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Meg Simon: Middlebury’s Hockey Humanitarian · Rinkside Rundown

• Speaker 2: Watching my dad use his platform as a professional athlete showed me the impact that you can have as an athlete. I never really saw my role as a hockey player to be solely a hockey player. I always saw it as being someone who's being a force for good in the communities that we lived and learned. Speaker 1: you Hello and welcome back to Rinkside Rundown, the podcast that brings you Inside the World of Women's Hockey, one story at a time. I'm your host, Chris Sinclair, and today I'm joined by Meg Simon, a native of East Grand Rapids, Michigan and forward at Middlebury College. Meg, welcome to the show. How you doing? Speaker 2: Hi Chris, thanks so much for having me. This is so neat. I've never gotten the chance to be a part of a podcast, so I'm really excited. Speaker 1: ⁓ boy. Well, now I'm even more excited to connect with you and to learn more about you and your story because it's really, really cool. ⁓ But we have to start at the beginning. So let's do that. Let's go all the way back to the beginning of your story. As I mentioned, grew up in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, a state well known for hockey. ⁓ That's for sure. And it's a part of the culture there. It's a part of the vibrancy of that state for sure. How did hockey first find you or how did you first find hockey? Speaker 2: Yeah, I would say that hockey found me for sure. ⁓ I was kind of born into the game, ⁓ was fortunate to grow up around the game. We moved about 50 times from my dad's career in professional hockey. So I was kind of born on skates. I was four days old at my first NHL game and my sister and I were fortunate to have grown up around, you know, the locker room and a team culture. We learned pretty quickly that, successful teams are made of dedicated individuals all working together. you know, I watched from a pretty young age, my dad ⁓ compete and, you know, all those intangible qualities ⁓ were shining through him. And he taught, you know, my sister and I from a very young age, you know, qualities like work ethic and ⁓ drive to win. Speaker 1: Did you ever, was there ever, I know that you said that hockey found you, but was there ever a pressure maybe to follow in your dance footsteps or anything? Speaker 2: No, I wouldn't say there's a pressure at all. My parents really wanted us to find what our passion was. ⁓ And thankfully, mine was hockey for sure. I think my sister and I are definitely competitive people. But we grew up around that type of environment, I'd say. so ⁓ never really a pressure, but kind of, think, icing on the cake for my parents, for sure. Speaker 1: Yeah, I'm sure it works out there like ⁓ thank goodness they fall they're gonna follow in our footsteps. That's great ⁓ So as I mentioned Michigan hockey kind of go hand in hand it feels like ⁓ What was that environment like for you growing up in a state that is so passionate Among other things but hockey is certainly one of the things that they are very passionate about in Michigan. What was that like for you? Speaker 2: Well, I think it was really neat to grow up in Michigan. We moved there when I was in sixth grade, so I can't say that we've lived there my entire life, but ⁓ getting to play for girls hockey at that age, you know, not a lot of people have access to a girls team ⁓ that young. so, you know, being able to play with the girls, was neat seeing how a lot of people in Michigan really care about the game, but also about each other. ⁓ So I think that I was constantly being pushed to be better. And at the same time, I had that perspective from my family that it wasn't just really about performance, but it was about how you cared yourself and how you treated others. Speaker 1: What a foundation you were given, ⁓ just like away from the ice that translated so well to ⁓ your skill set on the ice. That's incredible that such a young age you were learning all these. I'm sure that at the moment you weren't necessarily recognizing that you were learning these valuable lessons, but certainly have paid off. You had mentioned your junior career, ⁓ Griffin's, maybe could you just talk about that period of time for you and... and what it meant for you, what it taught you both on and off the ice. Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, ⁓ you know, one of the questions that we had maybe talked about was my playing career growing up. And I was fortunate to have played for Fox Motors in sixth grade and then played for the Grand Rapids Amateur Hockey Association, which is known as Graha or the Griffins ⁓ for the years following that. ⁓ And then actually played for my boys varsity team in high school my senior year. So kind of got a taste of all the different buckets in West Michigan, which was really neat. But I think that each year was pretty pretty huge in my development as a player and as a person. think I really started to understand the game beyond just playing, especially when you're approaching that sixth grade age, you start to learn how to think the game and how to compete every shift and how to stay consistent. I think that I really did grow the most in my confidence and my understanding of what it takes to contribute to a team in those years growing up in West Michigan. Speaker 1: So you've mentioned the fact that you have had the opportunity to play on both girls and boys teams. What did that teach you about the kind of player that you wanted to be and the skills that you learned during that period as well? Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that really I was tested in all realms, whether it was boys or girls hockey. ⁓ The boys, you know, gave me a little, I'd say I became a little bit tougher with the boys for sure. And that translated to my game in college now. But like I said, I feel like every year was ⁓ very huge for my development growing up. You know, playing with girls, you learn, you know, how to play a different style of game and, you know, to bring that to a different team or to a different gender of team. think that it's really important to learn different styles of games and how to play and maximize each shift, whether that's playing with the boys or the girls. Speaker 1: Was there a moment when in your junior career at some point when you said to yourself, know what, like, this is something I want to pursue. Like this is more than just, Hey, I'm having fun with my teammates, with my friends. Of course, that's always a big part of it. But was there a moment for you where you're like, yeah, like I might just want to do this thing. Speaker 2: I don't think that there really was a specific moment. It was more kind of a gradual realization or something that felt almost natural to me. The more that we invested in the game and the more I started to love it, the more I think I wanted to see how far I could really take it and how far I could go with it. And I'm really grateful to my parents who kept pushing me to try it and tried all other sports too. I mean, played tennis and golf in high school and I probably too many sports when I was younger. I think it's really important to find what really makes you tick and what makes you want to get up in the morning and go compete and play with your friends and teammates. Speaker 1: that's hockey and that has, boy, has that paid off for you so far. So that's great. Of course, as I mentioned off the top, Middlebury College, let's start by talking about what made that feel like the right fit for you, that right next step from your junior to your collegiate. Speaker 2: career. Yeah, like I said, I felt like being a part of a team was something that I really couldn't give up. mean, I'm getting the chills right now thinking of the teams that I've been a part of and the teams that, you know, at that time, I really aspired to be on. ⁓ I felt like being a part of being a part of a team was something that was, again, so natural to ⁓ my life and something that I really couldn't imagine my life without. And so ⁓ When, you know, starting to look at colleges, ⁓ I had dreams to be a Notre Dame Golden Domer. And, you know, when I realized that that team or that program didn't have a women's hockey team, you know, I kind of had to reluctantly look somewhere else because, you know, I really, couldn't lose that part of myself that wanted to be on a team and contributing to something bigger than myself. And so, ⁓ Middlebury offered me, ⁓ you know, it was a place where I could play my sports ⁓ and play, you know, at a quality academic institution. And those were two things that really did stand out to me. I felt like I was going to be pushed the most ⁓ academically, athletically, and socially. So it really did align with what I was looking for as a player and as a person. ⁓ Kind of a funny story though. I emailed, I was emailing with the coaching staff for the hockey team and They had emailed back and said, actually filled our recruiting year for your class. I think it my mom that called that day. I was pretty bummed out and thinking that maybe that road, the door was closed with that road. And my mom called me that day and said, I think you might be able to play for their golf team. And so I called the coaching staff and I looked at... you know, the golf coach and tried to email that golf coach. And it was kind of neat because it, know, how that your email can kind of pre-populate. And so when I typed the subject line, I realized that the golf coach was actually the hockey coach. And so, I, know, I came to Middlebury really as a golfer with the chance to walk the hockey team. And so I really did, ⁓ bet on myself and, you know, take a leap of faith and lucky for me, it did work out. Speaker 1: See, and I'm so glad that you mentioned that because when I was preparing for this conversation, that was an aspect of your story that I found to be really interesting was that, ⁓ well, as you said, it wasn't the, it wasn't necessarily the path that you would have expected. And it certainly isn't the path that everyone else ends up taking, but it's worked out, ⁓ for you as well. What did it, how important you've mentioned this a few times throughout the conversation about being a multi-sport athlete. And in this case, being a multi-sport athlete in your junior career or earlier in your years certainly helped to get you into where you are now. What did that mean to you? What did that do for your development as well to be able to play so many different sports and divest yourself and not necessarily narrow your focus as many people do early in their careers as they focus on, know, this is, I'm going to do, I'm going to play hockey. That's it. But for you, you made it a persistent thing to continue always with multiple sports being a part of your life. did, how has that helped with your development and, and, and get you to where you are now? Speaker 2: Yeah, truthfully, I'm a pretty busy bee and I can't sit still. so ⁓ anytime that I can do something new, I'm always pouncing on that opportunity. And so ⁓ when I kind of had the realization that I could play both sports, it seemed literally perfect. You know, obviously it was a leap of faith and I didn't know if I had made the hockey team at that point, but just the idea of if it all worked out, it was going to be