Name: Amanda Abromson
Age: 21
Hometown: Braintree, MA
Year: 2015
Major: Sports Management and Communications
Occupation: Umass Special Transportation
Amanda is one of the Assistant Captains for the UMass Women’s Club Hockey Team
HC UMass: When did you first start your career in hockey?
AA: When I was about 10 years old, a bunch of my friends played, and I had gone to a couple of their games to watch. I really liked the sport just from watching. So then I decided I wanted to try out, but on that day I chickened out and didn’t go. I talked to my mom about it for the entire year, and then the next year I finally tried out. I was involved in a lot of different sports at that age, but hockey became my favorite instantly. It was also the last sport I started, and I knew it was what I wanted to play the most.
HC UMass: So you played throughout high school as well?
AA: Correct.
HC UMass: Did you decide to come to UMass specifically for hockey?
AA: Well, it’s funny, I was going to go to St. Michaels in VT to play, but when I visited the campus, I couldn’t really picture myself on that campus. I had some older friends that went to UMass, and one of my close family friends played hockey here too. So when I came to visit her, I got to hang out with the team, as a junior in high school. I absolutely fell in love with UMass after that. I also knew about how great our Sports Management program is. The coach at the time called me and told me that I had been accepted, and at that moment I was like alright I am all in. I am going to UMass. I was really excited.
HC UMass: What position do you play?
AA: I am a forward, and I play either the left or right wing.
HC UMass: And what is your title on the team?
AA: I am an Assistant Captain.
HC UMass: That is incredible. Between practicing and games, and school, what does a typical day look like for you?
AA: We have about 3 to 4 on ice practices a week, which can be Monday mornings at 7 AM, Tuesday nights we practice at 10 PM to like 11:30PM, *Laughs* so that’s always a late night. We also practice Thursday mornings at 7am, and usually Wednesday is the only day where we aren’t on the ice, so we have off-ice workouts at the gym. Our games are usually Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday, and we always play two games against that one team, so it is like a mini series almost. It is a good balance though, it keeps me on a structured schedule, but don’t get me wrong, it can be tiring with our practice schedule. Having a job too on the side can be a lot at times, but I would rather have it this way than have not enough to do in a day.
HC UMass: How do you manage the stress of such a hectic schedule?
AA: I am really close with my family, my mom especially. If I am ever having a bad day, I know I can just give her a call. She always knows what to say, but she also never sugar coats the truth, which helps me to learn. As far as personally dealing with my stress, I think hockey is my biggest stress relief. Some days, when classes are awful and we have practice at night, I can’t wait to get on the ice. On the flip side, there is no better way to start your day than on the ice. We wake up, practice, have a great time, and it keeps us awake for the rest of the day… well, *Laughs* we hit a wall around 3 pm, but it is still great.
HC UMass: It sounds like you have a pretty great support system.
AA: Definitely. I also have a ton of great friends outside of the team and from home that are always there for me when I need them. I am really lucky, I have my friends, family, and my team. My safety nets.
HC UMass: And how do you like being on a team?
AA: Oh I love it. I think it can depend on your personality, but I work better when I am on a team rather than being by myself. I find that I work better in a group not just in sports, but in my classes as well. I think it is more efficient to have a group than to be by yourself. Being on a team is unique because when you come to school as a freshman, you immediately share a common bond with these people, and it is a great way to assure lifelong friends. Even just after a few months of being on the team, we were all so close and we were like a family. I think this is especially important for the girls on our team who are from out of state. We are all truly there for each other, and whenever someone needs help, there is someone there. I feel like I have 24 sisters. It is awesome.
Amanda with her UMass Women’s Club Hockey team
HC UMass: That is amazing, it must be incredible to have such close bonds like that. You guys go through a lot, but at least you are all together.
AA: Oh yeah, *Laughs* we go through hell and back for sure. But, you know, I always hear about other teams who have some drama, which can always be an issue a lot of times for team sports, but our team has experienced very minimal amounts of drama, if any, in the four years that I have been here. It is truly special. We lucked out and have had a great group of girls each year.
HC UMass: Alright, so speaking about other teams, I hear that UMass Women’s Club is not the only team you’ve been on this past year! Tell us about your experience overseas.
