Volume 4 Issue 26 | January 11, 2019
#BEAHAWK
Happy 2019!! For the past few months on Twitter (follow us @hawkshockeyclub) we have encouraged you to #BeAHawk. We want to share our Hawks pride with everyone! With that in mind, we asked some of our members “What does it mean to #BeAHawk?” 

  • Being a Hawk means that you are part of a family dedicated to the success of the organization. It means that you take great pride and passion in representing the logo on the front of your jersey. You have the understanding and expectation that you are there for each of your teammates and members of your organization as well as knowing that they are there for you too! - Hockey Director Steve Poapst

  • If you are a Hawk you have another family separate from your normal family that you can turn to and rely on. You will always be a part of it and be able to come back regardless if you still play there or not. - U16 Drew S.

The clear consensus is that the Hawks are a family. In the next few issues we will tell you what other Hawks think it means to #BeAHawk. When you post about hockey, tag us! To hear what other members say it means to #BeAHawk hawk, click button below. 
AROUND THE BOARDS
Chicago Hawks: A Family Affair

The Shadle family certainly knows what it’s like to #BeAHawk. Dad Joe is the CSDHL Representative on our Hawks Board, hockey mom Franca has managed several teams, son Drew plays for our U16’s, and sons Jack and Jared went all the way through the Hawks organization and are now teammates at Illinois State University! Jack agreed to tell us what it’s like to move on from the Hawks and play for a college team with your brother!!
Keith Relief Helps Hawks Family
The Martens family is all about hockey. Matt Martens has been around hockey his whole life and is an assistant coach for Mite 1. Grant (Mite 1) and Colin (Squirt 2) both skate for the Hawks. Jack ('07) is a former Hawk now playing for the Chicago Mission and five-year-old Mabel figure skates at the Sportsplex. In the cheering section, you’ll frequently find hockey mom Kate and the youngest Martens family member Harriet. 
Harriet has faced more than her share of challenges in her young life. She has had health issues since birth that required her to undergo open heart surgery last summer. Regardless, she always has a smile and is a light to everyone around her.

When Duncan Keith heard about this super hockey family, he wanted to help. Keith has developed a charitable organization called “Keith Relief” that is "dedicated to alleviating the financial and emotional burdens of families and individuals suffering from medical crisis."
As you will see in the commercial ( video above) that aired during the Winter Classic. Keith gave the Martens family the surprise of a lifetime and a memory they will always treasure. Mom Kate told us that her family is “incredibly thankful to Keith Relief and loves sharing the story of his incredible generosity.” She added, “We feel so blessed and humbled by the whole experience. He is such a genuinely great man!”
Hockey Families Are Forever

Four years ago, a group of boys started their hockey careers playing for an in-house tournament team at Canlan Ice Arena. The boys all went on to play travel hockey at different clubs but stayed in touch. A few months ago, doctors discovered that one of the boys, Sabre player Nathan P., has a coarctation of his aorta. He hasn’t been able to play the sport he loves and will have open heart surgery on January 14th. 
Several of Nathan’s buddies from that in-house team are Hawks. Last week the boys (players from our Peewee 3, Bantam 2, 4, 5, and 6 teams) surprised Nathan with a get-well visit and gifts to let him know that they are standing behind him during this tough time. These boys have learned that your hockey family is always there for you no matter what jersey you wear. Best wishes to Nathan from everyone at the Hawks for a successful surgery and recovery.
YOUR OPINION MATTERS!
This week the Hawks sent a survey to all of the email addresses that we have registered for current members of the Club. Please take a few minutes to complete the survey and to provide your feedback to us. The survey is completely anonymous and confidential. We want to hear what makes you happy at the Hawks AND how we can improve. A summary of the results will be shared. Don’t miss your chance to be heard!
SPRING HOCKEY
Believe it or not, spring hockey is right around the corner. Look for registration for our spring program to open the first week of February. Tryouts for Prospects (skill development with tournaments) at the Mite through Bantam level will take place the week of March 11. Mite through Bantam Southwest Spring Hockey League as well as U15, U16, U18 and girls tryouts will be held the week of March 18. The spring season will start April 1. We’ve given our spring jersey logo a fresh look this year. We hope you like it!
NATIONAL JUNIOR PROSPECTS SHOWCASE
Congratulations to our U15s!!

The boys took a bus to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, the day after Christmas for their second of three National Junior Prospects showcases. 

The team swept the competition with four wins. Two of the games went into a shootout (one game tied an NJP record -- 11 shooters deep). Great job, boys!