Hitmen webmaster is on target

Jason Schwartz saves time, effort by linking New Jersey hockey organization with parent league

Webmaster of the Week: May 16-22

Name:
Jason Schwartz

Site:
Jersey Hitmen

Position:
IT Director, Ice Vault Arena; Webmaster, Jersey Hitmen

Use of platform:
Registration, Sitebuilder

Background:
Schwartz grew up in New York City, where he attended Stuyvesant High School. He played junior varsity baseball for one season in high school and, although he was raised a New York Rangers fanatic, didn’t start playing hockey until his sophomore year at the University at Albany. “I always wondered what it took to actually play the game,” Schwartz said. He said he was working at a local radio station when one of the salespeople gave him a couple of gift certificates, which he promptly cashed in on a pair of skates. Schwartz’s career path also pointed him toward hockey. He was working for World Wide Apparel Resources when the company’s owner built the Ice Vault Arena in Wayne, New Jersey, in 2003. Schwartz eventually took over as the arena’s IT Director. “I like to joke, ‘If it plugs in, I have responsibility over it,’ ” he said. When he’s not working at the arena, Schwartz can be found honing his hockey skills there as he plays once a week in a men’s league. 

What he does:
The Hitmen, who play out of the Ice Vault, have eight teams of players ranging in age from 14 to 19. Schwartz helped launch the organization’s website on the Sport Ngin platform in March of 2015 and one of his biggest jobs is to ensure statistics, rosters, schedules and other team information is mirrored from the U.S. Premier Hockey League site. He also writes Hitmen-related news that is posted on the USPHL site and mirrored over to the Hitmen site. Schwartz also oversees the high definition live streaming of most games held at the Ice Vault’s two ice rinks (with a third being built). Full game replays and highlight videos are posted throughout the Hitmen site.  

Making his mark:
Schwartz keeps the Alumni section of the site updated by listing College Commitments by using the table page element to show to the player’s name, the teams within the organization the player has skated for and the college the player has committed to join. “One of the most important parts of the program is to helping these kids get the education and hockey experience at the next level,” Schwartz said. Five former Hitmen have been selected in the NHL draft, including Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce.