NY Liberty - General Manager - Carol Blazejowski


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When you look at the roster of a ball club, you see rookies, veterans, free agents and players who came to the team via trades. Someone is in charge of player personnel or putting that team together along with the coach and the coaching staff. This important responsibility is handled by the General Manager, an executive position that also includes basketball operations responsibilities such as overseeing equipment orders, travel scheduling and all matters pertaining to the team.

The Sr. Vice President/General Manager is also responsbible for business operations and with her staff covers all areas of business for the team including marketing, public relations, promotions, advertising, ticket sales and so on. The better the staff, the more time that is left for the General Manager to focus on evaluating which players best fit the needs of the team, the job the coach is doing and the key elements of putting together a winning franchise.

Carol Blazejowski, known as "Blaze," is the Sr. Vice President and General Manager of the Liberty. She worked her way to her current position through her passion for the game, leadership abilities and loyalty and commitment to the team and the sport.

"Blaze" was a college basketball star in the late 1970's for Monclair State University where she set a college scoring record of 52 points at Madison Square Garden, which still stands today, not only in women's college basketball but in men's as well. From college she went on to play professionally for the WBL for one year before joining Adidas as a promotional representative for ten years. She then took over the Director of Licensing position for the NBA, while also running a successful basketball camp for a decade. The combination of the business skills she honed at Adidas and working for the NBA coupled with her love and knowledge of the game made Blaze an excellent candidate for the job.

"I had a good reputation as a player and as a businesswomen," says Blaze, who loves the competition and wants to continue to contribute to sports in a meaningful way. "The Liberty is like my baby, which started on the ground floor in 1997 and now I see it maturing into a wonderful fun property."

While Carol Blazejowski is a member of the both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, one does not have to be a star on the court to be a successful General Manager. Her ability to be organized, to handle multiple tasks efficiently and effectively, plus her loyalty to the team, a sound work ethic and ability to take responsibility are what she considers her strengths in the job she does today. For students looking toward a career in sports she emphasizes experience. "Get experience as an intern, a volunteer, any way you can. Learn and absorb everything. That sets you apart from the next guy. Knowledge is power and opens many doors."

Along with a keen knowledge of sports, a GM needs to have solid business skills including knowledge of sales, marketing and promotional activities. To be successful also requires making sound decisions in a timely fashion and as Blaze says, "never procrastinate."