MINJU KIM
Special to The Leader
“Do you want to play a game?”
It was 10:15 a.m. at the Steele Hall ice rink, during Jeffrey Meredith’s Basic Ice Skating class. Students were playing a game called “Share Ball,” which Meredith created. While wearing ice skates, one student sat on a chair pushed by another, while the person in the chair chased and passed balls to teammates also on ice. Running one student short to play the game, Meredith invited me — this not-ready-to-skate reporter — right on the slippery, cold and shiny stage.
The result? My partner and I scored a couple shots, finishing with a last minute touchdown.
“Now don’t slide yourself when you get out. Hold on to the wall,” instructed Meredith.
Wearing a blue windshield jacket, hockey skates and a smile, Meredith’s presence on the ice rink seemed like a perfect fit.
Right off the bat or, in this case, stick, Meredith answered one question even before he was asked, as soon as he sat down on the stand.
“Do what you love to do — what you’re passionate [about.] For that you can almost work for free, then you don’t have to work for the rest of your life! That’s what I tell my players. That’s what I’m doing right now,” said Meredith.
Twenty-seven years. This will be his 27th year as a coach at Fredonia; Meredith explained how he landed in Fredonia.
Meredith went to Brockport State as an undergraduate and got his master’s degree at Ohio State.
“I returned to Brockport and I was an assistant coach, and I ran the ice rink. It was about that time; about 22 or 23, at that point, I was trying to figure out ‘what do I want to do as a career’ and I really enjoyed coaching,” said Meredith.
Realizing he wanted to pursue a career in coaching, Meredith made it his goal to work with someone who knew the field well. He gratefully took an opportunity to coach at Hamilton College with hockey coach Phil Grady.
“I spent four years with him there. It was a great experience,” said Meredith. “At the end of that fourth year, this job at Fredonia opened. It was 1988 and I’ve been here ever since.”
He came to the campus and immediately fell in love with the area.
“As soon as I visited the campus, the facilities were beautiful and the people were friendly here. It was a great environment. I looked at it and said, ‘My gosh. You can build something here,’” said Meredith.
He enjoyed fairly quick success. Meredith’s team went to the division II Frozen Four as the only undefeated team in the country just six years after he arrived.
Surprisingly, Meredith’s own playing career wasn’t quite as glorious as people might think.
“I jokingly like to tell people that I was the greatest third-string goalie to never play a second of a college hockey game,” said Meredith.
He didn’t start really playing ice hockey until he was 15 or 16, which is considered pretty late. He was a goaltender.
“I was fortunate that I made the team at Brockport. But I was a third-string goalie and that’s about what my ability level was; a third-string goalie never gets to play because there are two other goalies, and they were much better than I was,” said Meredith.
Although he didn’t get to play much, Meredith said he was happy to contribute to the team in other ways.
“You have to be a positive teammate and a good role model even though you are not playing,” he said. “To me it was a great experience. I look back on that and I wouldn’t have changed anything. The relationships I made there — my coach was very instrumental in helping me in my career.”
Meredith said one of his role models was E. J. McGuire, his coach of Brockport.
“E. J. was great … he treated everybody like they were really important and valuable. He was instrumental in helping me go to Ohio State and get a grad-assistant position there.” Meredith said. “He actually passed a couple years ago; when he passed away, he was one of the vice presidents of the NHL. Even at that high lofty position that he had, he still stayed in touch with his guys who played with him. For me to be able to have a role model like that and see how he did that, it really helped me because I try to do the same thing with our players here.”
He has seen Pink the Rink since it started. The idea came from one of his assistant coaches.
“A number of years ago, my assistant Greg Heffernan, his mom had a breast cancer. He started the Pink the Rink program. As soon as we purchased the pink jerseys the second year, it just exploded. We got on ESPN Sports Center with our pink jerseys. We were the first U.S. college hockey program to wear pink jerseys and socks. Everybody is doing it now but Fredonia was the first.
Pink the Rink has raised over $51,000 for the American Cancer Society since it started eight years ago. It is an event that brings the campus together in support of a great cause.
“Our jerseys are getting ready to go on sale to the public very soon,” Meredith said about this year’s event. “They are going fast. We sold three jerseys in five minutes. It’s just a great program and it brings an emotion to the arena that you just don’t get any other game of the year that makes it so special.”
The great thing is, there’s always another season coming, and with it comes new hope.
“We have a group of guys that have something to prove. We’re excited about getting off to a quick start this year. We’ve got a lot of guys that have invested a lot in this program,” Meredith said.
After the interview, Meredith left his office with his former assistant coach who was visiting him. It was easy to spot those whose lives heavily involve Meredith’s program.
Jamie Young, a freshman business administration major who plays defense on the team, said it was easy to describe Coach Meredith in one word.
“Positive,” said Young with a chuckle.
“Very short time spending around him so far, fantastic guy,” said Young. “I talked to him a lot last year when he recruited me. For everything I’ve gotten from it’s been on, very genuine nice guy. Really all about growth of the players. Kind of developing us on the ice but also taking care of us off the ice as well.”
Mike Lysyj, assistant coach who also shares the office with Meredith, described Meredith as “Caring.”
“Coach Meredith is like a father-figure to players. He takes care of them on and off the ice. He makes sure that they have their studies in order. He makes sure they are doing alright mentally and physically,” Lysyj said.
Lysyj summed up Meredith’s secret to years of coaching.
“There’s a reason he’s been here for so long. I think it gets brushed aside, especially by him because he doesn’t brag about it,” said Lysyj.” “I think that’s why he’s been here for so long. Like he said, he loves his job and he comes to work with a smile on face every day. He really enjoys what he does. I think that rubs off on rest of us, and I think it’s going to lead to a good season, too.”