Why did you start the hockey program at Sacred Heart Greenwich?

“I started the hockey program at Sacred Heart Greenwich mainly because I wanted to share my love for the sport with our community.  I have been playing hockey ever since I was in Kindergarten, so it is a huge part of my life.  When I came to Sacred Heart in eighth grade I wanted to give other students the opportunity to play this amazing sport.  On a more serious note, although I have been playing hockey for a long time, my experience with the sport was not easy, especially being female.  I slowly learned that despite ice hockey’s popularity, for girls the sport is very difficult to access.  There are fewer opportunities for girls to play as well as less of a professional network.  I thought that starting a team at Sacred Heart would be a small way I can make a difference in the women’s ice hockey community as well as offer more access to players in our community.”

What are your goals for the team this season?

“My goals for this season are to really just expose the sport to the Sacred Heart community.  I hope to have fun, productive, and encouraging practices.  In addition, I want to help new players learn the game and have more confidence on and off the ice.  Although we are still a club, I also hope to play a few scrimmages against local teams.  Another big goal for this season is to create a positive team atmosphere where girls from different grades can have time to connect and make new friendships.”

How do you hope the Sacred Heart hockey program will grow in the future?

“I have high hopes for the Sacred Heart hockey program and its future.  Although I will graduate by the time this happens, I really hope that this team will develop into a skilled and competitive hockey team.  I want us to be, like all other Sacred Heart athletic teams, a strong program in the New England region, where we are able to play competitively against boarding schools and local teams.  I think it would also be amazing to see Sacred Heart facilitate collegiate-level players in the future, offering resources and exposure.  Finally, I want to extend the program to middle school.  This is very vital to the program’s success as it allows Sacred Heart to develop players from a young age to high school.

The King Street Chronicle thanks junior Charlotte Gannon ’23 for her contributions to “Humans of Sacred Heart.”