Men's Hockey 10.20.17

Chatham University Men’s Ice Hockey Fall Review

PITTSBURGH, PA. - OCTOBER 20TH, 2017 -- Chatham University Men's Ice Hockey has officially entered its inaugural season! As we look forward to Saturday's Purple-White scrimmage we felt compelled to update you on the many great things our players have participated in this past fall. A particular area of focus was building leadership skills with the young group.

We had two working lunches regarding supporting Futures Without Violence's Coaching Boys into Men program. The program discusses respect, integrity, and nonviolence, particularly in regards to women and children. We not only wanted to empower our men, but help them serve as leaders in the community to shortcut any misbehavior by others.

Chatham University's own Career Development office met with our team for another two working lunches. The office did a terrific job engaging our student-athletes about developing leadership skills and how their involvement as a student-athlete may be construed as developing certain specific abilities in their future career. This includes dedication, time management, communication, overcoming adversity, and leading in group settings. They also discussed developing an individual's personal brand, building a personal career network, and pursuing internship and career opportunities.

Sergeant First Class Russell Miller and Staff Sergeant James Everly who are US Army Active, Reserve, and ROTC recruiters out of Monroeville, Pennsylvania came over to host two team building activity mornings. Our guys enjoyed playing minefield and tug of war, amidst other activities that were both physically and mentally tiring. They provided another avenue to overcome adversity and allow our student-athletes to step up as leaders within small groups to develop.

Additionally, we had a terrific team meeting regarding setting up an initial team culture. Each student-athlete was assigned a book over the summer as an individual. Book topics varied from hockey player biographies, multiple sport coaches' biographies, sport learning models, sport psychology, organizational management, leadership, and emotional control. We were very pleased from the output of the group discussion where every individual presented three positives from their readings as well as anything they wanted to see illustrated in our program.

Finally, but not last, we are most proud of our student-athletes' efforts in the local community. A total of 50 hours were spent by individuals working with the Esmark U12 Stars Team, Esmark U14 Stars team, UPMC Lemieux Penguins Learn to Skate, Steel City Icebergs, and a Chatham Cougars Open Youth Skills Clinic. We put in 72 hours as a group to help clean up trash, weeds, stickers, and graffiti along Pittsburgh's Strip District in a coordinated effort with Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership and Block by Block. For Chatham's support of Make a Difference Day, our men put in 105 hours spread across events in coordination with Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers in Homewood; Off the Floor Pittsburgh; and Produce to the People in Homewood.

On Saturday, October 21^st, at 7:20 PM the Chatham Cougars' Men's Ice Hockey team will have a Purple-White Intrasquad Scrimmage at the home Frozen Pond Arena. The Cougar icers will be on the road following the weekend for games at Neumann University, Stevenson University, Buffalo State, and SUNY Fredonia. The first official home game will be at 7:40 PM, November 17th at the Frozen Pond Arena versus Nazareth College. The Utica College Pioneers come to town on Saturday, November 18^th for a 7:20 PM. Before heading home for Thanksgiving break, the Cougars will host a food drive night whereby three non-perishable food items will be accepted in lieu of the admission price for the Tuesday, November 21^st game versus SUNY Morrisville at Frozen Pond Aren

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