AA: *Laughs* Oh yeah, that was incredible. So, I actually had no idea what this team was at first. My coach held postseason meetings after my sophomore year, and when we met he told me about the World University Games, and that they wouldn’t be until the December of my junior year. He told me that he didn’t know much about it himself, but he wanted my roommates at the time, who were also my teammates, and I to keep it on our radar. Basically, if we were chosen, we would go to Europe and play for team USA in the World University Games, so it is not the Olympics but seemed very similar to that. You have to be a college student to participate, so it is like a smaller scale Olympics but for college athletes only. I was really psyched about it when he first told us. During August, the summer before my junior year, my coach called us again and told us that he heard from the Team USA coach, and that he requested our contact information. The five of us [who were in the process of being picked] were extremely excited. I was ecstatic, because this would be the first time I would leave the country. In late August, my roommate had gotten the call, and she was in, and going, so she was really excited. Mid-September rolls around, and I still hadn’t heard anything. I was really nervous because I was wondering why my coach would have told me about this opportunity if I wasn’t going to be chosen. He later announced that 4 of my teammates were going, and I wasn’t included in that because I still hadn’t gotten my call. I was really upset, but came to terms with the fact that I wasn’t going, until the day came. I was sitting in Isenberg, and I got an email from the coach of the USA team, saying that he had been trying to get in touch with me for the past few weeks, and that he had the wrong phone number! *Laughs* I was like… Are you kidding me?! My hands started shaking and I just ran out of class, and replied with my phone number. I got a call a few minutes after, and I answered so quickly, I was all nervous but so excited. I made it, and I was so happy. I immediately called my mom, and she just started screaming. It was great.
Amanda playing for Team USA in Italy
HC UMass: Oh my gosh, just your luck! So when did you leave?
AA: I had to take all my finals early, and we left right after Thanksgiving around December 3rd. We were there for 3 weeks.
HC UMass: Who else got to come with you?
AA: I was with 4 other girls from my team here, but there were girls from all across the country within the ACHA, our league. When we first all met, none of us really knew each other at all, because we were all from different parts of the country. But, we eventually all became so close, and now I have best friends all across the league.
HC UMass: Where exactly did this tournament take place?
AA: For the first four days or so, we were in Austria, because we had 2 exhibition games against the Austrian Women’s National Team, and we won both of those games. We played on this amazing outdoor rink that was like tucked in to the mountains, it was unbelievable. We played right next to the Alps. Then, we went to Trentino, in Northern Italy, where the games began, and we spent the next two weeks there. We played around five games, against teams like Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Spain, and Russia. We ended up winning the Bronze, with Canada in first place, Russia came in second. It was the first time the US had ever won a medal in those games. That experience, with just being there, and then winning the medal on top of that, was just incredible.
HC UMass: Where do you see yourself in five to ten years?
AA: This is like the million dollar question. *Laughs* Well, maybe immediately after graduation, I’d love to play abroad for a few years. I don’t think I want to plan to start a career right after graduation. Hopefully when I do start my career, it will incorporate sports and hockey. I love kids, so I definitely plan to coach on the side throughout my life. There is this organization in Philadelphia called Snider Hockey that helps inner city kids through hockey. They take the kids in and between the coaches and their peers, it is a good place for kids to enrich their lives through hockey. I have had my eye on something like that. I would love to work with children, while incorporating hockey as well.
HC UMass: What is the number one lesson that hockey has taught you?
AA: Definitely selflessness. When you are on a team of 24 girls, who all count on you and need you, you tend to forget about your own personal issues and problems. It reminds me of the quote “The whole is greater than the sum of all parts.” We all need each other to succeed, so we all contribute to the bigger picture. Each person is important. Also, I have really learned to put others before myself. That is crucial, because some days you will need help from others, and the next day they will need help from you.
Amanda wished to dedicate a portion of this article to thank the Coaching Staff, her fellow Officers, and Captains for all they do for the UMass Women’s Club Hockey Team. In addition, she’d like to thank her friends and family, for their continued support. Also, she would like to thank her high school coach Kevin Burchill at Braintree High School for being a great coach and mentor.