Interview with Team Manager Phil Cohn

This is the first interview on UHB where I do not personally know the person, so I'm equally excited as you are to hear these answers from Union Hockey Team Manager Phil Cohn.

Phil is heading into his sophomore year at Union and was the team manager last season as he took over for my very, very good friend Jeremy Apple after he graduated in 2009. As I said, I really don't know Phil but I've played intramural roller hockey against him and he is a very good player. He sniped at least one goal on me in the intramural semifinals, but my team prevailed despite Phil's great effort (but mainly because of my stellar goaltending... haha just kidding!).

From what Jeremy Apple has told me about his job as team manager, it sounds like it is a very tough arduous job. And from what I can tell with his interactions with the Dutchmen players the team manager is treated like any other player on the team.

So without further ado, let's get to the interview with Phil Cohn.

DG: Where are you from and where did you go to high school?

PC: I grew up in Westfield, New Jersey where I attended Westfield Senior High School.

DG: Do you play hockey? If so, how long have you played and what position?

PC: I've been playing hockey since I was eight years old. However, I didn't start playing ice hockey until around 7th grade. The time and travel commitments that came with youth ice hockey did not fit into my schedule, so I consistently played organized roller hockey until transitioning to the ice game where I played center.

DG: What hockey teams have you played for?

PC: I played four years of ice hockey for my high school team, the Westfield Blue Devils, in addition to a year of travel hockey as a member of the Cranford Hockey Club and the Woodbridge Wolfpack, each minor club hockey organizations in central New Jersey

DG: What is your major?

PC: My major at Union is Computer Science. I am really interested in programming and studying the interaction between the computer and the use.

DG: What is your favorite thing about going to Union?

PC: My favorite aspect of attending Union other than the Union Hockey program is the trimester system. I really enjoy having the ability to focus on only three classes at a time rather than the traditional semester system, which requires students to take between four and six classes each term.

DG: How did you get the job as team manager?

PC: To get the job as team manager I contacted Coach Leaman in March of my senior year in high school inquiring about the position. At a Union Parents gathering in New Jersey two years ago my Dad found out that the current manager (Jeremy Apple) would be graduating in the coming spring, so I decided to take the initiative quickly. After exchanging emails and phone calls with the hockey staff throughout the summer I met with the coaching staff during my freshman orientation on campus and got to work right away.

DG: Tell us about your job as team manager. What do you do?

PC: My job as Team Manager has many different aspects and responsibilities. I am in charge of coding the game video during each game. During the game, my post is upstairs in the sideline press box where I code the game action on the computer using the program called Sportscode Gamebreaker. It allows me to organize the game video into several labeled timelines of clips for the coaches to analyze in between periods and after the game. I am also the assistant to the equipment manager. This includes repairing sticks, keeping the locker room clean, preparing the benches for practices and games, packing the bus for road trips, and getting the rink ready on game day. Another aspect of the position that I really enjoy is creating highlight videos of the players to watch in the days leading up to the game to get them emotionally ready to play.

DG: Do you travel for away games? Do you have a set roommate?

PC: I travel with the team on every road trip, but I don't have a set roommate.

DG: What was your favorite road trip last season?

PC: My favorite road trip last year was the trip to Clarkson and St. Lawrence in mid-November. It was my first road trip as a member of the team and it was also my birthday weekend. It was my first opportunity to visit other rinks around the league, places that I would never have the opportunity to watch hockey without my connection to Union Hockey. The Dutchmen swept that weekend beating SLU on Friday night and Clarkson on Saturday night, making the weekend even sweeter.

DG: Are there any perks to being team manager?

PC: There are certain perks that come with my job but I think that the biggest one is just having the opportunity to be at the rink everyday. Hockey has always been a huge part of my life and having the opportunity to watch hockey as a job is more than I could ever ask for.

DG: What is your relationship like with the players and coaching staff?

PC: I have an interesting position in the Union program. For one, I am a member of the staff so I hear a lot of what is said behind closed doors. On the other hand, the players have really taken me in as a member of the team so I feel like I am one of them. It is an odd position to be in sometimes, but I try to balance both sides as best as possible.

DG: What do you think will be the key for success next season?

PC: I think that the key for next season will be a balanced scoring attack. I think that we have a solid defensive corps and goaltending tandem to keep the puck out of our net, but it will be important to find a way to fill the scoring gap left by the graduated seniors.

DG: Who do you think will have a breakout season in 2010-11?

PC: I think that Jeremy Welsh will have a breakout season this year. He certainly contributed last year, but i think that a year of experience and an opening for new offense will allow him an opportunity to contribute more offensively.

DG: What do you like to do in your free time?

PC: In my free time I like to play ping-pong and video games, draw, and surf the net. I'm always up for a pickup game in virtually any sport and I'm always watching sports on TV.

DG: Who is your favorite pro sports team?

PC: My favorite sports team is the New York Rangers. My family has had season tickets for the Rangers at Madison Square Garden since 1971 and I have been going to games since I was born. In spite of their lack of success I continue to follow the Rangers religiously with hope that our luck will change soon enough.