Congratulations to Matt Sundeen of the Roseville Area Youth Hockey Association (RAYHA) on being named December’s Total Hockey Volunteer of the Month! Sundeen has volunteered in a number of roles in Roseville including serving as a coach, Initiation Director, Girls’ Director and currently as the association’s President.

“Matt Sundeen is the rock that keeps our association moving forward,” said Mike Wiltse, RAYHA’s current Girls Director. “He handles every situation with a great demeanor, always has a positive take on everything and is always willing to listen or talk whenever anyone needs him. A true professional volunteer!”

Altogether, Sundeen has spent nearly ten years serving RAYHA in some capacity and has played a key role in re-energizing the association’s board and helping to focus their efforts on growing the game at the youngest levels.

We sat down with Matt to see what motivates him to give so much back to the hockey community.

Minnesota Hockey: Why did you initially choose to serve on the association’s board?

Matt Sundeen: I got on the board with the intent of helping with the initiation program, and that was what I really wanted to key on. There were some opportunities I knew we could take advantage of in terms of getting more families to play hockey, but there was some work that needed to be done in order to do it. We didn’t really have someone taking on that specific role so it really was the initiation piece that got me to go on the board.

MH: In your mind, what have been some of the biggest accomplishments of RAYHA in recent years?

MS: We introduced what we call our Micro Mites age for kids that are too young for hockey, but they still want to try it out. We give them an opportunity to skate for free once a week.

We re-structured our Mite program so kids of all skill levels had a good spot to play. We moved away from age-specific levels because it wasn’t necessarily translating. We wanted to put them where they belong so we could teach them the right skills.  We embraced the American Development Model and did a lot of clinics with our coaches to stress the ABC’s of hockey and skill development.

More recently, we’ve done some really cool things with a program we call our First Skate program. It’s kind of an introduction to hockey program that targets non-traditional hockey families. We’ve had over 40+ participants, and we’re going to enhance and build on that. I really think it is something that is really going to help our program take off.

MH: What has been the biggest surprise you’ve faced as President of RAYHA?

MS: The biggest surprise is the things that people get consumed by. Every day there’s something that ends up in my lap because my name is at the top. I try to make them feel like the most important thing in my life when they come to me because I’ve realized when they come to me, it is that important to them. To me, it’s an opportunity to solve someone’s problem and provide a solution that will work for everyone.

At the same time, I try to remind people let’s not lose perspective of what we’re doing here. We’re trying to give kids an opportunity to be a part of something that’s awesome. The focus should be on creating smiles and good memories and lifetime friends, and we can lose sight of that as parents.

MH: What’s the most rewarding part of being a youth hockey volunteer?

MS: There are so many different things that are rewarding. One of the first things that comes to mind is the success of fellow board members with the programs they’re implementing. We have some great ideas and great minds. The board members’ creativity has just been fantastic.

I have a great group with me, and it really is a team effort. It’s a great group of team members and volunteers that are working together for Roseville. They really are the ones that are getting it done.

The other thing that really stands out is seeing our kids having fun on the ice and watching them as they grow and improve. The passion they have for the game we love is amazing. Seeing that from the Bantams to the Mites is extremely rewarding. It’s fun to be a part of it.