I was looking at the women’s college hockey results from last night and I saw that my beloved Dartmouth Big Green lost to our arch rivals the Harvard Crimson. It’s been 6 years since I graduated and I still hate it when we lose to them.

Harvard was our greatest rival. They handed us the worst defeat we had in the four years I was there (an 8-1 loss) and we had our greatest victory against them (ended their undefeated streak on a night when they raised their national championship banner to the rafters).

Our games against them were always the hardest ones of the season. Those games were the best to win and the absolute worst to lose. Playing them was our biggest challenge and beating them was our greatest reward.

That’s because in order to beat them we had to be our best for all 60 minutes. If we just let down one bit, we gave them the opportunity to defeat us.

It required 100% focus and 100% confidence from every member of the team to know that once we stepped out on the ice, we would be the better team that day. The games where we had that focus and confidence were the games we won. The ones where we questioned ourselves even one bit, were the games that left a bitter taste in our mouths.

Who are your biggest rivals? Are they your least favorite team to play against or your favorite? Is it because they challenge you to play a different style of game? Or is it because they force you to be the best?

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim