Sideline Stories: Shannon Upton, Account Executive, Maine Mariners
Sports has always played an essential role in my life. I am a graduate of the University of New England 2021 where I double majored in Sport and Rec Management and Business and Coaching. I am now an Account Executive for the Maine Mariners, the ECHL hockey team in Portland where I am so excited to continue my path in the sport I love so much. Since I started with the Mariners, a big initiative of mine has been to grow the involvement in youth hockey! Here is my story on how I got to where I am today.
Growing up on Cape Cod as one of only three girls in my youth hockey organization, I spent most of my youth playing with the boys. The two other girls I began playing with (at the age of 8) I am still lifelong friends with today. That is one of my favorite things about the hockey world – everyone knows everyone, and, in my opinion, is one of the best sport communities to ever be a part of!
My biggest mentor as a young girl was USA Olympic Gold Medalist, Colleen Coyne. When I was 10 years old, Colleen came to a practice and interacted with every single player. She even brought her Olympic gold medal. I remember being in complete awe as my mother took a picture of us together, it’s a moment I remember vividly, 12 years later. Not only did Colleen leave me completely inspired, but, as a young girl, she gave me hope there was a bright future for women who were passionate about the game.
Throughout my years of playing hockey there are several memorable moments that happened along the way. From traveling to New York and California for National tournaments, to scoring the first goal in my high school state championship at the TD Garden my sophomore year and getting the opportunity to play four years of competitive Division III hockey at the University of New England. Throughout my four years of playing for UNE I overcame challenging adversity, developed sportsmanship, exhibited respect for others always. I lived the heartaches of defeat, the adrenaline rush of scoring, and the feeling of achieving a victory with perseverance and hard work, together with my teammates.
I will forever be grateful for the lessons I have learned from playing hockey, both on and off the ice. The people I have played with, the coaches who challenged me to be the best I could be, the community of hockey runs deep, have all instilled values along the way. Anyone associated with hockey understands what that truly means. Now I have a job working for The Maine Mariners, continuing my passion for hockey where I am excited to go each day! I owe hockey and all that comes with the love of a sport for making me the person I am today. It all began at age 8 and since then, I have never strayed far from my love of the game. Now I am determined to inspire, coach, and encourage youth hockey players just as Colleen Coyne did for me!
