© 2007 ZogSports
Our Team
- Employees of the Week
- Full-Time ZogSports Staff Bios
- How you can join the ZogSports Team
- Past Employees of the Week
Employee of the Week
March 2008
- Jean Castillo - Jean busted onto the ZogSports Touch Football scene in the fall of 2007 as the youngest member of the part-time staff. Now in his third season he has made the jump from rookie to role model. On opening weekend of spring Touch Football, the elements put Jean to the test. Jean worked both Saturday and Sunday without so much as one hour off, due to a depleted staff. He bore the brunt of Mother Nature’s front lines that weekend tackling rain from the north, south, east and west on Saturday and Artic winds on Sunday. Jean, with the heart of a groundhog, scoffed at the idea of a shadow hour all weekend long. Six more weeks of winter? Bring it on, said Jean.
- Dean Curling – Dean has been a reliable part of the Zog volleyball staff, week in and week out calling games fairly and evenly. His experience in the sport and understanding of the Zog rules and procedures came in handy when new staff was hired to support the expanding league. Dean was extremely helpful in training the new refs, spending an hour going over various rules and situations that commonly arise during a night’s worth of games. After all questions were handled he moved right into the gym where he then reffed for the night.
- Jaime Morganstern & Dom Robain – March 24th seemed like any other night and was a great time (even though it was cold) to play soccer. Unfortunately, upon arriving at Riverbank, Jaime and Dom found the field under construction. Without panicking they took the appropriate measures to salvage the night. They informed the ZogSports full time staff of the situation while discussing the possibilities with the on-site Riverbank staff. Most participants were alerted in a timely fashion of the problem and avoided the trip up to Riverbank. Due to their poise we were able postpone games with ease. Jaime stayed the full time in the cold to greet anyone who came to the field (luckily not many).
If you have a vote for employee of the week please email info@zogsports and include "Employee of the Week" in the subject line
Full-Time ZogSports Staff
Rob Herzog - CEO & Founder
Robert "Zog" Herzog is the man behind the curtain. He founded ZogSports after having a close call on 9/11. After arriving late for work, he witnessed his office, which was located on the 96th floor of World Trade Center Tower #1, being directly hit by the first plane. Rob decided to build on the tremendous human charity he witnessed following 9/11 and to help foster community in New York by creating ZogSports, which encourages New Yorkers to maintain perspective and a more balanced lifestyle by having fun while also giving something back to the community. Robert holds an MBA in Entrepreneurial Management from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BA in Economics from Brown University.
When he's not priming ZogSports to take over the world, Rob enjoys hanging with his wife Laurin and their two little Zogs, Spencer and Jackson. In fact, Rob says his lifetime sports highlight was meeting Laurin even while getting mercy-ruled in a citywide softball tournament (she played 2nd base and he was at short) then shooting an 84 on a very tough golf course and finally coincidentally seeing Laurin again at a party that night. Rob dropped the line: "Oooh, you clean up nice!" on her and the rest is history. In his spare time from organizing this massive operation, Rob can be found making cameos at the fields and gyms, getting down at ZogSports parties, and boogying to 80s tunes in his office.
Christie MacKinnon - VP of Operations
Christie MacKinnon has been with ZogSports so long, she’s already retired from the favorite ZS pastime of Flip Cup (though she might just join your game if you’re really lucky). Yes, she does collect Social Security in the form of free pitchers. Hailing from the famous Rancho Relaxo in Long Island, this Harvard grad is a multi-threat on the field and on the ice, having played four years of varsity ice hockey (winning a national championship in ’99), as well as Zog activities like football (two teams), softball, soccer, and kickball (where she even had a team named after her: CMMP – aka Christie Made Me Play). Did we mention she was Prom Queen of the first Annual ZogSports Prom? When she’s not playing a Zog sport, you can catch Christie attempting not to spill things, eating chocolate swizzles, watching “reality” shows on MTV and VH1, and (despite her acquired name of Christie Zog) not being married to ZogSports Founder & CEO, Rob Herzog.
