TROY, N.Y. – With a purpose to thoroughly develop each individual while effectively building the team, the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s hockey program has come to rely greatly on the voices of its student-athletes. The program’s Leadership Group utilizes strong two-way communication among its players as well as with the coaching staff to enhance the experiences of each individual on the Engineers.
Typically chosen well in advance of an upcoming season, an assortment of players is selected to work together in providing the student voice to head coach Dave Smith and his assistants. They discuss a wide array of subjects and a vast area of interests that include but are certainly not limited to school and hockey, sharing their perspectives, suggestions and opinions.
“The Leadership Group is the most influential place within our RPI Hockey environment,” said Smith, who is entering his fifth year at the helm in Troy and 17th as a head coach. “Being in the Leadership Group requires a commitment of time as well as elite communication skills.”
The current members include Anthony Baxter (Oakville, ON / UMass Lowell), Nick Bowman (Shelby, MI / Coulee Region Chill), Zach Dubinsky (Highland Park, IL / Lincoln Stars), Jakub Lacka (Bratislava, Slovakia / Central Illinois Flying Aces), Ottoville Leppanen (Espoo, Finland / Espoo Blues U20), Ture Linden (Great Falls, VA / Lone Star Brahmas), Linden Marshall (Victoria, BC / Trail Smoke Eaters) and Shane Sellar (Carlisle, PA / Dartmouth College). Sellar, Marshall and Linden have been members in previous years.
They are charged with serving as mentors, sounding boards and voices, communicating with the staff as well as with their teammates thoroughly, accurately and regularly. The group, which includes three graduate students, four seniors and a junior, enhances their leadership influence through a connection between systems of the program, the culture RPI Hockey holds itself to and the behaviors that occur by the student-athletes.
The myriad of situations that occur through the course of building a team are vast and each member brings a unique perspective to the process. They are encouraged to share their vantage point, knowledge and thoughts. Baxter and Sellar, for example, both transferred into Rensselaer and understand there are a variety of methods to reaching a goal, dealing with an issue or celebrating an accomplishment. Lacka and Leppanen, two senior forwards who hail from outside North America, can share their own viewpoints for the betterment of their teammates and the program.
“We are a player-driven environment with a relentless pursuit of excellence,” said Smith, who guided the team to a fourth-place regular season finish in ECAC Hockey in 2019-20. (The 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). “The coaches are here to guide this process and the Leadership Group.”
The benefits of the group, which this year comprises six forwards, a defenseman and a goaltender, are wide-ranging. In the short term the student-athletes help new team members acclimate to the program’s environment, which stresses taking ownership, and help build early confidence in each individual. The long-term goal is leadership development that provides the tools necessary to lead a contingency or team of any size, whether it be within hockey or otherwise.
Group members are selected through feedback from the players and communication with the previous Leadership Group and coaches. Collectively they meet with the staff virtually every other week during the off-season and in-person on a weekly basis when in-season.
“When creating our Leadership Group it is imperative that ownership of our program happens so we move forward in unison,” said Smith, who has utilized this method for more than a decade. “Each member will become respected for what they know; they are appreciated for what they do; and they are loved for who they are.”
(RPI Hockey Photo)
