Harvard 2022-23: What's Up?

[Scott_TG]

Harvard announces an incoming class of six

https://gocrimson.com/news/2023/6/19...s-of-2027.aspx

[Timothy A]

Harvard announces an incoming class of six

https://gocrimson.com/news/2023/6/19...s-of-2027.aspx

With no coach? Lol

[thirdtime's . . .]

Harvard announces an incoming class of six

https://gocrimson.com/news/2023/6/19...s-of-2027.aspx

My annual request for intel on the recruits. Anyone? Anything? Probably not, other than they've got to be pretty stalwart.

Btw, the latest from the AD's office is that HWH is going with player-coaches this year. They'll be alternating shifts on the bench. Details TBA later.

[BowWowWow]

My annual request for intel on the recruits. Anyone? Anything? Probably not, other than they've got to be pretty stalwart.

Well, here's an article with reports on two of the Harvard recruits. The "scouting report" is glowing about Brooke Manning and positive about Maria Pape.

[Prowler]

Btw, the latest from the AD's office is that HWH is going with player-coaches this year. They'll be alternating shifts on the bench. Details TBA later.

you have to be kidding?

[thirdtime's . . .]

you have to be kidding?

you have to be kidding?

BowWowWow, thanks. I'll take what the NZ scouts are selling with Manning and Pape: one "firecracker player" and one who "can be a bit irritating to play against." Love it.

[Skate79]

For those of you who might have missed this, here is the text from a recent email sent out by Erin McDermott.

"Dear Harvard Athletics Community,
I am writing to inform you of upcoming changes within the Athletics Department for the 2023-2024 Academic Year. We are committed to strengthening our community and enhancing the experience and growth of our student-athletes. As these initiatives directly impact members of the entire athletics community, I outline them here.

As you know, Jenner & Block recently completed a thorough independent review of the facts and circumstances underlying a series of public reports concerning the safety and well-being of student-athletes and others affiliated with Harvard University’s women’s ice hockey program. In the wake of these allegations and now that the review has concluded, I want to share with you some critical observations.

Our current women’s ice hockey team has not fostered a culture of hazing. However, it is clear that some traditions in recent years were experienced differently by different people and not all were comfortable with those activities or with expressing concerns relating to the program. We now have an opportunity to end team traditions that are harmful to team culture and inconsistent with our community norms.

In addition, there is an opportunity for the Athletics Department to lead and foster a culture that reflects our values of mutual respect, support of one another, transparency in our processes and procedures, and a focus on the safety and dignity of our student-athletes. Our department’s procedures and communications with student-athletes have led to confusion and frustration among members of our community, and there are areas where we must improve. As a result, I have determined to prioritize the following initiatives:

• The Athletics Department, with support from the College, will instruct student-athletes and all administrative and coaching staff annually on reporting conduct that is inconsistent with Harvard’s community standards. This will include whom to speak about concerns without fear of retribution or reprisal, and how concerns are adjudicated and resolved, both within Harvard Athletics and in the College. This information will be included in all online Athletics resources for the 2023-2024 academic year, and it will align with policies and procedures described in the Harvard College Student Handbook.

• The Athletics Department will provide clear instructions to student-athletes for accessing mental wellness support resources and other faculty resources to help them in balancing their challenging academic schedules and their commitments to athletics. Supporting our student-athlete's mental wellness is a priority for our department.

The changes that we are undertaking to accomplish these initiatives will underscore and support our values, which are more important than ever. We, I, must do more to ensure that every student-athlete feels supported in this community.

In addition to the new Athletics Department initiatives described above, Harvard Athletics and Harvard College will pilot a leadership academy program to provide enhanced pedagogical opportunities for students who hold leadership roles across the College. Student leaders will learn how to lead in a way that promotes positive cultural norms, is centered in our core values, and helps them to navigate challenging situations and difficult conversations. This program will support our collective focus on updating team traditions to align with our values, and will help us move forward positively as a community. Athletics will work in partnership with the College to develop the programming for the 2023-2024 academic year and further details will be announced in the fall.

I am proud to stand among you in this incredible community, and I look forward to engaging in this work and implementing these positive changes. I am appreciative of our great partners on and off campus, who will support us and help us achieve these aims.


One Crimson!

Erin"

Take note of the third paragraph where she states there was no culture of hazing. Unbelievable. It's as if nothing happened and they are simply trying to sweep it all under the rug. One Crimson indeed.