Teams & Titles
• Football - Camo Toe (1 Championship) & Girl Play (1 Championship)
• Softball - Sex Panthers (4 championships)
• Soccer – Anchorage Buccaneers (1 Championship)
• Kickball – CMMP (Christie Made Me Play) (2 championships)
Joel Kornblau - Manager of Operations
You may know this ZogSports vet for his flowing brunette locks and ever-present limp due to on-the-field injuries, but did you also know Joel Kornblau has a Masters in Sports Business from NYU, graduating in 2005. He has played in and managed every sport Zog has to offer, and carries the nickname “fastest man with a spare tire.” A Strong Island native, Joel has played soccer since he was five years old, highlighted by his premiere travel team during high school which played all over the country and won the Long Island Championships and state tournaments. He continued his education and intramural sports career at the University of Michigan where he graduated in '03 and (presumably) also honed his drinking skills earning the title of “Underhand Assassin” for his quirky Beer Pong toss. If you see Joel at the bar, run, or else prepare to be force-fed his libation of choice – the Mind Eraser. Joel has a soft spot for red ZogSports t-shirts, warm-up pants, “dress sneakers,” and Zog refs.
Teams & Titles
• Soccer – Shoccers (1 indoor championship; 1 outdoor championship; never missed a playoff); Mind Erasers – 1 Sunday Championship
• Kickball – CMMP (1 championship)
• Softball – Suite 925, Tainted Glove
• Dodgeball – Spongebob Squarepants (1 Player division Championship), Aim for the Head
• Basketball – Driving and Thriving
Alyssa Rashbaum - Marketing Manager
A former slave to rock n roll, Alyssa left the boozing/partying life of music journalism to join the boozing/partying and – oh, yeah – sports-playing life of a ZogSportster. Trading in her boots for turf shoes, Alyssa immediately joined a touch football team and an outdoor soccer team, and forced all her friends to play on her dodgeball team. She has never looked back (except when stalking Bon Jovi through various appearances and video shoots). In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys running absurd distances at equally absurd hours (3 marathons!), eating copious amounts of candy, listening to hippie music, watching her favorite team lose in hockey (NJ Devils), mourning the loss of the Montreal Expos, and pretending to be Canadian. After a ZogSports game, you will most likely find her stationed at the bar, eating wings, and talking smack about her flip cup skills.
Teams & Titles
• Touch Football – Grasshoppers; Flying Pink Ponies of Death & Destruction
• Dodgeball – Recess Royalty; Monsters of Dodge
• Outdoor Soccer - Sexecutioners
Brandon Bitterman - League Manager
Though he was raised on the mean hippy streets of Woodstock, NY, Brandon Bitterman decided at an early age to trade in his hemp onesie for a cow-hide baseball mitt. Brandon’s love of sports began in 1986, when he donned a red wig while attending Rusty Staub day at Shea Stadium. A couple months later at the tender age of six, he was able to recite the entire New York Mets 25-man championship roster, as “the ball gets by Buckner.” He later honed a passion and skill for basketball and by the age of 18, this multi-sport star had gathered trophies (and ribbons) for baseball, soccer, swimming and ping pong. Yes, ping pong. He graduated from Ithaca College in 2002 and moved to New York City in 2003. In 2004 he received his Masters from Columbia University, got engaged to his wife Jodi and accepted an invitation to join a touch football team in a league called ZogSports. He has since earned 4 championships across other ZogSports leagues, leading to his [self-appointed] nickname, “The Bo Jackson of ZogSports.” In the summer of 2007, Brandon accepted the position of League Manager at ZogSports, running the newly formed Queens leagues. When he’s not sporting a classic ZogSports t-shirt or sweatshirt, Brandon enjoys the great outdoors, pretending he’s a hip hop legend and spending time traveling around the world with his wife (who has a fondness for mullet wigs). Brandon is a Leo vegetarian. If you see him at the bar, try not to feed him wings.
