SUNY Cortland Athletics

Michael Borra was a standout on Cortland's men's soccer teams, which, from 1989-92, posted a combined record of 53-12-11 and made three NCAA Division III tournament appearances, including two national quarterfinals. At Cortland, Borra played forward and midfield and tallied 35 goals and 20 assists, which places him second in all-time goals, assists, and total points.
 
In his senior season, Borra's performance earned him second-team All-America honors and first-team all-region and All-SUNYAC accolades. His leadership and skill were instrumental in Cortland's 11-2-3 record and national tournament qualification that year. Beyond his athletic achievements, Borra's commitment to academic excellence was recognized with the SUNYAC's prestigious Holloway Award, named after C-Club Hall of Famer T. Fred "Prof" Holloway, which honors the student-athlete with the highest GPA among first or second-team all-league players. He was also a two-time recipient of the Red Letter Award in 1991 and 1992, an annual recognition presented to the most outstanding student-athlete in each program.

Borra earned a bachelor's degree in history and social studies secondary education from Cortland in 1993 and a master's degree from the University at Albany in 1995. Borra was named to the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society and received Cortland's Excellence in Secondary Social Studies Award in 1993.
 
A native of Westbury, N.Y., Borra has been a dedicated social studies educator at Syosset (N.Y) High School since 1997, where he has distinguished himself as a teacher, mentor, and curriculum leader. He has taught the program's most rigorous Advanced Placement courses, supervised student teachers, developed innovative new courses, and trained staff teachers in curriculum and instruction, classroom management, and instructional technology.

Borra's commitment to his community and the development of young athletes is evident in his extensive involvement in youth soccer. He currently serves as the Director of Coaching for the Syosset Soccer Club, a non-profit organization with over 1000 youth players, dedicated to developing soccer skills for players of all ages and levels of play from U4 to U19. In addition, he is an instructor for the United Soccer Coaches /Long Island Junior Soccer League (LIJSL) Coaching Academy, whose mission is to work every day to inspire coaches and ignite their passion for the game so they pass it on to players and others in the soccer community.\

(BIO UPDATED: 5/6/25)