IV Vitamin Therapy in Palisades Park, NJ

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Sometimes, making sure your body gets the nutrients it needs to be happy and healthy seems like a full-time job. After all, our bodies are highly complex, dynamic machines. Like most machines and tools, our bodies need plenty of high-quality, potent fuel to operate optimally. Unfortunately, everyday life makes it difficult to get the vitamins, nutrients, amino acids, and antioxidants our bodies need to function correctly.

The truth is most of us live busy lives. That's especially true for busy professionals and working parents who can't take the time to source organic ingredients and nutrient-dense foods. Preparing a delicious dish with lean protein and fresh, yummy veggies sounds great. But do you really have the time to buy, clean, prep, and cook a full meal with all those responsibilities on your plate? A quick trip to the cheeseburger joint is so much easier, especially when you have picky eaters for kids. If you're a parent, you know convincing a child to choose Swiss chard over chicken nuggets is harder than solving a Rubik's cube.

Thankfully, there are much simpler ways to treat your body right with vitamins and nutrients, even if you're constantly on the go. IV vitamin therapy in cityname, state is a new, revolutionary treatment from Juventee that delivers essential nutrients directly into your bloodstream. That way, you can give your body the refined fuel it needs without choking down pills or balancing supplements.

Unlike pills and food, vitamin injections bypass the liver's metabolism, where nutrients are often broken down. When nutrients are processed by your liver, it can decrease the amount your body absorbs. By injecting vitamins directly into the bloodstream, you can be sure that 100% of nutrients are absorbed by your body. Vitamin IV therapy may boost your overall brain and body health in a number of different ways:

Enhanced Clarity and Focus
Better Sleep
Increased Stamina for Exercising
Enhanced Hydration
Better Mood
Expedites Recovery from Nagging Injuries and Strains

Plus, with our NAD+ therapy, patients can improve more of their body's functionality and even prevent muscle deterioration. It might sound like science fiction, but Juventee's IV Vitamin Therapy is as real and effective as it gets. You're probably thinking to yourself, "That's all well and good, but what's in IV drip therapy? Don't worry; we've got you covered.

Our Vitamin Therapy Services

IV Vitamin Therapy in Palisades Park, NJ
What Ingredients Are in IV Vitamin Therapy in Palisades Park, NJ
What Can I Expect from an IV Vitamin Therapy Session?
Are There Other Uses for Juventee's Vitamin IV Therapy?
Treat Your Body Right with IV Vitamin Therapy from Juventee

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What Ingredients Are in IV Vitamin Therapy in Palisades Park, NJ?

IV vitamin therapy is a wonderful choice if you want softer, healthier skin, a better immune system, and even a cure for that early-morning hangover from a weekend out. But if you're like most new patients, you're probably wondering what's actually in this type of IV therapy.

The contents are right there in the name, boosted with some extras to make you look and feel great. Some of the most common ingredients include vitamin C, a wide range of B vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and amino acids. Let's take a closer look at what these typical ingredients are and why they're included in most vitamin IV therapy sessions:

If you're like most adults, your parents probably loaded you up with vitamin C whenever you had the sniffles or a cold. Your younger self might not have believed it worked, but as it turns out, your parents were onto something. According to doctors, vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins to consume. It might not be the cure-all for the common cold, but it absolutely helps maintain your immune system so you can fight the cold quicker. Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C also protects your body from prenatal health issues, cardiovascular problems, eye diseases, and even wrinkly skin.

When your body lacks vitamin C for a long time, you're sure to notice. Though vitamin C deficiency is relatively rare in the U.S., adults who go long periods without it may get sick frequently and suffer from other immune system issues. In extreme cases, people may get scurvy, which causes a litany of issues like joint pain, bleeding gums, and depression.

