For those of us in our 30s, married and with families, coming to Cambridge for the MBA was both an exciting and daunting experience. Leaving behind our careers and temporarily relocating away from our families, we had to quickly adjust to student life and find meaningful ways to spend our time outside the classroom.
Having both previously played ice hockey, we decided to try out for the Men’s Blues Ice Hockey Team- not only to rekindle our competitive spirit but also to make the most of our MBA experience at Cambridge. To our surprise, we were both accepted into the team – and looking back, we can confidently say that it was the most rewarding experience of our Cambridge MBA year.
One of the main reasons many pursue an MBA is to develop their leadership skills. While the program offers excellent classes and seminars on leadership, some of the most powerful lessons came from time spent in the locker room and on the ice. Experiences like the annual trip to Zuoz, Switzerland, were both physically demanding and invaluable in building a strong team culture.
As rookies on the team, we both had to learn how to be great followers – a valuable and often overlooked aspect of leadership, especially for those of us who hadn’t been in that position for a long time. By the end of the season, we emerged stronger, both physically and as leaders.
Beyond leadership development, being part of the ice hockey team allowed us to connect with an incredibly talented and diverse group of students from outside the MBA community.
While the MBA cohort itself is composed of exceptional individuals from various industries and countries, the hockey team brought us into close contact with students we wouldn’t have otherwise met- such as undergraduates studying physics, master’s students in data science, PhD candidates in medicine, and even alums who now teach astrophysics.
The friendships and bonds we built with these brilliant individuals have enriched both our Cambridge experience and our networks.
If you’re an incoming or prospective student, we highly encourage you to join a sports team- either at your college or at the University level (and, of course, please try out for CUIHC; we need you!). Thanks to the ice hockey team, we’ve made some of our closest friends and created the most memorable experiences of our time in Cambridge.
Feel free to reach out to either of us if you’re interested in the CUIHC- we’re always just an email away!