Reverence is the first value of our RISES values that Neumann has implemented into our culture as guides for us to live by along our journey. Reverence, as defined by the Neumann Women’s Ice Hockey team, is another word for showing someone respect, appreciating each individual for who they are, and creating a compassionate community.
Everyone deserves respect because each of us is considered sacred due to being blessed by God with all of the different qualities and talents that make us who we are. From our Team Chaplain, to our coaches and to our teammates, we all bring something to this team that is valued and appreciated. Each player on the team is sacred in their own way. The position of goalie is seen as a special one in hockey. As a goaltender, the position is viewed as sacred because the team relies on their goalie to have their back when mistakes occur. The only time it’s seen as “ok” to get a little rough during the game is if the opponent hits your goalie first. The team protects their goalie because the goalie is the last line of defense against a puck trying to cross the goal line.
The women’s ice hockey team shows reverence by respecting the university that we all take pride in attending. This is shown by no one ever stepping on the knight head logo in the middle of the locker room and never letting your game jersey hit the ground. Our ice rink is sacred to us because once you hit the ice, nothing else matters. All your stress from class or relationships or jobs just goes away, and all you have to worry about is playing the sport you love with your teammates.
On the other hand, we also show reverence towards are opponents by giving our all when playing them and knowing that they deserve to face the best team they can that night. We do this by showing up to practice on time, even 6am Tuesday morning practices, and by working hard in practice, even though a drill may not pertain to our positions. In addition, we show reverence to the on ice and off ice officials by understanding that they are human too and are trying their bests to officiate the game fairly. We know that even if they miss a penalty that screaming at them will not help and will only hurt the team. We can look through a different lens when we receive a call we don’t like and learn what the ref is looking for to get the call next time. The most important reason to show the official reverence is because without them we don’t get to play the sport we love. We are blessed to play 100 games from freshman year to senior year to show all the hard work we have put into this sport our entire lives, but those games loss meaning if we don’t realize and reflect on the moments that we have.