In 2014, long-time Kingsway Athletic Director Joe Galliera retired and Kingsway was able to bring in Woodstown athletic director June Cioffi to take over.
A former star athlete at Glassboro High School and Glassboro State College, she already had an intimate relationship with Gloucester County athletics in general. Having started teaching at Highland and subsequently serving as the athletic director at Timber Creek and later Woodstown, she brought with her a varied level of experience in schools both big and small.
During her time at Timber Creek where she essentially started the athletic program, she was named Olympic Conference Athletic Director of the Year. When she moved to Woodstown, she served as the vice-president of the South Jersey Coaches Association as well as secretary for the Tri-County Conference athletic directors.
Three years into Cioffi’s tenure at Kingsway, the athletic directors of the Tri-County Conference had seen enough. They realized how good she really was. With enthusiasm, they named her as the Tri-County Conference Athletic Director of the Year for the 2016-17 year.
To others, this designation was well earned. The Kingsway athletic program continues to be one of the top athletic programs in New Jersey.
Team-wise, Kingsway earned 30 divisional, 11 county, six overall conference, seven South Jersey, and three state championships over the course of her short tenure. They recently earned the “All-Sports Award” as the top athletic program in the Tri-County Conference for the 2016-17 year.
Cioffi has brought excitement and passion to Kingsway, instituting many new initiatives. She started the Kingsway Athletics Twitter page, where she constantly posts sports updates and words of wisdom.
She started the Athlete of the Month program, which highlights the exploits of a player each month of their season. She has worked tirelessly to bring a sense of unity to the various teams in her department.
Her work has not gone unnoticed by the coaches in her department.
“She has helped me grow as a coach by constantly providing resources, guidance, and friendship,” says Kingsway cross country, swimming, and track coach, Caitlin Hess. “She has high standards but ensures that she does everything in her power to help you achieve your goals. You know that she always is working for you.”
As for Cioffi’s thoughts on the award, she chooses to focus on others.
“I simply love athletics at Kingsway,” said Cioffi. “I am here to serve the kids, coaches, teachers, and community. We all are growing and working to achieve our goals in a positive way. The standards at Kingsway are high all around, and I want the athletic department to be one of the leaders in this charge towards excellence.”
It is this leadership style that has led Kingsway towards unparalleled success and has garnered Cioffi recognition from her peers for her exploits. While this recognition is not what she seeks, her track record indicates that it is deserved.
By Christian Lynch
