Always In The Game

President Frederick Keating celebrates the Rowan College of South Jersey–Gloucester Road Runners Men’s Soccer team after they defeated the RCSJ–Cumberland Dukes in a battle for the Rowan College Derby Shield in 2021.

Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) athletics is a force to be reckoned with locally, regionally, and nationally. The College’s sports programs, which include the RCSJ–Gloucester Roadrunners and the RCSJ–Cumberland Dukes, have combined for more than 30 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national team championships. 

Almost half of those championships occurred under the leadership of Fred Keating, Ed.D, president, RCSJ. Keating recently announced he is stepping down from his position, after serving the College community for 15 years, at the end of June. 

The Dukes and the Roadrunners are members of the NJCAA Division III’s (DIII) Garden State Athletic Conference in Region XIX. This spring, RCSJ athletics, once again, produced multiple top-tier performances.

RCSJ–Gloucester’s Men’s Baseball Team is the reigning, three-time NJCAA National Champions after winning the 2025 DIII Baseball World Series. The 2025 version of the series took place at Falcon Park in Auburn, NY. RCSJ–Gloucester’s Softball Team punched its ticket to the NJCAA DIII Softball World Series, where the games were played at Carrier Park in Dewitt, NY, from May 21-24. The championship was won by Patrick & Henry Community College. 

Additionally, the Dukes and Roadrunners Track and Field teams made it to the National Championships with 24 athletes participating. The Roadrunners men’s and women’s golf teams and several members of the Dukes golf teams played in the national championships as well. Also, after a few tough years, the Dukes Baseball Team returned to the Region XIX Final Four.

During Keating’s presidency, RCSJ athletics have won seven National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA) awards, and 14 teams have won national championships. The College has also won the prestigious National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) Learfield Cup twice. RCSJ won the 2023-2024 and the 2012-2013 Learfield Directors’ Cup. Keating is the only president from a New Jersey college or university to achieve this feat.

“The Learfield Cup is the highest honor for any collegiate athletics program,” said Brian Rowan, athletic director, RCSJ–Gloucester. “RCSJ is the only non-scholarship program to have won the award for the two-year college level and to have won it twice shows that the athletics program is committed to success and has a balanced program.” 

Last year, the college won by the slimmest of margins. RCSJ accrued 184.9 points and the second-place finisher, Iowa Western Community College, scored 184.25 points. 

“Dr. Keating has shown his support for each of our 16 programs and during his time, each of those programs has advanced to at least one national championship,” Brian Rowan, who recently won an Athletics Director of the Year award from the NACDA, said. “To be named the top program in the country is something very few colleges will ever experience and for us to win that award twice just shows the full support from the college president.”

Keating, who played basketball and baseball as a youth and in college, appreciates the value sports provides for its participants—especially RCSJ students. 

“Part of the understanding that sports gave … to me is it’s still the great equalizer of racial difference and … cognitive difference,” he said. “If you are a team and you wear the same shirt and you have the same goal as your brother or sister, that’s it. I always had the concept that if I put this uniform on and you put it on too, then we’re in this together.”

Sports Background: Keating was encouraged to participate in sports by his family at a young age. “My father and my uncles and cousins had been involved in sports,” he said. “I have engaged in sports and athletics pretty much my entire life.” 

He began playing CYO basketball around 10 years old. Keating also played street ball and stick ball with his friends while growing up. “Sounds like I was in the dark ages,” he joked.

Keating excelled as a two-sport athlete at Camden Catholic High School. In basketball, “I would have been a three, four hybrid [shooting guard, power forward] more shoot than rebound,” he said. In baseball, he played first base. Keating’s skills on the baseball diamond were recognized by the Baltimore Orioles who invited him for a tryout. “I was proud to have a major league team say come; we want to look at you. It was nice.” 

Although he didn’t make it to the major leagues, Keating continued to play both sports at Trenton State College (now known as The College of New Jersey). As a freshman, he played in the NCAA College Division III Men’s Basketball National Tournament, one of the highlights of his career. He realized, however, playing both sports had an adverse effect on his grades. “I told the baseball coach there, I’m finished,” he said. “I can’t do two sports in college. I stayed with basketball.” 

Keating played hoops during the entirety of his college career. After he graduated, he continued to play both sports, mainly in men’s adult leagues, for fun. “We were just people that didn’t want to give up running around bases but you’re in your 30s by now and it was something to do after work,” he said.

Keating encouraged his children and grandchildren to play sports just like his father, uncles and cousins encouraged him when he was a youth. He enjoys watching his grandchildren play basketball, soccer, and rugby. 

“We always talk to our kids, our grandkids [and tell them] you’re not a spectator, you’re a participant,” he said, paraphrasing one of his favorite quotes. “I don’t care what you participate in but participate in something. Play a sport … or engage in the chess club. Be a competitor, not a spectator.” 

Keating confirmed basketball is his favorite sport. “I still walk around with one at home and bounce it in the basement,” he said, and his extensive experience as an athlete provided him with plenty of opportunities to share his knowledge with today’s youth. 

“I want them to experience loss, victory and … the fact that winning and losing, you don’t act differently either way. You know it’s easy to say, hard to do,” he said. “I try to instill that in my grandchildren. You’re going to get hurt physically, emotionally. You’re going to have somebody take your job. You’re going to have to fight back for your job.”

“You’re going to have to put a uniform on with somebody you may not like,” he added. “But you have to find a way to communicate and be a good teammate.”

RCSJ Brings More Sports Teams into the Fold: Bucking recent trends, the Dukes and the Roadrunners have added more sports to their athletic departments including women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s golf, under Keating’s direction. He’s also proud to have incorporated Unified Sports into the RCSJ athletics family and noted the College hosts a summer camp for the Special Olympics. 

“The more, the merrier,” Keating said. 

“Unfortunately, the number of county colleges that are continuing their athletic programs is shrinking,” he continued. “If you take athletics away from your college, you take away hundreds and hundreds of students. JD (Jonathan DiJamco, athletic director, RCSJ–Cumberland) has opened up other programs. We’ve got track. We’re now doing track because we have the runners out of Vineland and Bridgeton. 

“…I believe that sports enhance the culture of the college, the college environment, [and] the reputation of the college. It’s just the right way to do it and you give students an opportunity to play.” 

DiJamco and Rowan praised Keating for the work he has done to build a nationally recognized sports program. 

“Dr. Keating’s support cannot be fully quantified,” DiJamco said. “His support has driven our staff and coaches to be better, and that energy has made its way through to our students. As a department, we just appreciated the time and care he gave to us.

“Our mindset as a department is that we are ‘the little engine that will’ and he gave us the freedom and constant encouragement to push forward, expand, and ‘go for it.’ ” 

“Dr. Keating oversaw the most successful period in Roadrunner Athletics history with national championship teams and national awards. His leadership and support have been vital to our success,” Rowan added. “Keating also has had a personal [connection] with many of our coaches and athletes. Whenever he had the opportunity, he would find time to attend our events and speak with our students and coaches to encourage them and show his support.”

His Legacy: Keating shared what he hopes will be his sports legacy after he leaves RCSJ. Professionally, he said he is grateful he was able to provide resources to help the college expand and flourish into one of the best NJCAA Division III athletics programs in the nation.

And personally?

“I don’t really want anything except to be able to tell my grandchildren that I played, that I was successful,” he said. “They have taken some of my awards and put them]in their bedrooms. 

“What I would want personally is that my grandchildren will all say he played, so I’m going to play and thanks for encouraging me to play.”

For information about Rowan College of South Jersey sports programs, visit RCSJ.edu/Athletics.