(TABC Sports) There are a lot of things that set the hockey program at TABC apart from other schools: a long legacy of winning, an unrivaled fan base and, every February, special team shabbatonim for both the JV and varsity squads. As the Storm players conclude their regular seasons and gear up for their always impressive playoff runs, players, coaches, rebbeim and parents come together for a meaningful and memorable weekend full of delicious food, divrei Torah and inspiration.

This year’s shabbatonim were no exception, of course. Highlights included a players-only minyan and Friday night seuda, Shabbat lunch at TABC with players, parents and rebbeim, and a seuda shlishit at a player’s home. After seuda shlishit, Coach Mo Fuchs, director of Hockey Operations at TABC, delivered his always-inspirational keynote address to the boys, imparting lessons that have a little to do with hockey, but mostly to do with life. As is tradition, the captains were all given the opportunity to share a dvar Torah—no matter what parsha the shabbaton falls out on, the captains always manage to tie it into floor hockey—and words of inspiration for their teammates. Captain Joey Zelig used the opportunity to express hakarat hatov to the rebbeim and coaches. “[They taught us] what it is to be good people and mensches both on and off the court,” Zelig said. Finally, all the players got to be introduced to the group by some special guests: their moms. As a fun ice-breaker, the unsuspecting parents were asked to introduce their sons by their jersey number. (Pro-tip for any future TABC hockey moms reading this article: know your son’s jersey number!)

Both Shabbatot concluded with a musical Havdala as players swayed arm in arm. “The annual hockey shabbaton is more of a team-building exercise than anything I could possibly do with them on the court,” Fuchs said. “Spending a Shabbos together, with their parents, with their rebbeim, recognizing each individual, not just as a player but as a person, and lifting each other up. That’s what it’s all about.”