Intense, high-level athletics have always fit well and been part and parcel of boarding school cultures and missions. Students share a focus, schedule, purpose and intensity that results only from living and sharing space together. Working hard, playing hard and learning to be disciplined build personal traits, bonds and experiences that last far beyond high school.

The feelings of boarding school alumni always prove clear and intense. These thoughts and experiences shine brightly in an ESPN The Magazine article (There’s Something About St. Mary’s) about the boys hockey program at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School where boarding school meets dedication to hockey.

Here’s and excerpt with former SSM student and current NHL star Sidney Crosby:

Lifetime memories are made of stuff like this. Crosby spent only that one year at SSM, but he says it changed his life: “It was my first experience away from Nova Scotia, and I had to catch up academically. I struggled with it at first. But I loved the atmosphere. You can have friendships wherever you play, but at Shattuck, you lived together, went to class together, traveled and played together. You get to know each other–everyone–a lot faster and a lot better. Leaving Shattuck was the hardest decision I’ve had to make.”

Visit Shatuck-St. Mary School’s web site to learn more about the school and it’s impressive hockey tradition.