, I started to play timidly. Eventually, I just got used to it, but playing with the boys was a blessing. It taught me to be more aggressive and to make plays faster. Also, I’m a pretty fast skater and I can burn people.” The move to the Tiger Lilies proved to be fortuitous as Karoly’s play attracted the attention of several college coaches. In the end, the choice came down to Brown University or Williams. Although Brown is a Division I school, Karoly knew she might not play regularly there for a year, perhaps two. Williams offered her the opportunity to play as a freshman. “Williams has a good reputation for winning athletics and I wanted to go to a school that was competitive, but also strong academically,” she said. College hockey was another adjustment for the Rumson resident, who also played soccer and track in high school. Rigorous dry-land training started when she arrived, although on-ice practice didn’t start until Nov. 1. When it did, the sessions were grueling. Karoly was up to the challenge and earned a varsity spot. “It was a big change for her,” Williams Coach Joe Milan said. “She’s a great, team-oriented kid, and on the ice she kind of deferred a little too much to her teammates.” As the season progressed, Karoly began to play a regular shift as a right wing and occasionally at center. In all, she played in 22 games, scored a pair of goals, and had three assists. The Ephs (pronounced eefs, according to the Williams College Web site; it is short for Ephraim Williams, who founded the college) went 16-8 and finished third overall in ECAC and reached the final four in the conference tournament. “The level of play in college is outstanding,” Karoly added. “Every player on every team is good. Personally, I thought I did OK, but I could have done better. The toughest thing is adjusting to the academics. It takes a lot of discipline to keep up your grades. After practice, I’m pretty tired, but I have to make time to study. It’s the same when we’re traveling. I did quite a bit of studying on the team bus.” “Julia is one of the faster players in the league,” Milan said. “She really came on as the season progressed. In one game against Amherst [which also tried to recruit Karoly] she only had one goal, but she was the most dominant player on the ice. She’s just a great kid who works hard and is incredibly coachable. We’re really excited about her potential.” And, with her first college season in the books, Karoly is looking forward to fulfilling that potential this winter. “I want to be an impact player,” she said. If nothing else, Karoly’s dedication and attitude are certain to make an impact on the kids she is instructing this summer.")
cRumson hockey coach teaches from experience Area’s youngsters under Karoly’s tutelage at Red Bank Armory While many people are sunbathing or swimming, Julia Karoly is spending much of her summer vacation on the ice, and that’s just the way the Rumson resident likes it. Karoly, who is entering her sophomore year at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where she plays on the well-regarded women’s varsity ice hockey team, is a camp instructor at the Red Bank Armory Ice Complex. She spends her days teaching young players, mostly boys, the fundamentals of the game. “It’s fun to be on the ice with them and I hope that I can be a role model, especially for the girls in the program,” she said. “I enjoy coaching the boys. They respect me and listen to me, so it’s really not a gender thing. It’s about hockey.” Karoly has been about hockey since she began playing the roller version of the sport at the age of 8. Two years later, she took the ice at the Navesink Country Club, where she became the first girl to participate in the program under Coach Doug Brooks, who now owns the Armory. “Mr. Brooks told me that I’d be the only girl,” Karoly recalled. “I didn’t care. I just wanted to play, and he taught me. The way I play now is the result of his influence. He stressed discipline and fundamentals, and he expects 100 percent effort all the time. If the puck was in the corner, he’d expect you to go get it. That’s how I play.” Karoly proved to be tenacious in the corners and soon was playing for Navesink’s squirt travel team as a 10-year-old. She played travel hockey at the pee wee level for two years, where checking is permitted, and spent another year as a bantam. “It was a bit difficult for me because I had to change in a different locker room, and I missed the camaraderie with my teammates,” Karoly explained. “I think other people thought about it more than I did though. It was a tremendous experience. The boys on my teams were all great, particularly when players from opposing teams got on me. Our guys made me feel like I was part of the team.” At the bantam level, Karoly often found herself going up against boys who were much bigger than she was. Although she was hard to hit because of her speed, Karoly admitted she was becoming a bit tentative with the puck. As a sophomore at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, she reluctantly opted to switch to girls hockey and began playing for the Princeton Tiger Lilies bantam “A” club. Coming out of a boys program, Karoly found herself spending time in the penalty box at first as she worked to finish checks. It didn’t take her long to adapt and she helped the Tiger Lilies win district and regional titles and earn a trip to the USA Hockey National Tournament before ending ranked sixth in the United States. Unassuming and modest, Karoly deflected talk of her personal achievements and instead talked about the team’s success, which continued. The Tiger Lilies won the districts the following year and had a solid season in 1998-99. “It was a big adjustment for me to go back to no checking,” she said. “I took too many penalties at first and, as a result, I started to play timidly. Eventually, I just got used to it, but playing with the boys was a blessing. It taught me to be more aggressive and to make plays faster. Also, I’m a pretty fast skater and I can burn people.” The move to the Tiger Lilies proved to be fortuitous as Karoly’s play attracted the attention of several college coaches. In the end, the choice came down to Brown University or Williams. Although Brown is a Division I school, Karoly knew she might not play regularly there for a year, perhaps two. Williams offered her the opportunity to play as a freshman. “Williams has a good reputation for winning athletics and I wanted to go to a school that was competitive, but also strong academically,” she said. College hockey was another adjustment for the Rumson resident, who also played soccer and track in high school. Rigorous dry-land training started when she arrived, although on-ice practice didn’t start until Nov. 1. When it did, the sessions were grueling. Karoly was up to the challenge and earned a varsity spot. “It was a big change for her,” Williams Coach Joe Milan said. “She’s a great, team-oriented kid, and on the ice she kind of deferred a little too much to her teammates.” As the season progressed, Karoly began to play a regular shift as a right wing and occasionally at center. In all, she played in 22 games, scored a pair of goals, and had three assists. The Ephs (pronounced eefs, according to the Williams College Web site; it is short for Ephraim Williams, who founded the college) went 16-8 and finished third overall in ECAC and reached the final four in the conference tournament. “The level of play in college is outstanding,” Karoly added. “Every player on every team is good. Personally, I thought I did OK, but I could have done better. The toughest thing is adjusting to the academics. It takes a lot of discipline to keep up your grades. After practice, I’m pretty tired, but I have to make time to study. It’s the same when we’re traveling. I did quite a bit of studying on the team bus.” “Julia is one of the faster players in the league,” Milan said. “She really came on as the season progressed. In one game against Amherst [which also tried to recruit Karoly] she only had one goal, but she was the most dominant player on the ice. She’s just a great kid who works hard and is incredibly coachable. We’re really excited about her potential.” And, with her first college season in the books, Karoly is looking forward to fulfilling that potential this winter. “I want to be an impact player,” she said. If nothing else, Karoly’s dedication and attitude are certain to make an impact on the kids she is instructing this summer.
