Alumni Spotlight: Sean Begraft ’98

Sean Begraft is a New Jersey Colonials alum who found his happy place at the rink.  So much so, you can see him most days working behind the scenes at Mennen Sports Arena.   Begraft is currently Mennen’s Assistant Manager.  He supervises and schedules the part-time skating staff plus oversees the Arena in the absence of the general manager and assistant general manager.

As a youth, Begraft joined the New Jersey Colonials in 1993-94 as a Pee Wee A (12U) in the Tier 2 program.  He continued his competitive travel career through Bantam A (14U) and his final season in 1997-98 as Midget A (18U).  He has great memories of his coaches and teammates through the seasons.  He even had the pleasure to play for distinguished coaches George Charette and Ray Murray, whom NJC has annual awards in their names.

The call of the rink brought Sean back to Mennen in 2002-03 as a skate guard.  He quickly moved up the ladder to zamboni driver and a part-time operating engineer.  He became a full-time employee in 2005 and served as an Operating Engineer through 2021.  In 2021, Sean was named Recreation Supervisor and this fall became the building’s assistant manager.  He has always taken great pride in making sure the rink’s ice surfaces are the highest quality.

Next time you see Sean at the rink, make sure to say hello and thank you to another member of the NJC family!  He shows us you can stay involved and contribute to the game off the ice too.