CLARKSON SIGNS SIBLINGS “You never know who’s going to have a breakout season,” says Geoff Schomogyi, Director of Strength and Conditioning at the Varsity Training Centre. That’s one lesson that training hundreds of high performance hockey players in recent years has reinforced in the off-ice specialist.
For example, three years ago, a quiet and somewhat lanky Mike Kosziwka joined the Elite Training Program at Varsity. Back then, he was using the program to help him become more of an impact player for the OPJHL’s Streetsville Derbys. Now, he’s in his freshman season at Clarkson University and the facing the challenges of playing in a league that features players as old as twenty-five. “It’s such a huge jump from junior. The first couple of skates seemed so fast.”
Mike, a 6’3” forward, has impressed his coach. “Mike is a late developer who has a tremendous up side,” remarked Golden Knights Head Coach George Roll. “He skates really well for a big guy, has good hands and a great release. He scored a lot of goals this past year in the OPJHL. We feel very fortunate that Mike will be a big part of the Clarkson program for the next four years.” Mike isn’t the only one at the family dinner table attracting the attention of NCAA scouts. His sister Gabby, who recently completed her second year of training in the Varsity Elite Training Program, is coming off an impressive season of her own. Even though she hasn’t even graduated from high school yet, she led the Brampton Jr. Thunder team in goals (13) and points (27), and is off to another strong start this year. The grade 12 student recently committed to Clarkson University and will join her brother on campus for the start of the 2008-09 school year. “I guess my parents are going to start making a lot of trips to upstate New York,” said Gabby. Schomogyi is among those who have noticed the development in the siblings. “It’s great to watch these players come back hungrier and hungrier every summer. Their successes are just making them want to work harder and maybe find out just how much more they are capable of.”
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