B vitamins like riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid (b9), and cobalamin (B12) play a crucial role in keeping you healthy and maintaining your overall wellbeing. If you want a healthier body, B vitamins are critical, as they are literally building blocks that help preserve your brain functionality, cell metabolism, and energy. For pregnant women, B vitamins in IV drips are especially important because they help your new baby's brain develop while in the womb. B vitamins have also been shown to prevent congenital disabilities. Plus, they help ease feelings of nausea, which is a big bonus for moms and dads alike.

When your body is vitamin B deficient, you're putting yourself at risk of many health problems, such as complications with pregnancy, nervous system disorders, amenia, and gastric cancers.

Like the other vitamins and nutrients on this page, magnesium plays an important part in your body's total health. As a cofactor or helper molecule, magnesium has a role in 600+ bodily functions, including protein formation, nerve function, gene function, muscle movement, and energy production. If you're having a stressful day or week, high-potency magnesium has been shown to have relaxation properties that help calm your nerves and muscles. Unfortunately, most Americans don't get enough magnesium in their diets.

When your body is magnesium deficient, you could be playing with fire. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to chronic health concerns like osteoporosis, diabetes, and even heart disease. If you're feeling unusually weak or suffering from irregular muscle cramps, a vitamin IV session from Juventee could be the solution you need.

Just about every health food and drink in the stores boasts high levels of antioxidants. That's great, but what are they? Antioxidants are substances shown to slow or prevent cell damage from free radicals. Free radicals are unstable molecules linked to inflammation, disease, and forms of cancer. According to the National Library of Medicine, antioxidants also act as hydrogen and electron donors, as well as enzyme inhibitors.

Most humans get some types of antioxidants naturally through eating and drinking. However, IV vitamin therapy is a much more effective way to fight back against free radicals with antioxidants. When your body lacks antioxidants, free radical production increases, which causes oxidative stress - a harmful situation linked to arthritis, cancers, strokes, and Parkinson's disease.

Thankfully, Juventee's IV vitamin therapy in Palisades Park, NJ contains antioxidants that may scavenge and reduce the free radicals affecting your health.

Some additional vitamins and nutrients found in most IV vitamin therapies include:

Calcium
Amino Acids
Threonine
Arginine

Tryptophan
Vitamin E
Vitamin D
More

What Can I Expect from an IV Vitamin Therapy Session?

All IV vitamin injections are applied here at the Juventee office, where our patients are comfortable and at ease. IV vitamin therapy sessions vary in length, depending on the IV therapy you choose and how many applications you need. Vitamin IV injections are administered quickly, with the patient feeling a small pinch from the needle at the injection site.

Patients should not experience any irritation or adverse effects. Once therapy is over, they may leave and go about their day feeling fantastic. While most patients leave our office feeling great, everyone's experiences are different.

What you feel after IV therapy depends on the vitamins you choose and your unique body composition. Most often, however, patients enjoy IV vitamin benefits instantly since their bodies absorb all of the nutrients provided. For optimal results, we recommend you schedule several vitamin IV therapy sessions to thoroughly care for and cleanse your body.

Are There Other Uses for Juventee's Vitamin IV Therapy?

In the past, IV vitamin therapy in Palisades Park, NJ was reserved for sick hospital patients and the ultra-wealthy. Today, millions of health-conscious Americans use IV vitamin drips to give their bodies full-potency vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and amino acids. Taking supplements is great, especially if you're not treating your body to a healthy diet. In reality, though, supplements and multivitamins only give you a fraction of the benefit.

Juventee's IV vitamin infusions, on the other hand, are applied directly into your bloodstream. That way, all those wonderful vitamins and nutrients bypass your digestive system, giving your body much-needed care in the blink of an eye.

Getting nutrients in an instant is a benefit on its own, but what other advantages does IV vitamin therapy provide patients? Are there other uses for a vitamin IV drip other than getting your daily vitamins? Let's take a look and see.

IV Vitamin Therapy May Help with Your Weight Loss Goals

If you're like most Americans in modern times, you could afford to lose a few pounds. Weight loss is a big topic these days - being overweight puts you at risk for a long list of ailments and diseases, so it makes sense to shed pounds. Of course, that's much easier said than done.