almost like a natural progression of high school playing, you know, different sports. You know, it's a reset in a way when you're done with one season and can hop on to the next. It's a nice way to, you know, get your mind off of the last season and, you know, get going on a new challenge or a new, you know, mountain to climb. Speaker 1: When you reflect on your career at Middlebury at this point, how would you say you've grown? How would you say you've grown both as a player, of course, but away from the ice? How has your time at Middlebury impacted you both on and off the ice? Speaker 2: I think ⁓ I am forever in debt to Coach Bill for taking a chance on me. A kid from Michigan who I don't think he had ever seen me play, I guess through video. so, you know, taking a chance on a kid that you don't really know. I really feel so incredibly fortunate to have been able to call Middlebury home the past four years. think that Middlebury is such a special place in the way it's a really tiny town. The town of Middlebury is quite small and So the people that you see on a daily basis are people that are familiar faces and they become familiar faces, which is really neat. the, you know, one of our fans who sits behind the bench at our hockey games, she grabs, she bags our groceries at the grocery store. She goes to special Olympics basketball. You see her in town walking through campus. So it's pretty neat to build these relationships. And I think that that's something that. we are lucky to get as student athletes at Middlebury College, being able to have a part in the community. you know, just Division III as a whole, it's pretty neat to have a role in the community as well or be able to have a role in the community as well as being a student and an athlete. I feel, again, so fortunate to have spent the last four years in Vermont, kind of a random place, I guess, for a girl from Michigan and it's been really neat and really neat to explore a different part of the country and different people on the East Coast. I think I've learned a lot about myself and my character. It's been a really fun four years. Definitely interesting to have grown and shaped my personality too over the past four years. I had a tough time my freshman year, I struggled through homesickness and being so far away from home. But ⁓ one of the things that's really neat again about Middlebury is that those people that you see on a daily basis, you see, you know, day in and day out. And so over time, it starts to become like home really. Speaker 1: Well, you had mentioned community, and I think that's a perfect segue into talking about something that is quite clearly important to you. And that's your community work and being involved in the community. Where does that come from? Is that something that's always been kind of innately in you? Another one of those foundational skills instilled in you? by your parents or was that something that maybe was also encouraged in your time at Metalbird? Speaker 2: For sure. think both, for sure. I think it definitely starts with my family watching my dad use his platform as a professional athlete showed me the impact that you can have as an athlete. never really saw my role as a hockey player to be solely a hockey player. I always saw it as being someone who's being a force for good in the communities that we lived and learned. And that was reinforced by my mom anytime that there was a chance to. volunteer she would take my sister and me, you know, to give back. I think that that's, you know, something that I hope to instill in my children. And, you know, those values really carried with me to Middlebury and made community work something that I really do care about, you know, being able to skate with little kids. you know, I remember when I was a little kid having one of my dad's players when he turned to be a pro coach, having his players, you know, skate with me on the big ice and, you know, I had dreams of being a player just like them as they skated with me. And I hope to do the same with other little kids, whether that's in Middlebury or beyond. ⁓ When you can take, there's a little boy that I get to skate with every once in a while. you kind of just see, you kind of get to step back and reflect on why you love the game and you see their love for the game and definitely reignites a passion to being able to. kind of live out hockey through little kids or getting to go into different classrooms. I remember my dad's players reading to my classmates and me. I saw hockey players to be good people and so that's always what I really wanted to do was I wanted to be a hockey player but I also wanted to be a good person. Speaker 1: And how have you found that balance of being able to make sure that, you know, you're among other things, of course, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fact that you are also a scholar. But how do you, how have you found that balance between all of the things that you're so good at and are so passionate about that being academics, that being of course, hockey, golf. ⁓ sports, we'll call them sports, your athletics, as well as the community work. How have you found that balance and what has that shown you about yourself and being able to find that balance and to be able to be successful in all areas? Speaker 2: Yeah, it definitely takes balance and time management. mean, every single minute of my day is accounted for. mean, my notes app is filled with my schedule for the day. ⁓ You know, I think that playing multiple sports has been great. know, golf gives me a different kind of challenge and also a little mental and physical reset from hockey. But, you know, I think it really