By Journalism student Charlotte P. and edited for clarity by New Life Academy.
Abby Palmquist, current NLA 4th grade teacher, is taking on a new coaching role in the South St. Paul girls’ hockey co-op this season, continuing her family’s coaching legacy more than three decades in the making.
While NLA launched it’s own middle school hockey team last season, the school has long participated in co-ops for girls’ JV and Varsity hockey at the high school level. In past years, NLA partnered with Woodbury, but this year we’re excited to join the South St. Paul co-op where NLA’s very own Abby Palmquist will coach. NLA sophomore Macie H. will play on Varsity and seventh grader Gigi G. will join JV, both as new members of the South St. Paul co-op this season.
The Palmquist family’s roots run deep in coaching across the teams for South St. Paul. Dave, Ms. Palmquist’s father, is the head coach of the girls South St. Paul program and has been coaching for 31 seasons. Her brother Zach is the boys’ head coach and starting this year, Ms. Palmquist will be a co-head coach of the girls’ JV co-op team. While Ms. Palmquist loves all elements of coaching, her favorite is being with her family. She emphasizes, “My family is everything to me. We are a really close family. I think it’s so fun to go after work and be with my family and my brothers.”
The family’s connection stretches farther back than just this season. Ms. Palmquist attended South St. Paul as a student and was coached by her father from eighth grade to her senior year. She experienced success and is fond of her time playing hockey.
“We went to State four times when I was in high school.” She continues, “We got third place in my eighth-grade year, second place my freshman year, second place sophomore year, and then fourth place my junior year. We missed it in the section finals of my senior year, which was a bummer, but I still had a great opportunity to play with my dad and my best friends. We love that it’s a small community, and everyone comes and rallies together, which is awesome.”
Similar success and community extend to the upcoming South St. Paul girls’ co-op hockey team this year, including our own NLA players. Macie H. remarks, “I’m feeling great. I got to know my teammates and coaches over the summer, and they’re super nice. I think that our team will do very well this season.”
Ms. Palmquist shares that same optimism and will seize opportunities to help her players prosper both on and off the ice. She reflects, “I feel like I get to approach it with an open heart and make sure every player feels known, loved, and valued ultimately. My biggest thing in teaching and coaching is making sure I’m building relationships. I think that’s when the coaching aspect or the teaching aspect can allow you to foster great players and great students.”