One savvy way health-conscious people use vitamin IV drips is to help kick start their weight loss goals. Juventee's unique vitamin formula contains metabolic boosters that help convert fat into energy, giving you the "go" needed to finish that workout. By jumpstarting your metabolism, your body can break down fat more effectively, helping you maintain a healthy weight.

IV Vitamin Therapy May Help with Nutrient Deficiencies

In hospital and medical settings, IV nutrient drips can help patients who are too sick to eat. Outside of those settings, it can also be a great way to address certain nutrient deficiencies caused by conditions like:

Colon Cancer
Celiac Disease
Crohn's Disease

Cystic Fibrosis
Short Bowel Syndrome

Generally, people with the conditions above have a hard time getting the nutrients their bodies need via supplements and diet. Because IV vitamin therapy in Palisades Park, NJ bypasses their digestive system, these patients can get nutrients that they otherwise wouldn't get.

IV Vitamin Drips May Boost Energy

Are you sick and tired of relying on teeth-staining coffees and chemical-ridden energy drinks to stay awake and focused? Nutrients like amino acids and B vitamins, found in IV vitamin therapies, give you a natural boost of energy, lessening your need for sugar and caffeine.

IV Vitamin Therapy May Cleanse Free Radicals & Toxins

In addition to helping with weight loss and giving you essential nutrients, vitamin IV therapies may also cleanse your body of damaging toxins and free radicals. Free radicals, in particular, can damage your DNA and speed up the aging process.

The antioxidants in Juventee's IV vitamin therapy help protect your body and its immune system by neutralizing free radicals and eliminating toxins. Some common antioxidants used include:

Vitamin C
Alpha-Lipoic Acid

Glutathione

Vitamin IV Therapy May Reduce Anxiety

Ingredients in IV vitamin drips like magnesium sulfate are great for lowering blood pressure and calming nerves. But magnesium has also been shown to:

Relax Your Muscles
Calm Feelings of Anxiety
Help You Sleep
Support Your Immune System
Prevent and Deal with Migraine Headaches

Magnesium sulfate is also a common ingredient in stress-reducing products like Epsom salts as well.

IV Vitamin Therapy in Palisades Park, NJ May Help Cure Hangovers

We've all been there before - it's Friday afternoon, and you and your work colleagues decide to leave the office early. One of your co-workers suggests you go to a bar to let off some steam and reflect on the work week. One or two drinks, you promise yourself. The next thing you know, you're three sheets to the wind, singing bad karaoke and making new friends with everyone at the bar.

You had a great time, but now it's Saturday morning, and it feels like a cinderblock was dropped on your head. Instead of grabbing a can of salty V8, why not treat yourself to vitamin IV therapy from Juventee? The hydration provided by our IV vitamin drips helps fight back against hangover symptoms like:

Headaches
Muscle Aches
Nausea
Sour Stomach

Dehydration
Brain Fog
Fatigue

Fluids from vitamin IVs get to work quick, replenishing the water you lost while you were out partying. Vitamin IVs also have much-needed electrolytes for your body, which may relieve feelings of dizziness, fatigue, and thirst.

Treat Your Body Right with IV Vitamin Therapy from Juventee

If your goal is to nourish your body with nutrients and vitamins, Juventee's IV vitamin therapy in cityname, state is the key you need to unlock success. We believe that balance is key to your health and wellness, which is why our specialists employ the most innovative medical advances in our treatment options and products. Unlike other vitamin IV clinics, our focus is on providing you with a full range of health services to help you reach your full potential.

That way, you can satisfy your aesthetic, physical, and nutritional needs while positively impacting your emotional wellbeing too. If you're on the fence about getting healthy and re-discovering the joys of youth, contact our office today. It would be our pleasure to talk about your concerns and how our preventative, proactive treatments like IV vitamin therapy can help on your journey to health.

