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Photo by: Brad Rempel
Alumni Spotlight: Kelly Pannek
11/14/2019 11:45:00 AM | Women's Hockey
Kelly Pannek is one of several Gopher women's hockey alums participating in the PWHPA this season.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Kelly Pannek is one of several Gopher women's hockey alums participating in the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) this season. Pannek caught up with GopherSports.com to share what the season has been like for her so far, reflect on her Gophers career, and more.
Gopher Sports: In your own words, what does it mean to you to be working on growing girls and women's hockey with the PWHPA this season?
Kelly Pannek: I have always been very passionate about sports and the role that they have played in my life. I believe that there is so much to be said about girls growing up playing many different sports and the confidence and life lessons that can be gained through sport specifically for young girls. Hockey has a ways to go in terms of the number of girls playing and continuing to play through high school, college and beyond, and being a part of the PWHPA this season is a way for us, as players, to push our sport in a direction professionally that will give the young girls something that isn't the Olympics that is worth dreaming of being a part of.
GS: What have your events with the PWHPA been like so far? Is there a moment that stands out for you?
KP: The PWHPA events have been cool because we are going to different places around the country and seeing so many different fans who are supporting what we are doing. Meeting Billie Jean King and listening to her vision and plan for us was incredible. Obviously she is such a pioneer of women's sports and pushing them forward, so to have her in our corner supporting and leading us helps us to be confident, patient, and persistent with what we are trying to do.
GS: What is the most rewarding thing about being part of the PWHPA?
KP: It's rewarding to know that everything we are working for isn't really for us in the immediate future. What our generation of players will see is hopefully a really solid foundation that grows over time, but we are realistic in knowing that we won't be the benefactors of this movement, especially monetarily. To me, it's emphasizing that we are trying to leave the game of hockey better than when we found it.
GS: What was the USA Hockey/Hockey Canada training camp in Pittsburgh like?
KP: The camp in Pittsburgh was intense. Going into a camp like that, knowing that you only have a few days to really pull things together before facing off against Canada twice, there has to be a lot of focus and intentionality. Any time we play Canada, whether it's a friendly or a gold medal game, we want to win. Especially this year, where in a lot of ways we have to be on the same side as the Canadians for the PWHPA, it's nice to get back to competing against them. It feels a lot more natural for us all I think.
GS: You're still playing hockey at the highest level, but what are the biggest differences in what you're doing now compared to your college hockey days? What are your short-term and long-term hockey goals?
KP: Everything I am doing now is truly my choice. With that, there is a sense of control and freedom. In college, everything is rightfully very team focused, and now that I am out of that environment, I have had to take ownership of my own growth and development so that I am ready to play every opportunity I get. With the U.S. Women's National Team, nothing is guaranteed and I want to be a part of the team for as long as I can, which means doing everything I can day in and day out to be at my best.
GS: Where has life taken you since graduation?
KP: I currently live in Uptown. A lot of my life still revolves around hockey, outside of training, I am an assistant coach with Kelsey Cline for the Bloomington Jefferson varsity girls' hockey team. I also have a part time job with a 401k advising firm called 401(k) Plan Professionals.
GS: How did college hockey help prepare you for life after college?
KP: Sports are a microcosm of life, so hockey helped prepare me for things like communicating with the same people on a daily basis and knowing how to balance so many different aspects of life. One thing I think our coaches really imprinted on us is that we aren't just hockey players, and even now when hockey is my job, it isn't who I am.
GS: What is your favorite memory of your time as a Gopher?
KP: My favorite memories are just all the times that I got to spend with my teammates. I love being in a locker room of like-minded people or stuck on a bus together or in an airport or living in a house with too many teammates to count. It's all those moments where we could've been annoyed or bored, but we decided to make things fun instead.
GS: What advice would you give your college self or the current Gophers?
KP: Stay in the moment. It's really easy to get stuck in the past, whether that is last season, last week, or yesterday. And it's way too easy to look ahead at what's to come. Every day is new opportunity and there is truly nothing like being a part of GWH, so try and soak up as much of the now as you can.
About Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA)
The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association's (PWHPA) mission is to promote, advance, and support a single, viable professional women's ice hockey league in North America that showcases the greatest product of women's professional ice hockey in the world. The organization aims to provide a united voice to players advocating for the creation of a sustainable professional league. PWHPA is working to accomplish its mission by coordinating training needs and programming opportunities during the 2019-2020 season and collaborating with like-minded organizations to make hockey more inclusive for women today and for future generations. To learn more about PWHPA and the Dream Gap tour visit www.pwhpa.com.
