Merlin Ravndalen was a longtime hockey coach in Minnesota at the youth, high school and collegiate level, and has known Natalie Darwitz since elementary school.
Darwitz was a high school phenom before joining the United States national program and then playing with the University of Minnesota. She played in the Olympics three times, winning two silver medals and a bronze medal, and at the IIHF Women's World Championship eight times, winning three gold medals and five silver medals.
Here, in a special testimonial for NHL.com, Ravndalen shares his thoughts on Darwitz, who will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Players category Nov. 11.
My history and friendship with Natalie goes back to 1991 when she was 8 years old. She was a student in my physical education classes at Northview Elementary in Eagan, Minnesota.
I first met Natalie when she was in third grade and can share with you some pretty remarkable things about her as an athlete. Even at an early age you could sense that she was destined for greatness because of her athletic ability, tenacity and the willingness to improve.
As her teacher it was easy to observe that she was competitive and out in front of both girls and boys with the will to succeed and have fun at the same time. Simply put, she displayed athleticism, grit and the desire to win at a young age. These are the ingredients that any coach welcomes on the rink, field or court.
Natalie was achieving athletic accomplishments as an elementary-aged student and not just in hockey. One example that I distinctly remember was when she would help me teach my juggling unit by doing demos and routines with balls, machetes, and fire with ease. She was a member of the school juggling club as a first grader and was featured in the spotlight ring at the Shrine Circus in St. Paul. These experiences really gave her an early taste of what it was like to be in a high-pressure environment and handle it very well.
During Natalie's youth hockey years, she spent countless hours on outdoor ice rinks, playing street hockey and training on indoor ice. This demonstrated her passion and love for the game. She played boys hockey until the seventh grade and then made the jump to girls hockey. I was fortunate to coach her in eighth, ninth and 10th grade at Eagan High School. She achieved individual statistics and team accomplishments at the high school level that made an astonishing impact on Minnesota girls hockey.