The 2023 Senior Perspectives is the 18th in a series of annual collections. Senior captains and representatives of teams at Harvard have been invited to contribute viewpoints based on personal experience from both their senior seasons and full varsity careers at Harvard.
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Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Sport: Women's Ice Hockey
Concentration: History and Literature
House: Quincy
For the past couple of days I've been thinking about what Harvard Hockey has meant to me and I think it can best be summed up in three lessons I have learned throughout my years. I believe these lessons encapsulate the most important parts of my experience during my time wearing a crimson jersey.
The first lesson that I learned was to never sell myself or my teammates short and to recognize that there's often more in the tank than we first realize. My teammates pushed me to compete harder, to give more, to recognize that this game and this experience is not about me. It's about us. This meant that I needed to embrace the times when my teammates were calling me higher; I eventually realized that they were making me better and recognizing the potential within me that I hadn't recognized myself.
The second lesson is that hockey is simply a fun game and should never stop being so. When we won the Beanpot in 2022, I got the opportunity to experience child-like joy when I threw my helmet and gloves off at the end of the game. It reminded me of playing street hockey in my driveway in Chicago or mini sticks in my basement. I hope that every girl who plays here has the chance to throw off their helmet and gloves at some point.
The third lesson I learned was that what I choose in the small decisions will dictate what I choose in the big ones. Whatever happens – whether you get scored on or you score on your opponent – you line back up at the face-off dot. My time playing Harvard Hockey has taught me that when things are going my way, I need to keep showing up and even when things aren't, I still need to keep showing up.
I am forever grateful for my time in a Harvard jersey. Playing hockey at this school has instilled virtue within me; it has developed me as a player, person and leader, has prepared me for life beyond college and has helped inspire me to pursue greatness.
Thank you, Harvard.
1547,
Anne
