Kent State student lives for broomball

Tim Ritzert

WATCH senior Nick Kulesza, the “most intense” player on the broomball team.

Broomball is life for Nick Kulesza.

“It’s very intense and teams take it seriously too,” he said. “And I like being in that sort of environment with other players that take it to the same level of competition and intensity that I do.”

The senior leads his broomball league in goals this year.

Teammate Chris Diehl said that’s no accident.

“I’ve never seen a more intense broomball player than Nick,” he said. “Shows up the earliest, most intense during the games, after the games.”

This is Nick’s eighth semester playing broomball. During the season, the sport almost takes over his life. Nothing shows this more than one special piece of equipment – his golden broomball stick.

“I saw that stick online about three years ago and it was defiantly one of the higher end sticks – it’s actually very rare,” he said. “It’s hard to come across, in fact it’s not even manufactured anymore you have to have it imported.

Nick said he and his broomball stick are nearly inseparable.

“It’s survived quite a beating,” he said. “I get a temper out there sometimes and sometimes I take it out on my stick when I should really take it out on myself.”

This semester Nick’s team is undefeated. And Nick is just two goals away from 100 for his career.

Nick said his passion to win remains just as strong as when he began his broomball career.

“There’s a lot of emotions, I mean there really is,” he said. “When you get that far and you see the emotion and your teammates are going or maybe you put in a big goal, it comes out.”