does come down to prioritizing and staying grounded in what matters. I've always believed that if you believe, you know, if you, if something really matters to you, then you make the time for it. And so the values I grew up with really helped guide that balance. And, you know, it's not always easy really. In fact, sometimes it's really difficult being out of season with one team and in season with another and trying to, you know, balance friend groups and, you know, trying to, you know, show that you're dedicated to both teams. I think that, you know, it's not always easy, but when you care about all those things, you do find a way to make it work. And again, lucky for me, it has worked out. Speaker 1: Yes. And when we talk about community, ⁓ we need to talk about the fact that you have been named as a finalist for the hockey humanitarian award. What is that? I'm not going to beat around the bush. Let's get right to it. What is that recognition mean to you? Speaker 2: Yeah, it's such a special, special, special, special honor that I really don't take lightly. ⁓ It's, mean, reading what those nominees and finalists have done ⁓ in their communities and at their schools is, ⁓ it's humbling, it's amazing what these hockey players are doing with the platform that they've earned, really. And so, you know, I think that it's really a testament to my teammates and the work that we get to do together in our community of the town of Middlebury. I take great pride in our positive impact that we've had in our community, but also that we're representing Middlebury athletics in the right way. Speaker 1: ⁓ In reading those stories, yours is also just as profound as everyone else's. So I don't want you to undersell yourself because you are just as deserving to be a part of that conversation. Thank you. Of course. As we look towards sort of what's next and what could be next, I do also want to look at maybe the bigger picture too, especially when it comes to the sport of women's hockey. Of course, we've seen it grow. We continue to see record attendance. We continue to see record enthusiasm. That's for sure. Coverage of ⁓ events as well, which is incredible, especially up here in Canada, being able to watch a lot of the American tournaments. That was just not something that we could do before where we didn't have that same access to before. So we can see it's growing. There's a big impact, of course. What does that growth mean to you as you sit there, as you're in it, you're seeing this growth, you're seeing this enthusiasm, this passion, a lot of the time firsthand? What does that growth mean to you? Speaker 2: Yeah, it's really special and again, so neat to see. ⁓ You know, there's more visibility, there's more opportunity, and there's more support than I feel has ever been before. And even at the Division 3 level, you can feel that momentum. I think the game and, you know, the parodies amongst the leagues has become so tight. ⁓ I think that that is, you know, truly what happens when ⁓ there's a lot more attention towards women's sports and women's hockey. ⁓ It's pretty neat to witness and kind of be in the thick of it right now during a neat time for the sport and for women's athletics. Speaker 1: And when you think about back home, which doesn't currently have a PWHL team, doesn't have a division one program, what do you think, especially as we, in the context of this excitement, this enthusiasm, this passion behind women's hockey, which has always been there, just needed the spotlight. So finally it's getting that for the record. What do you think, what do you think having those programs would do for places like Michigan? Speaker 2: I think it'd be huge ⁓ growing up there, having something to look up to like that, whether it's a PWHL team or a collegiate team. think that'd make a really big difference for young players. I know that the club teams at Michigan State and Michigan do a great job. I think that it would be pretty incredible to see a varsity sport ⁓ in the state of Michigan. It would have made definitely a difference in my path, but... I'm really grateful for the path that I've had and been able to take getting to explore the East Coast. But I definitely think that ⁓ hopefully it's almost time here that Michigan gets a Division I or Division III program. I think it'd be really neat. That's, know, Adrian's done a great job too with their Division III program. I guess I'm more talking about Michigan, Michigan State, the Western, ⁓ those schools. Speaker 1: You have built something really impactful in your time at Middlebury, both ⁓ on the ice, but away from the ice in your community as well. When you think about what's next for you, what is next for you and how excited are you for what could be next for Meg Simon? Speaker 2: I don't really know what's next, truthfully. ⁓ Just trying to take it day by day and when each day as they come. I think ⁓ I have hopes of getting my master's at the University of Notre Dame. Like I had mentioned to you, that was always my dream to go to Notre Dame. so ⁓ I think that that hopefully is in the cards. I guess we'll see. And then I guess I'd delay that question for another year. ⁓ think that I look forward... ⁓ go ahead. Speaker 1: No, I was just going to say so that what would it mean for you? Sorry, I rudely interrupted you, but what would it mean for you to be able to fulfill that dream as well? To be able to go to Notre Dame, to be able to cross that? I mean, I say cross it off the list like it's nothing, but it's obviously really important. like that profound, ⁓ that profound moment for you as well, what would that mean for your journey when it was one more thing that