Page 11 - FUNDASHON LOTTO PA DEPORTE

LOCAL SPORTS Friday 9 March 2018
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Sarah Hickman - Harms on the cover of Ice Hockey Rules and Casebook

The Ice Hockey Rules and ternational certification to – Harms came to spend a
Casebook is the Bible of the referee in all leagues, in the week in Aruba, but before
ice hockey world. All the United States and abroad, flying out of Baltimore, she
rules for most of the leagues including Holland, where officiated 10 games in sev-
are in this book. Depending she plans to officiate in the eral different categories,
in which league a player future. Sarah’s parents are within 48 hours. Not only
is participating, she or he Dr. Stephen Hickman and was this an exceptional
must know the rules for Aruban born Ruth Harms. physical accomplishment,
that league. The officials, The Aruba Tourism Author- mentally it was also ex-
however, must know the ity (ATA) presented the Dis- tremely taxing.As not all
rules of all the leagues for tinguished Visitor Award to games were of the same
which they officiate. Sarah Sarah in 1996. league, Sarah at times had
Hickman – Harms is a pro- to shift from one set of rules
fessional referee with in- Recently Sarah Hickman to another. No wonder
she was happy to arrive
in Aruba where she could
enjoy the tranquility of our
beaches.

As a child, Sarah was an ex-
cellent ice hockey player.
When she was 5 years old,
her Mom used to take her
to the Orr Rink at Amherst
Collegeto practice. When-
ever I was spending time in
Amherst, I used to accom-
pany them and could no-
tice that she was going to
be outstanding. At the age
of 7 she started to play in
the Amherst Youth Hockey
League and played until
she entered High School. In
High school she played in With this throw of the discus Sarah sets a new Western Mass High
interscholastic leagues. School record of 135 feet.
had never expected to a relatively small number
In High School Sarah was be featured on the cover of female referees in ice
At the age of 11, she was MVP of the 1997Amherst Hockey an all around athlete. Be- of a book used by almost hockey, and perhaps the
League sides being an outstanding all who are associated only one of color, she feels
ice hockey player, Sarah with hockey. Although it humbled as the cover girl
excelled in soccer, softball, is not an official recogni- of the Bible of Hockey. And
and became one of the tion of her performance as I am a very proud Opa.
top high school athletes in a referee, as one of only clydeharms@yahoo.comq
Massachusetts, setting a
new Western Massachu-
settsrecordfor the discus
event with a throw of 135
feet.

She turned down a partial
track scholarship atSacred
Heart College in Fairfield,
CT so she could participate
in both track and hockey.
The hockey coach did
recruit herfor the Sacred
Heart Varsity and Sarah
eventually became one of
the stalwarts of the team.
I had the privilege of at-
tending a game that Sarah
played against University of
Vermont in Burlington, VT
and felt very proud of my
granddaughter’s perfor-
mance.

Sarah Hickman – Harms
has been officiating hock-
ey games since she was
a junior in college, but
Sarah in action for the Sacred Heart Women’shockey team. Proud parents with Sarah after a game she officiated