Bobcats in Coaching: Three Journeys From the Ice to the Bench
1/31/2018 3:51:00 PM | Women's Ice Hockey
At the core of any successful, sustainable college athletic program, coaches create a culture of excellence that celebrates individuals and a love for that sport. Within the Quinnipiac culture of pride, collaboration, and success, players work together learning life lessons, embrace the value of hard work, and share in the collective moments of joy that celebrate the power of sport. The goal, beyond winning hockey games, is to create independent, thoughtful leaders ready to use those lessons to impact the world. Nowhere is the effect of that powerful experience more evident than when former players choose to give back to the game as coaches and mentors.
Over the years, Bobcats have demonstrated a natural inclination towards coaching and giving back to the game they love. Gillian Gallagher '05 (Boonton, NJ) leads a U12 boys team here in Connecticut. Kristi Alcorn '07 (Orangeville, Ontario) served as the first leader of the Legacy Global Hockey Selects Girls Hockey Program, which has established itself as a leader among elite girls hockey programs throughout North America. Trudy Reyns '09 (Port Hope, Ontario) and Kallie Flor '10 (Farmington, MN) directed highly competitive high school programs in Ontario and Minnesota, respectively. Jackie Kendrick '07 (Oakville, Ontario) and Lindsey West '16 (Ajax, Ontario) have worked extensively in the PWHL, the top junior league in Ontario.
Locally, professional players with the Connecticut Whale (NWHL) Laura Brennan '07 (White Bear Lake, MN), Syd Rossman '17 (Excelsior, MN) and Kelly Babstock '14 (Mississauga, Ontario) all work on the skill development side, training and inspiring the next generation of stars. Cydney Roesler '16 (Stittsville, Ontario), captain of the 2016 ECAC Championship team, serves as the current team's volunteer assistant coach. This season, no fewer than 15 former Bobcats took on teaching roles, coaching teams and individuals, acting as role models, guides, and the first line of support mentoring players of all ages and ability.
"When former players want to give back to the game, it's such a positive reflection on our culture, their student-athlete experience, and what four years at Quinnipiac is all about," said Head Coach Cassandra Turner. "We know they've left here loving the game and valuing being part of something bigger than themselves. They're just so excited to share that with others. We're very proud they've chosen to pass that on."
Three Bobcats
Three former Bobcats in the coaching profession recently agreed to share some of their insights on what drew them to coaching, their successes and challenges, and how their Quinnipiac education - on and off the ice - prepared them for their path. In July of 2015, Northland College, a Division III institution in Ashland, Wisconsin selected Kelly Rider '07 (Glenmont, NY) to build their program from the ground up. She enters her second year as head coach having previously coached at Neumann University, UMass-Boston, the Southfield School, and Canton (MA) High School. Regan Boulton '13 (Brandon, Manitoba) remains the highest scoring defenseman in our program history with 77 points. Her confidence with the puck, poise and vision are now being shared with the Balmoral Hall Blazers, a founding member of the JWHL, where she serves as an assistant coach and admissions officer. Danielle Marmer '17 (Dorsett, VT), a first-year assistant coach with Connecticut College, the 8th-ranked program in DIII women's hockey, played a pivotal role as part of the winningest class in Bobcat history.
The path to a career in coaching isn't always a straight road. Each coach has a unique story about their career path, but for these three, they all share a passion for working with others and a desire to share the lessons of their hockey and life experience. Rider, a summa cum laude graduate in Athletic Training, initially pursued jobs in that field. Boulton spent two years playing professionally in Austria before returning home to Manitoba and eventually back to her alma mater. As graduation neared, Marmer, a summa cum laude Legal Studies student, couldn't escape the draw of coaching and went from weighing the merits of law school acceptances to benefits of multiple coaching offers. All three were drawn back to the game and coaching through winding paths that helped them gain perspective, provided diverse training experiences, and enhanced their ability to succeed in their jobs.
Deep inside, even as she pursued a career as an Athletic Trainer, Kelly Rider always wanted to be a coach. She loved athletic training, but even in clinicals and observation sessions with teams she found herself listening and watching coaches. Her academic training provided the added benefit of working with lots of different teams and sports. She said "I spent the majority of time at practice, at off-ice, in clinical settings observing other coaches, team dynamics, and drills and collection my own binder of 'stolen' nuggets that I still use today." When an injury shortened her playing career at Quinnipiac, it led to opportunities to value helping the team beyond making an impact on the ice. She loved the challenge of getting better every day, the interactions of staff and the mind games of match-ups, staff, and was hooked.
