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Greenway’s Gangl Named Volunteer of the Month

By Minnesota Hockey, 11/16/15, 9:45AM CST

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Congratulations to Traci Gangl of the Greenway Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA) on being named November’s Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Gangl has volunteered her time in a number of roles for GAHA including registrar, webmaster, scheduling, safesport coordinator and previously serving as a team manager.

“Traci is just one of a fabulous group of volunteers that make GAHA possible,” said Jason Mallum, GAHA Vice President. “Like most volunteers, she does all of this while working 50+ hours a week at her job and still finds the time to make sure our association is well oiled machine.”

While Gangl is also quick to direct recognition to the entire GAHA board, Mallum notes that her efforts stick out as she consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty.

We caught up with Traci to discuss what volunteering in youth hockey means to hear.

Why did you first get involved with GAHA?

“When my son started playing hockey, I first got involved by acting as his team’s manager. As a part of that, I was attending board meetings and noticed they could use some help on the technology side of registration. My background with technology seemed to fit their needs so they ended up splitting the Secretary/Registrar and making me the Registrar. My main desire was to make the registration process as easy and painless as possible for hockey parents.”

What is it that motivates you to donate your time to the association?

“For me, it’s about all of the kids that want to put the blades on and play hockey. I know it’s hard for some parents to volunteer so if I have time, I want to help. I want to make sure all of the kids that want to play can play, and as an association we do everything we can to eliminate barriers that might keep kids from playing.

In our community, many families have been dealing with layoffs over the past few years so we’ve made it a priority to focus on not pricing out current players or potential players. We keep our fees among the lowest in the area and have scholarships available to help cover registration fees. We’ve also taken advantage of various grants available through the community and Minnesota Hockey or USA Hockey.

We also noticed there was a large number of kids who enjoy playing hockey in Nashwauk but never participated in our association. Pat Guyer and the Nashwauk City Council have been very instrumental in helping the association schedule ice in Nashwauk so we can reduce the commitment for those families and encourage them to play. This year we’re up to 13 kids from Nashwauk so it’s making a difference.”

What would you tell someone who is considering volunteering for a youth hockey association?

“It’s not easy work, but it’s very rewarding. When you see the players progress through the various levels, when you see them go from using a chair to stand up to doing stops and starts on their own, when you see them battle adversity and eventually succeed, that’s what makes all of the effort worth it. Those moments are just so rewarding.

Plus, the people you meet are amazing. The bonds you create with fellow board members while working towards a common goal of helping others can’t be beat. It’s truly something special.”

Minnesota Hockey and Total Hockey give Traci Gangl a special thank you for everything she’s done to make hockey more accessible and a better all around experience in Greenway. 

Know a volunteer in your community who is doing an amazing job and deserves to be recognized? Nominate him or her today for the Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Each recipient receives a certificate recognizing their hard work and a $100 Total Hockey gift card to use online or in the store.

The Registration "" is not currently available.

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Congratulations to Traci Gangl of the Greenway Amateur Hockey Association (GAHA) on being named November’s Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Gangl has volunteered her time in a number of roles for GAHA including registrar, webmaster, scheduling, safesport coordinator and previously serving as a team manager.

“Traci is just one of a fabulous group of volunteers that make GAHA possible,” said Jason Mallum, GAHA Vice President. “Like most volunteers, she does all of this while working 50+ hours a week at her job and still finds the time to make sure our association is well oiled machine.”

While Gangl is also quick to direct recognition to the entire GAHA board, Mallum notes that her efforts stick out as she consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty.

We caught up with Traci to discuss what volunteering in youth hockey means to hear.

Why did you first get involved with GAHA?

“When my son started playing hockey, I first got involved by acting as his team’s manager. As a part of that, I was attending board meetings and noticed they could use some help on the technology side of registration. My background with technology seemed to fit their needs so they ended up splitting the Secretary/Registrar and making me the Registrar. My main desire was to make the registration process as easy and painless as possible for hockey parents.”

What is it that motivates you to donate your time to the association?

“For me, it’s about all of the kids that want to put the blades on and play hockey. I know it’s hard for some parents to volunteer so if I have time, I want to help. I want to make sure all of the kids that want to play can play, and as an association we do everything we can to eliminate barriers that might keep kids from playing.

In our community, many families have been dealing with layoffs over the past few years so we’ve made it a priority to focus on not pricing out current players or potential players. We keep our fees among the lowest in the area and have scholarships available to help cover registration fees. We’ve also taken advantage of various grants available through the community and Minnesota Hockey or USA Hockey.

We also noticed there was a large number of kids who enjoy playing hockey in Nashwauk but never participated in our association. Pat Guyer and the Nashwauk City Council have been very instrumental in helping the association schedule ice in Nashwauk so we can reduce the commitment for those families and encourage them to play. This year we’re up to 13 kids from Nashwauk so it’s making a difference.”

What would you tell someone who is considering volunteering for a youth hockey association?

“It’s not easy work, but it’s very rewarding. When you see the players progress through the various levels, when you see them go from using a chair to stand up to doing stops and starts on their own, when you see them battle adversity and eventually succeed, that’s what makes all of the effort worth it. Those moments are just so rewarding.

Plus, the people you meet are amazing. The bonds you create with fellow board members while working towards a common goal of helping others can’t be beat. It’s truly something special.”

Minnesota Hockey and Total Hockey give Traci Gangl a special thank you for everything she’s done to make hockey more accessible and a better all around experience in Greenway. 

Know a volunteer in your community who is doing an amazing job and deserves to be recognized? Nominate him or her today for the Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Each recipient receives a certificate recognizing their hard work and a $100 Total Hockey gift card to use online or in the store.

The Registration "" is not currently available.

Most Popular