My favorite sports memory/moment/event is…. not just one moment, but rather it was the journey of my college experience. After redshirting my freshman year, the year our team won our conference and made the NCAA tournament, the program transitioned to a new coaching staff and played in a bigger and tougher conference. With these changes, we had a couple of rebuilding years, putting in a lot of work in the process, both physically and mentally. Our coaches instilled a mindset of a positive attitude, which coupled with our work ethic, really helped us grow to where by my senior year, we were experiencing success again and made it to the NIT tournament. Going through this rebuilding process with this program is definitely my favorite sports memory.
Mike Radzieski grew up in Astoria, Queens. He started his athletic journey playing tennis after following his older brother’s passion. At the age of 10, Mike realized that his own true passion was basketball, and he would spend the next few years playing any pickup basketball he could find in the area and practicing for many hours on his own. One of his favorite things to do was to try reenacting NBA highlights that he watched on TV. He then went on to play at national basketball powerhouse Christ the King Regional High School in Queens. From there, Mike (Radziejewski) earned a full scholarship to play basketball at Hofstra University from 2000-2005. He experienced the joy and excitement his redshirt freshman year because the team went 26-5, won an American East Conference tournament, and made it to the NCAA tournament. He ultimately ended his college career with another successful season with 21 wins and an NIT bid. One of his proudest moments was being named a team captain and achieving the Academic All Conference Award his senior year.
After graduating, Mike made the tough decision to not pursue a professional career overseas. Instead he wanted to get a headstart on life after basketball, and only a few years later ended up working back in the sports world when he became a high school Health and Physical Education teacher in Morris County New Jersey. He has coached boys basketball, boys tennis, and girls tennis at the high school level for many years. He is now teaching at a local elementary school and has loved working with children at the youth level, helping them develop physical and athletic skills at a young age.
It wasn’t until this past winter, when Mike began coaching his own children in basketball that he developed a passion for working in youth basketball. His goal and vision for this program is to provide fun and educational basketball experiences in the most positive environment possible.
In his spare time Mike enjoys making memories with his family, taking walks with his dog, and playing pickleball and basketball.