She may not be the most valuable player on her team – but to some outside the rink, she is invaluable.
On Huntington Avenue, her experience as a hockey player has had its ups and downs. But, like she has in other areas of her life, she’s made an impact.
A terrible knee injury involving a Zamboni and the boards limited Missy Elumba’s playing time freshman year. Another injury and she was sidelined her sophomore year, a period that forced her to reexamine certain things.
“I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what my place was on the team, and also finding out why I was there,” Elumba said.
Luckily for her team, she found a great role – as an enthusiastic leader, whose head was always up.
“Regardless of the score or of what just happened, she just shakes it off and looks to give support to everyone else,” said senior captain Nikki Petrich.
But Elumba is back from injury and contributing on a different level – scoring the first game-winning goal of her career against then No. 9 Boston College Dec. 8.
It’s been a season of firsts for the well-regarded Elumba. On Tuesday, she earned a more significant first: a nomination, one of eight, for the 2008 Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award, established in 1996, is given to the finest citizen in all of college hockey, man or woman.
And there’s a long list that explains why Elumba is one of Hockey’s finest citizens.
“She’s a tremendous person,” said coach Laura Schuler. “Such a good-natured kid.”
Her attitude traveled with her to Oaxaca, Mexico at the Centro de Salud Hospital. There, Elumba volunteered to teach health awareness issues on HIV/AIDS, cervical cancer and alcoholism.
Recently, she served as activities coordinator at the Barbara McInnis House Respite in Jamaica Plain. In this capacity, Elumba ran a Bible study group and biweekly prayer service.
How many people can do that, and wake up in time for a 6 a.m. ice session?
“If she’s not in class she’s volunteering somewhere,” Petrich said. “She’s always using her time and passion to help other people, consistently, which is just awesome to see in someone.”
Elumba can do both – and more. She teaches exercise and stretching techniques to South End youth as a preschool assistant teacher. In 2006, when it was too warm to play the game, she organized a 10-day mission trip to Mississippi to help with Hurricane Katrina relief.
Faith and happiness, Elumba said, is what drives her.
“I do it because I feel so full to begin with, and volunteering is just a huge part of my entire life. I feel like anything I do, whether it’s an extracurricular activity, is an overflow of just how good I feel, and the beginning of it all was my relationship with God,” she said.
On and off the rink, religion has been her driving force. Like a superhero, where she is needed most, she’ll go. It’s a force that’s made her leave Boston to teach in Mexico and then to rebuild in the Gulf.
“I just want all glory to God because He leads me in all activities,” she said. “I’ve gone to Mexico and helped in hurricane relief. When He says ‘go,’ I go everywhere He says. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to do it without Him; I have a pretty busy schedule and seem to get through it in the end.”
Meeting the people of Boston – understanding them, and their lives – has given Elumba a different look at her own life, she said.
“Just talking to so many people and listening to their stories has made me see why I was there to witness their lives,” Elumba said. “To get outside of my own life and outside of my head and see other people’s lives has been rewarding; just to see the people of the city and the other people on the streets who I consider my friends.”
Lastly, she is the president of Northeastern’s Student-Athlete Advisory committee. There, she has organized events with the Home for Little Wanderers and the Special Olympics, to name a few.
I can’t think of a more valuable player. And hopefully, the NCAA won’t be able to either when it announces the winner of the Award during the Frozen Four, April 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Elumba is Hockey East’s lone representative (take that, BC and BU!)
She redefines the meaning of “value,” in sport. It takes an unselfish attitude for a player to extend themselves to every teammate. But it takes courage to give oneself to the entire world.
