Watertown Hall of Famer Khozozian recognized as all-star athlete
By Frank Santarpio, correspondent
Posted Oct 29, 2010 @ 12:42 PM
Where do you begin when you talk about Kelly Khozozian's athletic talent?
By the time she finished high school, Khozozian could look back on a list of accomplishments that made her one of the most talented female athletes the town has ever known.
At an early age she became one of Watertown's first female Little League all-stars, which turned out to be a sign of things to come when she arrived at Watertown High.
As a member of the Raiders, Khozozian did it all.
Eleven varsity letters will tell you that.
She became a three-year all-star in tennis, captained the Raider girls basketball team, became a three-time all scholastic in hoops, and most impressively, helped lead the Raider field hockey team to their first ever state titles (1986, 1988). While doing that she was also named to the Middlesex League all-star squad, and earned a Boston Globe first team all-scholastic honor.
Growing up on Lovell Road, with a family talented in sports, older brothers John and Mark, and younger sister Lauren helped pave the way to a resume that easily earned Khozozian an induction into the Watertown High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
"Like a lot of kids in Watertown I grew up shagging balls in the park all the time," said Khozozian, who is now married and took the last name Curran. "And even though a lot of the games weren't organized I just loved to play sports. Whatever ball we could get our hands on we played."
Despite being talented in many sports, it was field hockey where Khozozian wowed most of her spectators. As a fullback her sophomore and junior years she demonstrated defensive skills well beyond her years.
Khozozian mastered several aspects of the game that made her a special player, but the one she is most known for is the incredible velocity on her shot.
To this day Eileen Donahue – her head coach at the time – is still hard pressed to find someone who hit the ball with such force.
"She really had such a strong hit," said Donahue, recalling Khozozian's playing days. "But the thing I really remember about her is that she just hated to lose, and with her on our team we didn't lose much at all. Not only could she hit the ball strongly but she was a strong leader and a strong competitor."
In her sophomore and junior years, as a member of the Raider field hockey team, Khozozian played the fullback position. With her amazing shooting abilities, she would send the ball upfield in a blink of an eye.
However when her senior year rolled around, Donahue was looking for a little more offense to compensate for some of her graduating players.
She knew exactly who to turn to.
Donahue moved Khozozian from fullback to halfback, and not only did she continue to play her usual strong defensive game, Khozozian also became a major force offensively. Despite being asked to play a different role, Khozozian impressively became the team's second leading scorer with thirteen goals and eight assists (behind legendary hall-of-famer Cathy Guden).
"Succeeding at field hockey was very important to me and that's why I always practiced hitting the ball against the Victory Field backstop day in and day out," said Khozozian, who graduated Watertown High in 1989. "Even on weekends I practiced as much as I could."
During her playing days, Khozozian got to be a part of the Raiders first historical state title in 1986. Her senior year was also special because she not only was able to graduate with a second state title under her belt, but she got to play with her younger sister Lauren, who also became an outstanding field hockey player and was inducted into the Watertown Hall of Fame as well.
"I really loved playing with Lauren," Khozozian said. "We were really close and even now we still talk to each other every day. During my senior year, though, a lot of us seniors felt it was important to keep the winning tradition going so we wanted the younger players to have the same intensity we had. I was happy to see Lauren help this team continue to build on such a great tradition."
Of course Khozozian is quick to point out how valuable Donahue was and still is to Watertown field hockey. Khozozian stated that her former head coach was a once in a lifetime mentor and that Donahue's track record more than proves that.
"Eileen was an excellent coach," Khozozian said. "The thing I thought that really made her great was that she had the uncanny ability to get the highest potential out of every one of her players. Some of the players were athletes and some weren't but on this team she made us all look like athletes."
In her last season Khozozian would be part of an undefeated state championship team that went an amazing 22-0-1. She also would be runner-up in the Middlesex League MVP voting. It was indeed a memorable season and a memorable high school field hockey career. Yet the memories of playing field hockey for Watertown go far beyond what happened on the field.
"You would think my favorite part of playing field hockey would be winning those state titles but the thing I will always remember the most is the camaraderie we shared as a team," Khozozian said. "The bus rides and meeting such wonderful friends are the things I will always treasure most of all. Their personalities were so much fun. I still keep in touch with a lot of my high school teammates and we have even been at each other's weddings. It really was a special bond."
After high school it was no secret across the state how good Khozozian was. Many colleges wanted her on their field hockey squad.
In the end she chose Boston College, a Division One schools where – to no one's surprise – she made an immediate impact. Khozozian started all four seasons there as a fullback helping the team to consistently be ranked in the top 20 nationally, while also earning a degree in political science.
Being so grateful for all the joy Watertown and its athletics gave her throughout her childhood and teenage years, Khozozian gave back by doing things like coaching basketball for the Watertown Recreation Department, teaching tennis, and working under Donahue for four years as an assistant.
"I really loved coaching," Khozozian said. "Not being an educator, teaching athletics is a hard thing to do. But I still really enjoyed it a lot. At some point in my life I would really love to get back to doing it again."
Right now she is busy being a full time mom at her Sudbury home. Her husband Sean, who she first met at Pop Warner when she was a cheerleader for his squad, were married 13 years ago and have three young boys – Mike, 9, John, 6, and Chirstopher, 4.
"They all love to play sports, even the little guy," Khozozian said. "This makes me appreciate my parents so much more because all their kids played sports and they went to nearly every game. As a parent today I see how hard that is. I don't know how they did it."
Khozozian also finds time to stay active. She works out most mornings at the gym and has proven she is still an exceptional athlete. She takes part in sprint triathalons and is even a regular participant in a 192-mile bike race called the Pan Mass Challenge.
As much as she enjoys that, Khozozian said nothing would ever top the happiness she felt playing sports and wearing a Raider jersey.
"Lauren and I still love to recall our fond memories and making such wonderful friends at Watertown High," she said. "And being associated with such great athletes in the Watertown Hall of Fame is something I will always be very proud of."