Alumni Profile - Amanda Morra (Artsci '08)

Q. What is your favourite memory as a Queen's Women's Hockey player?
My favourite memory as a Queen's hockey player would have to be when the team won some crucial games- and more than a few come to mind!

In my first year, we had a come from behind win against Guelph when we were losing by a few goals in the quarter-finals going into the third period - we won that game in OT! I also remember in my second year when we beat Laurier at the end of the season, and we had to kill off a 5-on-3 at the end of the game to win! Another highlight was when we shut out Laurier in my 4th year at the Napanee Arena- our goalie guaranteed our coach a shut out at the beginning of the game, and did she ever deliver!

But on a personal level, my favourite game was in my 5th and final year, Quarter finals against U of T and on the verge of elimination. I told myself before the game that I wasn't ready for it to be my last game as a Gael, and that I wanted to keep playing as much as I could with my Queen's family! I ended up getting a hat trick that game, and had a good chunk of my family there to see. That feeling was amazing!
 
Q. How would you describe your experience as a Queen's student athlete?
Being a Queen's student-athlete was undoubtedly a tough endeavour- but an experience that not only made me into the hard working and determined person that I am today, but also afforded me the opportunity to meet, play with and make life long friends with some incredible women - many of which I am still best friends with to this day. In fact, this past October many of us stood as bridesmaids when our goalie walked down the aisle!

As a student-athlete, I had to learn very quickly how to balance a social, academic and athletic lifestyle and I refined some indispensable life skills such as time management, organization, leadership, etc. It felt like 5 very intense years, balancing a dual-degree, on and off ice training and playing schedule, and also volunteering with the programs in the community - but I loved every minute of it and that experience taught me how to prioritize and balance everything thrown at me.

Hockey had one of the longest time commitments of any sport at Queens - from August to February at minimum- so the girls I played with inevitably ended up being a crucial part of my experience as a student-athlete. They were there from everything from helping study for tests and exams to providing emotional support during the highs and lows of life.

I wouldn't have changed my experience for anything, and encourage everyone attending post-secondary to get involved with a team or a club so they too can develop life long friendships and life skills that will help them become not only a more employable, but a better person. 
 

Q. What is your incentive to contribute to the Women's Hockey program as an alumni?
As a student, I could remember the financial struggles that I experienced, between tuition, textbooks, meal plans, housing, etc. As a student- athlete I also had to think about nutrition on road trips- what would I eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner all weekend?

I felt very lucky to be a part of the women's hockey program because the coaches would always stock the bus with loads of breads, meats, vegetables, fruits, bars to help fuel us up on road trips. I was very grateful for this every road trip, so part of my incentive is to give back to the program now that I am working full time and can contribute to something that helped me during tougher times. 

I also want to support the program not just based on their recent successes (which is awesome) but because I know that hockey in comparison to other sports is more expensive between ice time and equipment etc., and I want to make sure other women are afforded the same opportunity to play that I was since I know how important that experience was in making me the person I am today!
 
Q. What advice would you give to fellow alumni who are considering giving back to their programs?
I would tell fellow alumni to think back to every road trip, to every practice, to every game, to every night out with the team, and to think about the women who paved the way and supported the growth and sustainment of the women's hockey program.

I would ask them to think about how the women's hockey program shaped their development throughout Queen's and to think about what the experience could mean for future student athletes. I want to make sure as many women as possible get to experience what I did as a hockey player and not just on the ice- but off the ice too.

The more alumni who support the program, the more opportunities there are for women who are thinking about coming to Queen's! Whether it is subsidizing food on road trips to attracting potential players with scholarships, I always want to be part of the Queen's women's hockey program, and that is why I continue to contribute!