In consideration of what reverence means to the roller hockey team, we take it further then its denotation of having deep respect for someone or something. To us, we don’t just show respect, we live by it. We are constantly representing this storied program whether it’s in Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, New York, or where we hope to be in a few months, playing in Florida for a national championship. We take great pride in the team we play for and we make sure that we leave a good impression on and off the rink wherever the road takes us.

Beyond the rink or the hospitality that we endure during our road trips, I believe that reverence is enacted the most when we put our jerseys on in the locker room. I think I speak for everyone on our team when I share the overwhelming sense of pride that we have to wear our jerseys and represent this university. On the back of our jerseys, in the place of our names, we have the Tau cross. This symbol reminds us of our Franciscan values as we play the game we love.

Above all else, the best tangible example of reverence can be seen by the way we interact with our teammates. In fact, this program isn’t a team, we’re a family. Win or lose, momentum or slump, this family values each and every teammate, chaplain and coach.  Each one of them brings a variety of attributes to the team that speaks volumes to our individual sacredness.  Just as we hold up the members of our team as sacred, our roller hockey rink is a sacred space because it allows us to come together to offer our different talents for the game that we love.  Win or lose, the rink has created a brotherhood amongst this family that we deeply value.

Before every game, the team takes part in a pre-game prayer, which is extremely important to the NURH culture.  We don’t play for ourselves when we’re on the rink, we play for our teammates and that’s possible through God. We’re blessed to travel as a team, play as a team, and win or lose as a team. Through God’s blessings, our family grew this year as we welcomed 8 freshman and 2 assistant coaches. We have welcomed these individuals as our own family members and, have taken them under our wings and lead them by example.  We’re excited to show them what it means to play Neumann Roller Hockey and continue the storied history of this program.