Jericho Welcomes New Athletic Director

BY MARCUS KRANZ ’27

Jericho is excited to welcome Mr. Brett Kornblum as the district’s new Athletic Director, and Curriculum Associate of Health, Physical Education, & Athletics. Mr. Kornblum comes to Jericho after a successful run as Athletic Director at Valley Stream Central. Mr. Kornblum’s focus as an Athletic Director is not just building a culture of winning; it is also encouraging students to use sports as a means of building character. Kornblum said that he hopes student-athletes at Jericho will “tak[e] sports to further themselves in lives, be good sports, be good teammates, and be leaders to be successful leaders in life.”

For Mr. Kornblum, the role of Athletic Director doesn’t just focus on sports games in isolation;  it means using sports as a method of building bonds within the Jericho community. Mr. Kornblum said he is excited to bring more community hype to Jericho sports. He said he will, “reach out to the community for homecoming recognition of athletes, increase [sports] presence on social media, incorporate elementary [school] students in events, and bring a sense of community together.” 

It is no secret that Jericho is known as a strong academic school. Mr. Kornblum’s goal as Athletic Director is to “take that [reputation] to athletics, put it into student lives, and increase [sport] participation.” He wants Jericho athletics to represent, being notorious for hard work, just as Jericho is academically. Mr. Kornblum said that he hopes that, “no matter the outcome, whether we are winning by 100 or losing by 100, our student-athletes still give it their all.” Looking ahead, Mr. Kornblum hopes to continuously evaluate and improve Jericho Athletics, making sure students not only succeed on the field but also gain valuable life lessons like sportsmanship, leadership, and teamwork.