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AREA ATHLETICS: Learning to be leaders

Hometown Hockey Heroes youth leadership program kicks off its second year under MAHA

MARSHALL – Last year, the Marshall Area Hockey Association started a program called Hometown Hockey Heroes, a leadership program that helps teach hockey players from the mini-mites level through the girls and boys high school teams how to be leaders both on and off the ice.

On Sunday evening at the Red Baron Arena and Expo, tens of players, parents and coaches all converged to kick off the second year of the program, participating in large group bonding activities and talking about setting goals.

“Our key focus areas this year are No. 1 goal setting; we’re going to set some goals for the year not just for the student-athletes but for the parents as well,” Paul Meyer, who helped lead the event, said. “The second thing is the leadership checklist; Grateful, Open-Minded, Accountable, Leadership and Service-Minded, that’s the whole theme behind what we’re doing here and that’s our acronym of GOALS.”

Last season, Marshall hockey teams participated in 13 service projects and devoted more than 700 hours to serving others in the community. Those projects included Hill Street Bingo, bell ringers at the Salvation Army, Food4Kids, Prairie Home Hospice Light Up the Night and more.

Meyer said their focus last year was about service and this year, they’re turning their focus to the acronym of GOALS.

“Our focus last year was service. We’re here to celebrate last year’s service. You guys did a phenomenal job with over 700 hours of volunteering but more importantly, we’re here to talk about this year and what we’re focusing on this year and that’s GOALS,” Meyer said. “It’s more than just hockey, you guys are leaders on and off the ice, you’re leaders in the classroom, leaders in the community and this is a life-long skill that you guys will take with you long beyond these walls here.”

Marshall hockey players then came up and shared the goals they had set for the upcoming season. Olivia Peterson, a senior on the girls team, said setting goals has helped taught her to focus on what’s important to her and hold herself and encouraged others to set goals for themselves.

“Every single one of these activities have taught me important life skills but one of most important is goal-setting. Setting goals allows me to stay on track with how I want to perform, it holds myself and others accountable and it gives me the ability to focus on what’s important,” Peterson said. “It can be as simple as using a planner to reach your daily goals or it can be setting ambitious goals for an upcoming season. I hope you take this opportunity to set reachable, yet challenging goals for something that’s important to you.”

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