Mental Toughness and Determination
by Mike McPartlin, Headmaster, Bridgedale Academy
Bridgedale Academy grad Tanner Hartman is making an impact as a freshman on the Hobart Statesmen Men's Hockey Team at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.
The Statesmen have been ranked #1 in the USCHO D3 hockey poll, a position they've held for 5 consecutive weeks. Their 11-0-0 record reflects their lofty status and Tanner is presently 4th in scoring on the team.
Tanner attended Bridgedale from 6th through 8th grades and for the last two years has competed for the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs of the National Collegiate Development Conference of the US Premier Hockey League, where he earned Player of the Game honors in the league's All-Star Game. Prior to juniors he competed for the Chicago Fury, where he was an alternate captain on their U18 team.
A native of Chicago, IL, and younger brother of Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman, Tanner's three years at Bridgedale proved to be something of a turning point for him, this according to his mom Kim Hartman.
"Tanner's time at Bridgedale was super valuable for him," says Kim. "He blossomed in many ways, not only athletically and academically of course, but also as a young man. Bridgedale allowed him to grow and mature at his own pace. He learned to take responsibility for himself, and he got tougher. And that made him so much more confident. It changed his life."
"Tanner is a shining example of what mental toughness and determination can do," said Bridgedale Headmaster Mike McPartlin. "He was something of a late bloomer and had to overcome a lot to get to where he's gotten. He just stayed the course and now he's making a huge positive impact for the top D3 college hockey team in the country."
"To say we're proud of him would be a huge understatement," added McPartlin.
(Click to see Bridgedale's college commitments.)
"Tanner struggled a bit with the transition when he first got to Bridgedale but in no time his talent and intelligence really came shining through," added Christina Di Pauli, Bridgedale's Academic Dean. "He really made the most out of his time at Bridgedale, excelling athletically, academically and as a person of outstanding character. We are delighted to see him excelling at Hobart."
Congratulations to Tanner (and his parents Kim and Craig) on his achievements at Hobart College.
If this topic interests you and you would like to discuss it further, please click the button below so we can schedule a time to chat.
Bridgedale Academy is now accepting transfers for the 2022-23 School Year.