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COVID closed this popular NJ bakery, now it’s coming back

For people in Palisades Park this Facebook post was a sight for sore eyes.It’s official! We are so excited to announce that Palisades Park Bakery is finally re-opening next month, July 2023! We will have returning staff including our bakers and other team members. Following recent renovations, there will also be an indoor seating area for customers to enjoy. We look forward to seeing everyone soon! Stay tuned for more updates! ?? #palisadespark #bakery #cafe #cake #coffeePalisades Park Bakery was ...

For people in Palisades Park this Facebook post was a sight for sore eyes.

It’s official! We are so excited to announce that Palisades Park Bakery is finally re-opening next month, July 2023! We will have returning staff including our bakers and other team members. Following recent renovations, there will also be an indoor seating area for customers to enjoy. We look forward to seeing everyone soon! Stay tuned for more updates! ?? #palisadespark #bakery #cafe #cake #coffee

Palisades Park Bakery was among the thousands of businesses that fell victim to the pandemic. They fought their way through spring and summer of 2020 then regretfully closed in September of that year for what they hoped would be a short temporary hiatus.

It was longer than anyone wanted and certainly much longer than their fans wanted.

Their Facebook page sort of tells the story. The posts before the one announcing their comeback were both dated June 10 of this year announcing updates.

But the one before that goes all the way back to March 17, 2020, frozen there in time right before the pandemic shut down the state.

The news of their reopening was well-received by customers.

“Omg! This is the best news ever! Love, love, love ?????? Palisades Park Bakery! Woohoo!“

“The BEST news I have heard in AGES!! This just made my day!! Maybe my month!! SO excited!!! Welcome back!! Been WAY too long!!!”

“OMG!!! Best news ever!!!! I miss your pecan danish ring with custard and your St. Joseph day pastries!!! Can’t wait!! ”

Sounds like there just might be a line out the door.

While an exact date for a grand reopening isn’t announced it should happen sometime this month. Palisades Park Bakery is at 325 Broad Ave. in, obviously, Palisades Park.

While we’re waiting for the day here’s a quick look to make you hungry.

@palisadesparkbakery via Instagram

Red velvet cupcakes to die for

They’ve got you covered for Halloween…

Thanksgiving…

Christmas…

and beyond

And of course special occasions

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

You can now listen to Deminski & Doyle — On Demand! Hear New Jersey’s favorite afternoon radio show any day of the week. Download the Deminski & Doyle show wherever you get podcasts, on our free app, or listen right now.

Click here to contact an editor about feedback or a correction for this story.

‘Come on over!’ Palisades Amusement Park faded into history

NEW JERSEY (PIX11) — Amusement parks boast something for kids of all ages, from exhilarating roller coasters to costumed characters. Coney Island and Playland in Westchester have offered thrilling attractions for decades.But before that, there was the granddaddy of amusement parks that have since faded into history. The popular commercial from the 60s proclaimed, “Palisades has the rides, Palisades has the fun, come on over.”That was the clarion call for millions who made the pilgrimage to Palisades Amusement ...

But before that, there was the granddaddy of amusement parks that have since faded into history. The popular commercial from the 60s proclaimed, “Palisades has the rides, Palisades has the fun, come on over.”

That was the clarion call for millions who made the pilgrimage to Palisades Amusement Park high above the Hudson River, straddling 38 acres of magic along Fort Lee and Cliffside Park. Since the turn of the century, it was transformed from a picnic grove to become a catalyst for one of the greatest outdoor attractions of the century.

Gene Focarelli was 15 when he worked summers at the park. He remembers those days well.

“There was no other place on earth like Palisades Amusement Park,” he said. “Everybody was there, the friends, the people, everybody was there for one purpose, to have a great time.”

There was the iconic cyclone roller coaster, the Ferris wheel, the musical carousel, the colorful midway, and the shows, but radio personality Bruce Morrow, Cousin Brucie to his fans, who did his broadcasts from the park, said it was more.

