Before the beginning of our fall season of Club Sports, we chose to highlight some of our amazing student athletes with an Athlete Spotlight. We chose Addie Erdman, a rising Junior for the BGSU Club Women's Hockey team. I was able to get some input from Addie on interesting questions to round out who she is. See below for the full, raw interview!

"Of the deciding factors to come to Bowling Green, what experiences shaped your decision?"
    "After applying to all the schools I wanted to go to, BG was honestly not at the top of my list. I only knew this school existed because my twin sister attended a USA hockey camp on campus a few years back. I ended up attending BG because it was one of the only places where I could play club hockey and major in aviation. I actually never even toured the flight center here- my sister toured it for me, and she spoke so highly of it that this school went to the top of my list."

"Being a Women's Hockey player comes with adversity. What traits as an athlete have you gained to show you can battle through adversity both on the ice and off the ice?"  
    "The best trait I have gained through hockey to battle with adversity is the ability to talk to anyone. I have used hockey my entire life to branch out and make friends when the same efforts fell short in other social settings in my life. Playing hockey has taught me how to be friends with a wide variety of people and create a strong network of good people."

Understanding hte human behind the helmet goes a long way, as well as from a coaching perspective. On that topic, I was able to speak to Steve Dibble, the head coach for the Club Women's Hockey team. 

    "What leadership qualities does Adriana Erdman possess to showcase her excellence on and off the ice?"
    "Addie Erdman is a true rink rat; you say "hockey" and she will respond "when?". On and off the ice she expresses leadership through example, words and actions. She was elected by the team as Vice President, in charge of scheduling and contact with recruits, she has the team's full trust both off and on the ice with when they all see athletic ability, positive attitude and hard work shown since day 1 at BGSU. She is a pleasure to have on the team!"

"I understand you're an Aviation major. What got you into Aviation and what brought you to the area of Bowling Green, despite you not being a local to the area?
    "I have no clue what got me into aviation. I think that little feeling started when I was a kid, after my Abuelo took me to see an SR-71 Blackbird on the Intrepid aircraft carrier. After that, I can't remember a time when I didn't want to fly. I only knew BG existed because of my sister, so the only choice I had to make about schools fell on the sports side of things. I had a lot of NCAA interest as a field hockey goalie, but none of those schools had aviation programs. That was a non-negotiable. I also loved ice hockey more than field hockey, despite being far more talented in the latter. The decision to come to BG fell solely on the fact that I could play ice hockey here." 

"If you could give someone with a similar story to yourself one piece of advice while deciding what to do with their life, what piece of advice would that be? 
    "I think I would say "don't think too hard". When I was deciding on a school to attend, I stressed myself out way too much weighing every single pro and con. I had known for years that I wanted to play club hockey, so if I took that at face value I wouldn't have given myself such a hard time on the decision." 

Addie has exemplified the true nature of a Club Sport athlete at BGSU. Someone who loves to play their sport and is able to take up the opportunity of a new and exciting career path, much like aviation. Many of our Club Sport athletes come into their programs with a head start, much of this due to the highlighted process of digital marketing for our Club Sports through their own social media. Women's Sports has grown much over the years, with plenty of this on our campus from increased viewership on their content. 

"With women's sports on the rise, how can we highlight Women's Club Hockey on campus at BGSU? What is the best way to follow along with your story and how can we interact with the content/information you put out?" 
    "Womens hockey is one of the fastest growing sports right now. On campus, support can come from anywhere. If people want to come to our games to show support, admission is free! When we hold fundraisers, support can come from anyone willing to stop by and buy some baked goods. As for our socials, our Instagram (@bgwomenshockey) has almost all of our information on it, and we will post our upcoming schedule once its finalized. Even just sharing, reposting, or commenting on our Instagram will help us reach new people."

An amazing story like Addie's is nothing short of remarkable, someone who deserves to have their story shared across all platforms. 

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