The NHL is celebrating women in hockey, and every week this season, NHL.com will highlight a woman from each of the 32 teams. Today, a look at St. Louis Blues manager, youth hockey & fan development strategy Sarah Peterson:
Name: Sarah Peterson
Job title: Manager, youth hockey & fan development strategy
Education: Miami University, Farmer School of Business
Years of hockey experience (Include on- and off-ice hockey-related experience): 20, 17 on ice
Describe your job in 2-3 sentences: I am responsible for helping to develop and oversee our Blues Youth Hockey programs and initiatives, through on and off ice activations. In addition, I act as the liaison between the Blues and all our local youth hockey organizations, continuing to maintain and foster the relationship. Through this, I also lead the creation and execution of all the revenue generating in-game youth hockey experiences.
What motivates you to keep pushing and be successful?
Leaving everything better than I found it; this is something I live by both personally and professionally. Whether it is a single project, a program, or an entire organization, I will do everything I can to help make it the best it can be. Tackling each day with this mindset is what has helped open doors for me in this field and will hopefully continue to do so. I want to look back on my career and see how my contributions had a lasting impact on this team and this sport.
What do you love most about your job?
The part I love most about my job is giving others the opportunity to get involved in a sport that I attribute so much of myself to. I would not be where I am today without the people I met and the experiences I acquired through playing. I am beyond grateful for the opportunities I had to get involved at a young age, and I want more people to find the same value both on and off the ice. The hockey community is incredibly tightknit and filled with so many special people, and I want future generations to share in this passion and understand the impact hockey can have on our community.
Describe a moment where you proudly thought to yourself, “I can’t believe this is my job!”
Being involved in hockey your entire life can often make you numb to a lot of the “cool” aspects of the job. Thankfully, working with kids and growing youth hockey in the St. Louis area gives me a moment like this almost every single day. Seeing the looks on kids’ faces during their first exposure to hockey never gets old. This sport has a way of creating impactful memories and relationships, and I feel so lucky to have a daily reminder of why I do what I do.
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Greece
What’s your favorite book?
“Atomic Habits” by James Clear
One thing you can’t live without?
My family
Do you collect anything?
Nope, maybe now is the time to start!
What is your hobby outside of work?
Cooking