“People and Palisades Park, that’s where the magic was. We literally learned to get along with each other,” he reflected.

Vincent Gargiulo, the park historian, produced the book about the park titled, “Palisades Amusement Park–A Century of Fond Memories.”

“It was just a fun, safe environment for folks to bring a family,” Gargiulo said.

Gargiulo oversees an exhibit at the Mahwah Museum, which includes a miniature model of the park.

Years before inflation, it didn’t cost an arm and a leg for a fun day at the park.

“The cost to enter the park was dirt cheap. You could get a hot dog for a quarter or lemonade for a quarter. I think admission was 35 cents,” according to Gargiulo.

Competing with attractions at Coney Island, Palisades added a saltwater pool promoted as the world’s largest outdoor saltwater pool. It attracted even larger crowds. The park gained national prominence in 1962 with the release of the song “Palisades Park” by Freddy Cannon. It was rated number three on the National Billboard Chart.

Palisades Amusement Park was called the beauty pageant capital of the world. There was the Miss American Teenager and the Little Miss America Pageants, both televised on PIX11 and the Clay Cole show for five years. The Rolling Stones had one of their first public appearances on his program.

Cousin Brucie introduced his share of celebrities, including a young Tony Orlando.

“I was 16 years old, my mom, my entire family was out there among thousands of people at the one and only Palisades Park. That’s a memory that will never fade,” he said.

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Tony Bennett joined Cousin Brucie, who insisted, against his wishes, that he lip-synch his most popular song

“We start playing his record,” Morrow remembered. “We had old equipment. I left my heart in San Francisco, cisco, cisco, cisco. Tony Bennett freaked out. He never forgave me.”

But the music to the ears of the adventurous was the sound of the terrifying Cyclone roller coaster.

“You hear the click, click click and silence to the top and let loose, and they come screaming all the way down,” Gene Focarellli remembered.

The park became so popular that Fort Lee and Cliffside Park communities could no longer handle the onslaught of traffic, and in 1971, the area was rezoned for high-rise development. The park fell beneath the wrecking ball, and behemoth buildings now fill the void. What was here is remembered in a small patch of land with a memorial plaque dedicated to the “men and women who played at Palisade Amusement Park.”

More than half a century after its demise, Palisades Amusement Park remains an iconic part of American pop culture.

It’s immortalized in film, in music, and a Broadway musical is said to be in the works. Above all, the magic of the park is emblazoned in the minds of the generations of people who responded to the beckoned call: “COME ON OVER!”

Who is the rightful Palisades Park council member? Hearing to decide

PALISADES PARK — A court hearing to determine who is the rightful council person after two people were sworn in for one vacant seat will continue later this month.The center of a legal battle is timelines for who is allowed to make the decision on the vacant seat: the Democratic County Committee or th...

PALISADES PARK — A court hearing to determine who is the rightful council person after two people were sworn in for one vacant seat will continue later this month.

The center of a legal battle is timelines for who is allowed to make the decision on the vacant seat: the Democratic County Committee or the majority of the council.

A council vacancy was created when Democratic Councilman Chong "Paul" Kim won a mayoral election in November 2022.

At the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting, Palisades Park Democratic County Committee Chair James Rotundo said he submitted a letter to the mayor and council and read out loud during the public meeting the names of the three people submitted to fill the seat: himself, Suk Min and Arlene Star.

Three council members believe the Democratic County Committee actions are void because a letter submitting the three names for consideration was dated Dec. 28, 2022, before Kim officially resigned from his council seat. Based on timelines and advice from the special counsel on Jan. 31 they voted and swore in Democratic former Councilman Andy Min, who was not on the list of recommendations to fill the seat.

The Democratic County Committee believes the council did not act properly, and the committee swore in Suk Min to fill the council seat the next day.

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Andy Min was sworn into office on Jan. 31. The next day, Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs LLC filed a complaint in state Superior Court on behalf of Council president Cynthia Pirrera, Stephani Jang, Jae Park and the Borough Council naming Mayor Kim, Councilman Jason Kim, Councilman Michael Vietri and the Democratic County Committee of Palisades Park as defendants.