you were able to accomplish off your, I guess your notes app? Speaker 2: Yeah, I think that would be really, really special. ⁓ One thing that I hadn't mentioned is that's where my parents had met. My mom played golf there and my dad played hockey. So that's where they'd met. And my sister's a swimmer there right now. She's a freshman on the swim team. So to be able to share ⁓ that with her, really does make my heart pretty happy. ⁓ so I guess we'll see. But nonetheless, I think that I've learned the importance of giving back and being a person in the community. So wherever I do go, think that those lessons have shaped me and I look forward to whatever community is next, trying to make an impact in a positive manner. Speaker 1: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Wow. There's no doubt in my mind that you will. Whether it's on the ice, whether it's in the community, you absolutely will. ⁓ We are now, we have arrived at the final buzzer segment of the show, which is a fun way to wrap up this conversation. I always say that I will do my best not to ask a single follow-up question because this is supposed to be rapid fire. But with that in mind, you can take as long as you want in answering these questions. I'm just going to try to keep the rapid fire to you or to me asking the question. Speaker 2: Can we get your answer too? Speaker 1: ⁓ no one's ever asked me for my answers. So I don't know that that would be entertaining at all. ⁓ but sure. I mean, we can try, we can try. We can go down that road. we are going to start with what your go-to pregame meal is. Speaker 2: Chicken pasta, simple. Speaker 1: All right, simple. That works though. That works. I feel like that would be mine, but that's maybe just because that's often the answer. What song or maybe artist gets you pumped up, gets you dialed in on game day? Speaker 2: I love, I'm shipping up to Boston. Do you know that song where goes? Speaker 1: Wow. So Dropkick Murphy's, is it not? Yes. Okay. Good. Good pick. was really hoping that you were only kidding when you said that, that we would ask me. I would have to say, because I'm not at all prepared for this, I would have to say there is, I wish that I could remember the name of either the artist or the song. It's a newer song that I just discovered, but what I will say is the genre is British hip hop. I know that it sounds really niche and strange. You're like British hip hop. But it, it, it, it, it hits, it hits. When you get the right one, it certainly hits. So that's the one I'm going to go with. Although I could fall back on Nickelback or something like that. Cause I feel like there are some, some bangers there. ⁓ Wow. That's really intimidating being on this side of that question. It's always great to just ask it and not have to answer it. ⁓ this perspective. What is something that people may be surprised or may not know about you? Speaker 2: Normally I say that we've moved over 50 times, which I think is kind of a fun fact, but now that I'm on the spot, think something that you'd be surprised to learn about me is I have a little Etsy shop, and that's kind of a fun fact. Speaker 1: What? Okay. I didn't I said no follow up questions. This one if I left this conversation and didn't ask it, I would be mad and so would everyone else. What is your Etsy shop? Speaker 2: There's whole arts inside. Sometimes I don't like to admit it, but this Etsy shop is ⁓ handmade little goods, print, I guess, posters when college girls are looking to decorate their dorms or boys. Some of my listings will pop up, which is kind of fun. Speaker 1: Okay. So, ⁓ can people buy your stuff right now? Like is it, is it, okay. then good news folks. will make sure to include that in the show notes. I will do that. and so finally, I want to, I want to hear as well. When you think back to that young girl all those years ago, little Meg Simon, what would you tell her about Speaker 2: Yeah. Speaker 1: the journey that she has ahead of her. Speaker 2: My parents have always harped on three rules to the game. ⁓ They have always said to play fair, play hard, and have fun. And it was always expected to be a good person. ⁓ So I guess that I would tell little Meg to enjoy it ⁓ and really be where your feet are, but also to stay true to those values. The lessons that my parents taught me early on, like play fair, play hard, have fun, and be a good person. are still the most important things in life and if you can hold on to those, everything else tends to fall in place. Speaker 1: was great. That was great. That was great advice. You are setting, ⁓ setting her up for success. That's for sure. ⁓ and that wraps up the final buzzer segment of the show and this episode. Meg, this has been an absolute blast. I can't believe that we're at the end of the episode already, but thank you so much for taking the time, sharing your story and for doing it so well. You, you absolutely crushed it. This is fantastic. First podcast. Check that off your list as well. Thank you for- Speaker 2: Quite the honor. Thank you so much for doing this and for recognizing hockey players and even more for recognizing hockey humanitarian nominees and finalists. It's really neat and really special and something that I will never forget. So thank you so much. Speaker 1: It's been my absolute pleasure as well. And if you enjoyed this episode as much as we both did, be sure to like, subscribe, leave a review and share it with your fellow hockey fans. Your support helps me to continue bringing you stories just like Meg's from around the world of women's hockey. I'm Chris Sinclair. Thank you so much for tuning in and I'll catch you next time on Rinkside Rundown.