2014 | Missouri | BOYS

Seckman High School | Seckman Jaguars | BOYS

It seems in life, there are often two types of leaders. Those who lead by example,  and those who lead verbally. It is a rarity to find a person that uses a mixture of the two styles, but they are the leaders that make the biggest difference. The hybrid leader is the exact way to describe Jonathan Schwartz.
I have coached Jonathan for three years, and it was apparent in the first year that he was a special player. Not only did he have the talent, the hard work, and the drive it takes to be great, but he also had leadership qualities as an underclassman. He was not afraid to lead people older than him, or show them the way to do things correctly. As I have watched him grow, he has only become more talented, more driven, worked harder, and become an even better leader. It is because of all these things, that Jonathan has had the “C” on his jersey almost every year at Seckman. The skills and leadership that he brings to the hockey team is part of the reason Jonathan deserves this award, but not the only reason.
Jonathan has also been a leader on his Lacrosse team at Seckman, being a captain to that squad as well. I can only assume that he is the exact same person on the field as he is on the ice, and that he makes everyone on his team better at every aspect of the game. With the time and effort Jonathan puts into his sports, a lot of kids would see a slip in their grades, and have a pretty valid excuse. However, Jonathan has kept his grades up through his four years at Seckman, and he will be graduating with a 4.0 GPA. Somehow, in all of this, Jonathan manages to also work a part time job, which is a difficult thing to do when you are a high school kid with a lot on your plate already.
It is these mixtures of talent, character, leadership, work ethic, and dedication that leave me with no doubt that Jonathan Schwartz deserves to be a 2013-2014 Hobey Baker winner. It is rare to find a person with one or two of the qualities Jonathan possesses, but to find someone that has all of them is almost impossible. It has truly been an honor to watch the way he has conducted himself, and grown over the past few years.

Rob Westervelt
Seckman Hockey