That same day, the Democratic committee met to fill the vacancy, stating that the Borough Council had failed to act on the list of submitted names within 30 days. Suk Min was selected and immediately sworn into office, according to court documents.

A hearing to show cause took place on Feb. 16 in front of State Superior Court Judge Peter Geiger. During the hearing, Mayor Chong "Paul" Kim, borough administrator Dave Lorenzo and Palisades Park County Committee Chair James Rotundo gave testimony, according to Scott Salmon, of Jardim, Meisner & Susser, P.C., the attorney representing Mayor Kim, Councilman Jason Kim, Councilman Michael Vietri and the Democratic County Committee of Palisades Park.

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The hearing will continue on Feb. 27 at 10 a.m. the same day the next scheduled Palisades Park Council meeting will take place.

"We're pleased how the testimony went," Salmon said. "We think it became obvious from the testimony of all witnesses that the Democratic Committee tried to provide a list of names and members of the council tried to play political games with that list. We hope the judge can come to a quick decision so they can go on with conducting borough business like they are supposed to."

Attorney Matthew J. Giacobbe for Pirrera, Jang, and Park said subpoenas went out Friday for text messages and emails between Lorenzo Mayor Kim and councilmen Kim and Vietri regarding the cancelation of the Jan. 31 council meeting. Giacobbe said he is also looking forward to questioning Vietri and Kim at the hearing.

Giacobbe said their position is two-fold as the list of Democratic candidates provided by the committee was created when no vacancy existed and the mayor's cancellation of the Jan. 31 meeting and efforts to "thwart a quorum" are contrary to law and the duties of an elected official.

"We are, and my clients are, very pleased with the way the hearing went and the argument we are advancing," Giacobbe said. "We are confident in the outcome and looking forward to the additional testimony to bolster our case."

Judge has decided on who will fill Palisades Park's vacant council seat

PALISADES PARK — A judge has sided with the Democratic County Committee, ultimately deciding it swore in the rightful council person to a vacant seat.A council vacancy was created when Democratic Councilman Chong "Paul" Kim won a mayoral election in November 2022. The center of the legal battle was...

PALISADES PARK — A judge has sided with the Democratic County Committee, ultimately deciding it swore in the rightful council person to a vacant seat.

A council vacancy was created when Democratic Councilman Chong "Paul" Kim won a mayoral election in November 2022. The center of the legal battle was timelines for who was allowed to make the final decision on the vacancy: the Democratic County Committee or three members of the council.

State Superior Court Judge Peter Geiger ruled for the committee just hours before Monday night's Borough Council meeting.

The decision was a "complete and total victory," said Scott Salmon of Jardim, Meisner & Susser, the attorney representing Mayor Kim, Councilman Jason Kim, Councilman Michael Vietri and the Democratic County Committee of Palisades Park.

Suk Min, the resident whom the Palisades Park Democratic County Committee selected to fill the vacant seat, sat in his rightful place at Monday's meeting, Salmon said.

Attorney Matthew J. Giacobbe, representing council President Cynthia Pirrera and members Stephanie Jang and Jae Park, did not immediately return calls for comment.

"The judge believed the mayor and the Democratic committee acted properly in how they created the list and how they presented it," Salmon said. "When council members met on Jan. 31, they did not have a quorum, and appointing someone not on the list, they acted improperly."

Salmon said his clients will wait to see if the other side files an appeal but that the council could conduct business as normal Monday night.

Palisades Park Democratic County Committee Chair James Rotundo said he was always confident that the committee acted properly.

"I'm glad it's over and the judge saw through everything," Rotundo said. "I'm glad we are now moving forward. Palisades Park needs to move forward and get business done."

How we got here

At the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting, Rotundo said, he submitted a letter to the mayor and council and read out loud during the public meeting the names of the three people submitted to fill the seat: himself, Suk Min and Arlene Star.

