Jérémie Forget and Matt Kellenberger 

In episode six of Earning Our Stripes I spoke with my friends and members of Princeton Hockey; Jérémie Forget and Matt Kellenberger. This episode was sooo much fun to record. We discussed their time at Princeton and how hockey has informed much of their college experience. I am very excited for you to hear about their passion and love for the sport, get listening!

What We Talked About and Why it Matters

My discussion with Matt and Jeremie was very different from the previous conversation with Christian. Jeremie informs me that over the course of his Princeton career when he has been presented with the choice between prioritising athletics or academics he has consistently chosen to prioritise Hockey. This is an unabashed statement that I think bears a lot of weight in the context of the sheer amount of academic work that Princeton students must complete in order to graduate. This is in no way a compliant about the paths we take to graduate, it is simple recognition of the fact that in order to be in prime athletic condition there may have to be sacrifices made in other areas due to the sheer time demands of succeeding to the highest degree in both. It is worth examining the relationship between the student athlete and the sport as it shifts over time, and sport evolves away from pastime, to passion, to college athlete status, and finally to a career path. The relationship between athlete and sport will change over this time. It can often feel taboo to suggest that it is fair for a student athlete to prioritise their sport, however, the sheer amount of time poured into training and maintaining eligibility in your sport can be translated into a future career in just the same way that obtaining a degree in economics can prepare you for working at a bank.

Looking at Hockey specifically the dimensions of amateurism and the ways in which prospective hockey players understand how to maintain their eligibility is different from many other sports. Matt and Jeremie explained how Hockey players will often play in junior leagues before being recruited to college, meaning that understanding what courses of action in relation to out of college play could impinge on being able to play in college. Having to wrestle between the decision to join a team at a semi-pro level or whether to go to college is interesting as it is further evidence of the power of the NCAA to influence people and their decisions even before they have agreed to be compliant with its rules.