[AlwaysCold2]

Wow....

[Vintagejersey]

A ton of words without any real substance

[vicb]

For those of you who might have missed this, here is the text from a recent email sent out by Erin McDermott.

"Dear Harvard Athletics Community,
.......Harvard Athletics and Harvard College will pilot a leadership academy program to provide enhanced pedagogical opportunities for students

pedagogical - adjective. : of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education

The words I never knew existed I find out on USCHO. I wonder if that one was used in any of the National Spelling Bee Contests. Now students, who can come up with a sentence using this word as it relates to Hockey.

"The pedagogical Katey Stone and her methods proved to be her downfall."

[robertearle]

My annual request for intel on the recruits. Anyone? Anything? Probably not, other than they've got to be pretty stalwart.

Btw, the latest from the AD's office is that HWH is going with player-coaches this year. They'll be alternating shifts on the bench. Details TBA later.

My senior year in high school (a small Catholic school, 500-600 total students), we essentially didn't have a cross country coach (greatly different in a number of ways, to be sure). The former basketball/CC coach had taken a job as the basketball coach at a local college, and they just never managed to find a replacement for CC. There was one of the retired Brothers who went to the meets to sign whatever paperwork there was, but he didn't even try to do anything else in terms of 'coaching'; we 'coached' ourselves, set up workout schedules and mileage 'loads' etc, decided who would race varsity vs JV in a given meet, etc. And we did OK. It's kind of amazing to think about now, but at the time, we just rolled with the punches, didn't really complain.

[Watson Rink]

robertearle wrote:

"My senior year in high school (a small Catholic school, 500-600 total students), we essentially didn't have a cross country coach (greatly different in a number of ways, to be sure). The former basketball/CC coach had taken a job as the basketball coach at a local college, and they just never managed to find a replacement for CC. There was one of the retired Brothers who went to the meets to sign whatever paperwork there was, but he didn't even try to do anything else in terms of 'coaching'; we 'coached' ourselves, set up workout schedules and mileage 'loads' etc, decided who would race varsity vs JV in a given meet, etc. And we did OK. It's kind of amazing to think about now, but at the time, we just rolled with the punches, didn't really complain."

What a powerful subject that would make for a college application essay!

[Watson Rink]

Do I recall that Teddy Donato was hired by the Bruins in his 13th season to be a sort of player/assistant coach in Providence, only to prove to be too valuable on the varsity PP and PK to be sent down?

[thirdtime's . . .]

Take note of the third paragraph where she states there was no culture of hazing. Unbelievable. It's as if nothing happened and they are simply trying to sweep it all under the rug.

I actually find this statement to be a pretty strong, non-rug sweeping condemnation of Stone’s practices, the AD’s ineptness notwithstanding. McDermott’s primary blunder here is in even mentioning the legally toxic word "hazing," because it just calls to mind the non-distinction between it and the “team traditions that are harmful to team culture and inconsistent with our community norms.” I also wouldn’t dismiss the rest as pedagogical boilerplate because of who it’s coming from. On its face it suggests a reexamination of athletic culture at Harvard and procedures to forestall any recurrence of the failures demonstrated by HWH. Even Harvard cannot afford to fall down again in the age of university NIL (Interesting to note McD’s own mea culpa: “We, I, must do more to support . . .” How could she not slap her own wrist, though it should have been harder and with a bit more candor. I still hope she’s posted her CV on Indeed.)

Stone’s engineered departure and now this look at all we’re going to get of Jenner & Block’s work means that the way has been cleared for the announcement of a new head coach. And no, if it is a woman, I don’t think she’ll be an undergraduate!

[Lindsay]

I don’t understand the pedagogy paragraph. It seemed irrelevant to the overall topic of Jenner’s findings. Who cares about a new leadership program they are introducing for the students? It made me wonder if this was their way of saying they’d have a player coach? But I still question that they would do that, I think it could be argued as retaliation, not to mention just not putting your team in a position to succeed.

I can appreciate that Harvard is small and insular…. I want to say Julie Chu would be a great hire but perhaps insiders would feel differently. Whether people like it or not there will be some meeting in the middle here. Stone has retired, but they are not burning things to the ground (unless they go with a player coach, which is absurd and insulting to the other 41 ish div 1 coaches in the country imo).