Teams & Titles (Championship Seasons)
• Coed Basketball – Double Dribble (SP 07)
• Mens Basketball – White Chocolate (FA 07 runner-up)
• Dodgeball – Repeat Offenders (FA 06)
• Kickball – Repeat Offenders (SU 06, SU 07)
• Football - Babaganoush (SP 06), Flying Pink Snowponies
• Volleyball – Slainte
Andy Koleba - League Manager
The newest member of the ZogSports team, Andy Koleba, comes to the league with a resume of drinking game titles that rival that of even the most seasoned Zog vet. Koleba holds 12 titles in the grueling game of Beer Pong, and is a two-time finisher of the Boston Beer Marathon (26 bars in 12 hours). In fact, Koleba saw fit to mentor others with his immense knowledge and skill in the beer arts, organizing the Boston Beerlympics in 2006 and 2007. Knowing this, it’s no surprise that the Oakland, NJ native opted to leave his finance job in mutual funds to join his kin at Zog. It should be mentioned Koleba is also adept in the physical sports field, winning eight intramural championships at Boston University (from which he graduated in 2005) in soccer, volleyball, floor hockey, and the rough-and-tumble game of broomball. In his first few months at ZogSports, Koleba joined a dodgeball team and an indoor soccer team, donning K-Mart-brand silk pj-pants for every game in the former. When he’s not running Zog’s volleyball and kickball leagues as well as all Brooklyn leagues, you can find Koleba sneaking fast food into the Zog office and rooting for his fave New York teams (Yankees, Rangers, Giants). And if any Boston fans have something to say about that, well, they can settle it at the beer pong table.
Teams & Titles
• Indoor soccer – Benders
• Dodgeball – Monsters of Dodge
• Kickball – Kick in a Box
• Outdoor Soccer – Chug Monkeys
Chris Corbin - General Manager, ZogSports New Jersey
Chris Corbin, a Detroit native, graduated from Michigan State University in 1999. After watching the Spartans win a NCAA Championship in 2000, moved to New York City to see if he "Could Make It There" (because then he could make it anywhere). Chris made his ZogSports debut captaining his alumni football team to a championship way back in 2002. In addition to multiple football championships, he also has a softball & volleyball championship on his resume! After years of honing his skills as a player & referee, Chris made the leap across the river to New Jersey where he is currently the General Manager of ZogSportsNJ. Chris has utilized his good looks, wit and leadership abilities to grow ZogSportsNJ into the premier co-ed sports league in New Jersey. Chris lives in Hoboken with his beautiful wife Maggie (whom he met playing ZogSports Football).
Teams & Titles
• Football - Michigan State Alumni Association (2 championship) - Agent Orange (1 ZogNJ championship)
• Softball - Michigan State Alumni Association (1 championship)
• Volleyball - Michigan State Alumni Association (1 championship)
• Kickball - Jiminy Kick It's
Want to join the the ZogSports Team?
We are always looking for referees for our sports as well as field managers (the onsite ZogSports point person). Reffing and field managing are a great way to earn some extra cash, get a little exercise and do a bit of “networking”. If you are interested, please contact info@zogsports.org and reference “Hiring” in the subject line.
Past Employees of the Week
February 2008
- Peter Lengyel - During a period of under staffing in Volleyball, Peter went beyond his normal role refereeing soccer and stepped up on short notice several times to fill in open shifts. He quickly learned all the rules and completed the necessary shadowing sessions to understand an unfamiliar sport. His flexibility to work within the open slots on the staff schedule allowed every volleyball game to have appropriate setup and refereeing.
- Jarrod Ernst – Jarrod really came through in February and one Sunday in particular. Due to a family emergency for another referee he kindly picked up the extra time on 15 minutes of notice. At noon on a Sunday he was prepared to get to the gym and run the games as normal. It was very much appreciated by all involved and showed his great work ethic and dedication.
- Sean Mahar - With a Cal Ripken twinkle in his eye, Sean Mahar embraced the role of head referee during the first ever ZogSports winter Touch Football league. Tackling the cold, Sean was an Iron Horse working every shift of the winter season. Additionally, he took charge of the equipment bag and, without missing one shift, hauled the bag to and from the field each and every week. With only a one week break in between the winter and spring seasons, Sean is back at it at East River Park, picking up right where he left off.
- Roy Lee - For the past two seasons of Brooklyn & Queens leagues, Roy Lee has been a Street Team all-star, handing out flyers at subway stations in Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan in an effort to spread the word about these awesome new outer-borough Zog leagues. In sunshine, rain, and frigid temps, Roy embraced his role, cheerily telling subway passengers about how they could get involved in leagues in their area, rather than commuting to Manhattan to play. Roy's dedication to this job really helped us grow the new leagues in Brooklyn for the upcoming Spring season.