The Democratic County Committee said the council did not act properly, and the committee swore in Suk Min to fill the council seat the next day.

Min was sworn into office on Jan. 31. The next day, Cleary Giacobbe Alfieri Jacobs LLC filed a complaint in state Superior Court on behalf of Pirrera, Jang, Park and the Borough Council naming Mayor Kim, Councilman Kim, Vietri and the Democratic County Committee of Palisades Park as defendants.

The Democratic committee then met to fill the vacancy, stating that the Borough Council had failed to act on the list of submitted names within 30 days. Suk Min was selected and immediately sworn into office, according to court documents.

27-year-old hired as new Palisades Park/Leonia football coach

Former Montclair State assistant Jon Koonce has been named new head football coach for the Palisades Park/Leonia co-op program.The 27-year-old Cliffside Park native was approved by the Palisades Park Board of Education on Wednesday night. He takes over for T.J. Kroncke, who won eight games in his four-year tenure with the Tigers, including a 3-4 record last fall.Koonce is currently working as a substitute teacher and aide in Cliffside Park, a role he will expects to assume at Palisades Park while he works on gett...

Former Montclair State assistant Jon Koonce has been named new head football coach for the Palisades Park/Leonia co-op program.

The 27-year-old Cliffside Park native was approved by the Palisades Park Board of Education on Wednesday night. He takes over for T.J. Kroncke, who won eight games in his four-year tenure with the Tigers, including a 3-4 record last fall.

Koonce is currently working as a substitute teacher and aide in Cliffside Park, a role he will expects to assume at Palisades Park while he works on getting his teaching certification. He plans on meeting with players from both towns to share his message in the coming days.

“Football is a game and it’s fun, but it’s a lot more fun when you win, and the only way to get those wins is to work your tail off,” Koonce said. “If you want to enjoy September through November, then you have to work in March in the weight room and you have to work in July in the summer. That hard work will pay off.”

The Koonce File

Koonce was a two-way lineman at Cliffside Park before attending Montclair State, where he was an All-Conference center.

After graduating with his degree in humanities, he was offered a spot on the Red Hawks' coaching staff. He worked with tight ends, offensive linemen and running backs.

Koonce had connections with Tigers assistants Omar Morales and AJ Scoppa, who told him about the opening. Koonce said the job lined up perfectly.

“One of the biggest things I pitched in the interview is that this is not just about the game of football, coaches can talk Xs and Os all day, but this is about getting ingrained in the community of the towns,” Koonce said. “I had experience as a recruiter at Montclair State and now it will be getting kids out of the hallways to come play.”

The co-op challenge

Pal Park/Leonia is North Jersey’s original football co-op, beginning play as a combined team in 2000. The Tigers have reached the playoffs three times since, and made the sectional final in 2012.

The program is made up of two schools and three towns (students from Edgewater attend Leonia High School), so Koonce's first charge is getting everyone on board. Not being in the building at Leonia consistently also makes it hard to get potential players from there out for the team.

But Koonce is undaunted. He knows the Tigers bring back a lot of experienced players and said he's eager to get started.

Playing Union ball

The Tigers play in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference’s Union Division, a carve-out for schools with low participation numbers that are trying to restore their programs. The schools in the Union Division aren’t eligible for the state playoffs, but can advance to the Union Division title game.

Koonce knows firsthand what it’s like to go into a game outmanned. When he was at Cliffside Park, the Red Raiders often faced teams with healthier numbers. Koonce said he likes the Union Division concept, but hopes the Tigers can move out one day.

“I think it’s 100 percent a great opportunity for the kids, losing 40-0 is not great for either team, even the team that wins doesn’t get anything out of it,” He said. “It’s so much better to go out and have a chance to compete every week and we have our own playoffs at the end. I hope one day we can work the program where we don’t have to be in this place, but I think it’s a great way to give kids a chance to compete.”

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