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Gopher Sports: In your own words, what does it mean to you to be working on growing girls and women's hockey with the PWHPA this season?
Kelly Pannek: I have always been very passionate about sports and the role that they have played in my life. I believe that there is so much to be said about girls growing up playing many different sports and the confidence and life lessons that can be gained through sport specifically for young girls. Hockey has a ways to go in terms of the number of girls playing and continuing to play through high school, college and beyond, and being a part of the PWHPA this season is a way for us, as players, to push our sport in a direction professionally that will give the young girls something that isn't the Olympics that is worth dreaming of being a part of.
GS: What have your events with the PWHPA been like so far? Is there a moment that stands out for you?
KP: The PWHPA events have been cool because we are going to different places around the country and seeing so many different fans who are supporting what we are doing. Meeting Billie Jean King and listening to her vision and plan for us was incredible. Obviously she is such a pioneer of women's sports and pushing them forward, so to have her in our corner supporting and leading us helps us to be confident, patient, and persistent with what we are trying to do.
GS: What is the most rewarding thing about being part of the PWHPA?
KP: It's rewarding to know that everything we are working for isn't really for us in the immediate future. What our generation of players will see is hopefully a really solid foundation that grows over time, but we are realistic in knowing that we won't be the benefactors of this movement, especially monetarily. To me, it's emphasizing that we are trying to leave the game of hockey better than when we found it.
GS: What was the USA Hockey/Hockey Canada training camp in Pittsburgh like?
KP: The camp in Pittsburgh was intense. Going into a camp like that, knowing that you only have a few days to really pull things together before facing off against Canada twice, there has to be a lot of focus and intentionality. Any time we play Canada, whether it's a friendly or a gold medal game, we want to win. Especially this year, where in a lot of ways we have to be on the same side as the Canadians for the PWHPA, it's nice to get back to competing against them. It feels a lot more natural for us all I think.
GS: You're still playing hockey at the highest level, but what are the biggest differences in what you're doing now compared to your college hockey days? What are your short-term and long-term hockey goals?
KP: Everything I am doing now is truly my choice. With that, there is a sense of control and freedom. In college, everything is rightfully very team focused, and now that I am out of that environment, I have had to take ownership of my own growth and development so that I am ready to play every opportunity I get. With the U.S. Women's National Team, nothing is guaranteed and I want to be a part of the team for as long as I can, which means doing everything I can day in and day out to be at my best.
GS: Where has life taken you since graduation?
KP: I currently live in Uptown. A lot of my life still revolves around hockey, outside of training, I am an assistant coach with Kelsey Cline for the Bloomington Jefferson varsity girls' hockey team. I also have a part time job with a 401k advising firm called 401(k) Plan Professionals.
GS: How did college hockey help prepare you for life after college?
KP: Sports are a microcosm of life, so hockey helped prepare me for things like communicating with the same people on a daily basis and knowing how to balance so many different aspects of life. One thing I think our coaches really imprinted on us is that we aren't just hockey players, and even now when hockey is my job, it isn't who I am.
GS: What is your favorite memory of your time as a Gopher?
KP: My favorite memories are just all the times that I got to spend with my teammates. I love being in a locker room of like-minded people or stuck on a bus together or in an airport or living in a house with too many teammates to count. It's all those moments where we could've been annoyed or bored, but we decided to make things fun instead.
GS: What advice would you give your college self or the current Gophers?
KP: Stay in the moment. It's really easy to get stuck in the past, whether that is last season, last week, or yesterday. And it's way too easy to look ahead at what's to come. Every day is new opportunity and there is truly nothing like being a part of GWH, so try and soak up as much of the now as you can.
About Professional Women's Hockey Players Association (PWHPA)
The Professional Women's Hockey Players Association's (PWHPA) mission is to promote, advance, and support a single, viable professional women's ice hockey league in North America that showcases the greatest product of women's professional ice hockey in the world. The organization aims to provide a united voice to players advocating for the creation of a sustainable professional league. PWHPA is working to accomplish its mission by coordinating training needs and programming opportunities during the 2019-2020 season and collaborating with like-minded organizations to make hockey more inclusive for women today and for future generations. To learn more about PWHPA and the Dream Gap tour visit www.pwhpa.com.
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