January 2008
- Patrick Dietz - Patrick was faced with a situation when he was unable to get into a school for one of his shifts. The confirmed and scheduled personnel were not on site and the doors were locked. Patrick remained calm and managed to find a custodian to let him and the players into the school. Patrick then communicated the problem to the teams and assured them they would still play for the full time. Despite having such a late start, he moved the games along to completion with no other problems.
- Grady Gillies - Grady beautifully handled a situation during a soccer game that could have escalated had he not controlled it. The incident involved a "pants-ing" of a player on an opposite team. Players on both teams had to be held back. Grady did not physically get involved but stopped the game and gave the appropriate warnings and punishments (including two red cards) to players involved. The rest of the game/night went on without a hitch. In addition he retrieved an expensive digital camera in an effort to return it to the rightful owner. All in all a great job in handling the situation and reporting it back to Zog headquarters to handle in a timely fashion.
- Kim Sinclair - Kim has proved to be a great Zog ambassador by being our eyes, ears, and voice at the volleyball gyms. Kim's responses to the Marketing Feedback questions in her score reports are consistently thorough and always include important details like the names of teams who requested more information, feedback on participants' reactions and questions about our upcoming events and activities, and other helpful comments. Thanks to Kim, we are able to provide interested teams and participants with further information on activities and events they are interested in.
November 2007
- Suzanne Medcalf/Dean Curling (Football) - While football playoffs at any field can be challenging as people tend to be more worked up and intense, last weekend things at Octagon were definitely not as smooth as one would hope. Dean (SR) and Suzanne (FM) really stepped it up! On a field that ended up being short staffed this dynamic duo organized scattered football equipment, handled injuries and took care of incidents like pros. They dealt with paramedics, cops and robbers it was like an episode of Law and Order: ZogSports Unit which ended up with ebullient participants at happy hour.
- Q (the Original) – Some people complain about traveling from the Village to Riverbank….Q commuted from Baltimore this season. Throughout the season Q was reliable, helpful in training new staff, well informed at the field and great when forced to handle tough situations. We are not sure if all Q’s friends filled out the football survey, but he was mentioned over and over as a notable member of our staff.
- John (Volleyball) – John Blackwood saved the day for an evening’s worth of volleyball teams. John arrived at the school to find the gym closed due to construction that the school had not informed us about. He tracked down the custodian and convinced him to let us use another gym in the school. John then carried all of the equipment to the other gym, set up, made signs on the gym under construction directing players where to go, and made the best of a difficult situation.
- Rich (Volleyball) - After a blistering volleyball serve broke a bolt holding up the net, Rich went above and beyond to try and fix the situation. Rich tried everything in his power to get the games played that evening, but when that was not going to happen he communicated the problem with the participants encouraging them to understand. The following day Rich took the time to chat with the school’s custodian during his workday to explain exactly what had happened. And finally arrived at the court early the next evening to make sure everything was working.
October 2007
- Sam (Soccer) – As a new member to the team Sam has brought his “A” game. He picked up multiple shifts covering for last minute cancellations and ended up working 6 days last week. Every shift he shows up to the field on time, in his ZogSports gear (note: Sam only has 1 shirt and a sweatshirt and wore them all 6 days last), armed with the schedule and a friendly demeanor.
- Chap (Basketball) – Was calm and collected during a very serious medical emergency that occurred during a basketball game. Chap went above and beyond to make sure that the participant received the appropriate medical attention.
- Darnell (Football) – Handled a city permit conflict at Col. Charles Young. Darnell did an outstanding job of informing participants of the situation, handling the other group that was on our fields and making sure that almost all the games occurred as scheduled.
- T. D. (Soccer) – With his cheerful attitude and assertive style of refereeing T. D. has been a great representative of ZogSports from his first day. He got really creative when diffusing an escalating situation between two hot headed gentlemen by giving them the choice of hugging it out (a real hug…not a “man” hug) or being removed from the game. ZogSports is considering adding hugging into our official rules.