While many people are sunbathing or swimming, Julia Karoly is spending much of her summer vacation on the ice, and that’s just the way the Rumson resident likes it.
Karoly, who is entering her sophomore year at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass., where she plays on the well-regarded women’s varsity ice hockey team, is a camp instructor at the Red Bank Armory Ice Complex.
She spends her days teaching young players, mostly boys, the fundamentals of the game.
"It’s fun to be on the ice with them and I hope that I can be a role model, especially for the girls in the program," she said. "I enjoy coaching the boys. They respect me and listen to me, so it’s really not a gender thing. It’s about hockey."
Karoly has been about hockey since she began playing the roller version of the sport at the age of 8.
Two years later, she took the ice at the Navesink Country Club, where she became the first girl to participate in the program under Coach Doug Brooks, who now owns the Armory.
"Mr. Brooks told me that I’d be the only girl," Karoly recalled. "I didn’t care. I just wanted to play, and he taught me. The way I play now is the result of his influence. He stressed discipline and fundamentals, and he expects 100 percent effort all the time. If the puck was in the corner, he’d expect you to go get it. That’s how I play."
Karoly proved to be tenacious in the corners and soon was playing for Navesink’s squirt travel team as a 10-year-old. She played travel hockey at the pee wee level for two years, where checking is permitted, and spent another year as a bantam.
"It was a bit difficult for me because I had to change in a different locker room, and I missed the camaraderie with my teammates," Karoly explained. "I think other people thought about it more than I did though. It was a tremendous experience. The boys on my teams were all great, particularly when players from opposing teams got on me. Our guys made me feel like I was part of the team."
At the bantam level, Karoly often found herself going up against boys who were much bigger than she was.
Although she was hard to hit because of her speed, Karoly admitted she was becoming a bit tentative with the puck.
As a sophomore at Rumson-Fair Haven High School, she reluctantly opted to switch to girls hockey and began playing for the Princeton Tiger Lilies bantam "A" club.
Coming out of a boys program, Karoly found herself spending time in the penalty box at first as she worked to finish checks. It didn’t take her long to adapt and she helped the Tiger Lilies win district and regional titles and earn a trip to the USA Hockey National Tournament before ending ranked sixth in the United States.
Unassuming and modest, Karoly deflected talk of her personal achievements and instead talked about the team’s success, which continued.
The Tiger Lilies won the districts the following year and had a solid season in 1998-99.
"It was a big adjustment for me to go back to no checking," she said. "I took too many penalties at first and, as a result, I started to play timidly. Eventually, I just got used to it, but playing with the boys was a blessing. It taught me to be more aggressive and to make plays faster. Also, I’m a pretty fast skater and I can burn people."
The move to the Tiger Lilies proved to be fortuitous as Karoly’s play attracted the attention of several college coaches.
In the end, the choice came down to Brown University or Williams. Although Brown is a Division I school, Karoly knew she might not play regularly there for a year, perhaps two. Williams offered her the opportunity to play as a freshman.
"Williams has a good reputation for winning athletics and I wanted to go to a school that was competitive, but also strong academically," she said.
College hockey was another adjustment for the Rumson resident, who also played soccer and track in high school.
Rigorous dry-land training started when she arrived, although on-ice practice didn’t start until Nov. 1. When it did, the sessions were grueling. Karoly was up to the challenge and earned a varsity spot.
"It was a big change for her," Williams Coach Joe Milan said. "She’s a great, team-oriented kid, and on the ice she kind of deferred a little too much to her teammates."
As the season progressed, Karoly began to play a regular shift as a right wing and occasionally at center. In all, she played in 22 games, scored a pair of goals, and had three assists.
The Ephs (pronounced eefs, according to the Williams College Web site; it is short for Ephraim Williams, who founded the college) went 16-8 and finished third overall in ECAC and reached the final four in the conference tournament.
"The level of play in college is outstanding," Karoly added. "Every player on every team is good. Personally, I thought I did OK, but I could have done better. The toughest thing is adjusting to the academics. It takes a lot of discipline to keep up your grades. After practice, I’m pretty tired, but I have to make time to study. It’s the same when we’re traveling. I did quite a bit of studying on the team bus."
"Julia is one of the faster players in the league," Milan said. "She really came on as the season progressed. In one game against Amherst [which also tried to recruit Karoly] she only had one goal, but she was the most dominant player on the ice. She’s just a great kid who works hard and is incredibly coachable. We’re really excited about her potential."
And, with her first college season in the books, Karoly is looking forward to fulfilling that potential this winter.
"I want to be an impact player," she said.
If nothing else, Karoly’s dedication and attitude are certain to make an impact on the kids she is instructing this summer.