RAPID CITY, SD — Coach Konrad Reeder is many things: A family man who grew up in British Columbia, he played Hockey professionally around the world (Including for the Rapid City Rush) and developed skills both on and off the rink, and this last sunday he was the coach who led Rapid City’s very own Rushmore Thunder to a 6-1 National victory against the Warriors Hockey Club (IL).
The task, in the Coach’s words was a “Massive team effort– it’s a lot of hockey in a short amount of time”, with the team playing six games in five days and accruing several injuries along the way. Going into this final match he said of the atmosphere that the team “Was so exhausted, they couldn’t even really have nerves!”
However, in spite of these setbacks, the coach was glowing in his telling of the team, saying “I’ve grown up with these guys since they were six” going on to say “I know when they started we were bribing them with chocolate milk, now I’ve gotten to see not only what good hockey players they’ve become, but what great men”. In strategy, and the culmination of all of this time spent with this team, Reeder said “We needed all of them, they all brought something to this team. They were happy for each other no matter who scored the goal, they were blocking shots, they were just doing all the little things and they got rewarded with a national championship for it”.
On the near future of the team, the Coach reported that they had done exit interviews with the team, and that after they all settle down he’d be giving them “A few weeks to not think about hockey”.