For Regan Boulton, returning home after living in Vienna, Austria, playing with the EHV Sabres, winning the EWHL SuperCup, the effort to find a new path left something missing. "It took me a couple of months before I realized that I was no longer involved in any way, coaching or playing, with the game that meant so much for me and allowed me to develop into the person who I was today," Boulton said. Finding meaning in coaching, and eventually returning to her alma mater, saved her. A one-time forward who blossomed into an elite defenseman at Quinnipiac, Boulton had much to offer in guiding others with similar aspirations through the same journey of high school and club hockey. With a renewed purpose, she feels she has found happiness and a home in coaching. For her, she works to pass on a mantra she learned in Hamden - "the team is greater than yourself, they are your family."
Boulton, QU All-Time Defenseman Points Leader (77)
In the Spotlight
In a highly visible leadership position where the perception of success comes from clearly defined outcomes, coaches face many challenges. Some occur out of the public view, like when Rider spent the night before her first game driving to St. Cloud, an 8-hour round trip, to ensure her Northland team had jerseys for the program's first game. "You can be the best planner and have the best support from colleagues, administrators, and businesses, but some things don't always happen by the time you need them whether it's jerseys, things for the locker room, or equipment," she said. "We've had to learn to be patient and flexible."
When asked for one thing she's learned in the first few months of coaching, Marmer kidded, "that I should have chosen law school." Dealing with high expectations and limited coaching experience, she has learned to embrace the need to continue to grow and be adaptable to new situations. She realized how to accept the wisdom of others and incorporate that with what she picked up during her playing career. Her reflection in difficult situations pushed her to value being over prepared, celebrate how individuals learn differently, and to take time to highlight small moments of individual and team success.
Celebrating The Highs
While all three understand the coaching profession is demanding, they've also been reminded of the rewards found in great successes and unforgettable moments. Earlier this year, Rider's second-year team upset #2 ranked Adrian College 3-2 in overtime, after falling to them in the previous four match-ups. What a moment to see "the players publicly acknowledged for all their hard work, dedication, and commitment to building a winning culture." In only the program's 29th game, a memory to last a lifetime.
Marmer has seen success in her team's heart and determination, exemplified in a number of comeback victories this year. Connecticut College currently sits in second place at 7-1-2 in the highly competitive NESCAC. Particularly memorable was an early season overtime comeback victory over 1st place Middlebury after falling 3-0 the day before. She said, "I was incredibly impressed with our ability to come out hard against a really good team, and then on top of it, come from behind when losing a lead we held for most of the game. Taking two points from the top team in overtime is sweet, the only thing making it a little sweeter was that my sister was on the other team!"
What I Learned
Every life long learner needs a mentor, a truism that resonates with young coaches. With little experience, they often rely on their past coaches for guidance and support. As recent alums, Regan Boulton and Danielle Marmer both reflected on the influence of Coach Turner and the Bobcat staffs in their coaching journey. Boulton remembers early in her career having difficulty bouncing back after mistakes, and shared "Cass worked so closely with me and gave me tips on how to overcome bad shifts and mistakes. I took her calm and patient approach to my team and have created a culture where the girls feel safe to make mistakes, fail, and eventually learn and succeed."
Danielle Marmer reflected on a different journey. As a player, her small initial role grew every year to finally emerge as key player on and off the ice. By her senior year, finding a new standard for hard work and energizing her teammates, she gained confidence and re-defined her on-ice role to be a key player down the stretch and in the playoffs. However difficult, it was that journey that led her to pursue a career in coaching. She wanted to give athletes the same opportunity given to her, to redefine success, and give value to different roles.
On how she uses that experience, she remarked, "the expectations and standards of Quinnipiac Ice Hockey have been crucial to may transition as coach. I wouldn't know to have such high expectations for the players I coach if I hadn't had the same high expectations for me. The standards of the Quinnipiac program are why I measure hard work over talent, being a good teammate over being a good stickhandler. It's why blocked shots and great backchecks are as big of a deal as any play on the ice."
Each coach has a unique story about their career path, but they all share a passion for working with others and a desire to share the lessons of they learned at Quinnipiac and the faith placed in them to inspire others to achieve their goals. All three women weren't ready for hockey to be over. As Division I athletes, with years of commitment and sacrifices dedicated to developing their skills to play the game they love, the finality of playing the last collegiate game is difficult. The game remained a critical piece of their identity. In approaching coaching as a selfless profession, they've recaptured a love of the game and the comfort of team. Their transferable skills - critical thinking, successfully collaborating in a team environment, setting and achieving lofty goals - prepared them to help others.
For these three and many former Bobcats, hockey is more than a game, and coaching is more than a job. They've embraced a lifestyle and feel rewarded. If you see them recruiting at the rink, behind the bench, or in their skates sharing their expertise, be sure to say hello.
