At first, a stick tap from a hockey player may not seem like a grand gesture. Meg Simon of Middlebury College gave one out to a little boy named Connor before a game one day. Yet, an interaction like that meant much more to that little boy.
A few weeks later, Simon noticed Connor standing in the same spot. She caught a glimpse of him, and to Simon’s surprise, she noticed he was wearing a jersey with her number.
“It’s so surreal that you’re having an impact on kids. It was even more awesome when I realized [Connor] was actually someone who I had read to [at a] school. We went to recess and I got to read to him,” Simon said. “It’s neat… that week was a little tough with hockey and a lot of different things were going on. I felt it put everything into perspective. Hockey really is bigger than a game. It is about the people and that’s why I enjoy it.”
Simon is the first member of the Middlebury College hockey program to be nominated for the Hockey Humanitarian Award. The award is presented to a student-athlete in college hockey who makes significant contributions to their team and their community through leadership in volunteerism. Simon is the first Division III player from the New England Small College Athletic Conference to be named a finalist for the award since 2018.
The Importance of Helping Others
Volunteerism has always been part of Simon’s life. Growing up around hockey impacted Simon in numerous ways. It gave her a love of the game, but also introduced her to volunteerism from an early age. During his time as a coach, her father Ben was the first to show her how to give back.
“I remember his players coming into our classrooms when I was in second grade, taking time to read or skate with us,” Simon described. “Watching those guys give back in a way that connected families with players really stuck to me. It shaped how I see my role as an athlete. I tried to show up the same way that they did for me, because I never really saw hockey players to be solely hockey players. I saw them to be role models in their community too.”
Lending a hand around Middlebury
When Simon began her collegiate career at Middlebury, it wasn’t difficult to get started connecting with her new community. Simon called it a ‘natural progression’ because she spent time in middle school and high school giving back to her community in Michigan. At Middlebury the transition was effortless. The volunteering co-chairs emailed the team about events and kept a Google Sheet for player sign-ups. For the Panthers, giving back is a team effort and something the players take pride in. Simon added some of the most meaningful moments for the team have happened when volunteering.
“As soon as something was shared with us that we could participate in the community, I wanted to be all in,” Simon explained. “Whether that was volunteering with the local hockey team or going into the schools, or there’s a chance to participate in a read-a-thon at a local elementary school. My bucket’s filled when I’m able to do stuff like that. I love doing it with my teammates, too. When we do it together, it makes it even more powerful.”
Simon joined different organizations on and off campus while at Middlebury. She is the co-chair of Volunteering for the women’s hockey team. Simon also held roles as the President of Middlebury College Access Mentors and as a RADical Health Mentor. She served on the Middlebury Student Athlete-Advisory committee. Off campus, she has worked with the Middlebury Amateur Hockey Association, Special Olympics Vermont, and Yellow House Community.
As a walk-on to the women’s hockey team, Simon spent time playing but also time on the sidelines. Still, she has found ways to handle the ebbs and flows that come with not playing often.
“It’s so easy these days to find what’s wrong with what’s going on, but I think that it’s really, really important to learn how to find the good in a not-so-great situation,” Simon said. “It is frustrating, but I think that there’s a lot more to life and to sports than that. You have to pivot and be like, ‘okay, this is what’s going on today.
What can I do to better the team today?’ College sports really have been a true test of character.”
Sharing her passion
Simon appreciates the good moments she has on and off the ice. She knows when she’s not playing that she still plays a vital role on her team as a support system to her teammates. Her parents are a great way for her to talk through what she’s been through and learn from it. That’s why Simon went all in with outreach during her time with Middlebury. She views taking part in sports as a great way to learn how to be part of a team. She sees the two sports she takes part in, hockey and golf, as a vehicle to uplift others and expand the reach of sports.
“[It’s] really important to share your passion for the game with other people and try to inspire [them] to take part in what a beautiful thing sports are,” Simon explained. “Teams are the most powerful entity in the world. And if I can get someone to join a team or to learn that they have a different passion, that’s something special and something unique about college athletes and college sports.”
Receiving recognition
Others in the organization see how Simon uses her passion for sports and recognize the time and effort she dedicates to sharing that with others.
“From her first day on campus, Meg has jumped in with both feet to give to others,” Head coach Bill Mandigo said in a news release. “Her dedication to service and community engagement has allowed her to give back to those around her. I truly believe Meg is hockey’s finest citizen.”
Especially in a town like Middlebury where everyone sees each other often, it’s easy to form relationships with community members. Simon’s reflections emphasize how others have helped her: “At the end of the day, when you fall asleep, you’ve realized that they’ve helped you. Those people filled my bucket,” Simon said “I may have helped fill their bucket a little bit, but at the end of the day, they’re the ones that made me smile and made my day a lot better.”
The First Panther Hockey Humanitarian Award Finalist
One morning while warming up in the gym, Simon received the news she had been named a finalist for the Hockey Humanitarian Award. It was exciting for her to learn she was now the first finalist ever from the Panthers hockey program.
“I already do consider myself to be extremely fortunate and lucky to have been a nominee and finalist,” Simon said. “It really does reflect my team’s impact on the town of Middlebury and the communities that shaped how I saw volunteerism. Regardless of what happens, I am extremely proud of my team’s commitment to our community and the consistency that we’ve shown to our town.”
In the final game of the season, Simon didn’t play and instead worked on statistics for the team. It was the end of her collegiate hockey career. Middlebury did not advance to the NCAA tournament. She described the day as ‘tough.’
But, later that day, the same little boy with his jersey returned to have her sign it. It reminded Simon of the impact her outreach efforts had on others around her, regardless of the hardships that came along with them.
“You just take a step back and you’re like ‘this is what it’s all about.’”
The 2026 Hockey Humanitarian Award is celebrating its 31st season this year. Three of the five finalists are women. This year’s recipient will be announced on Friday, April 10, 2026 during the NCAA Men’s Frozen Four weekend. This story is part of a series highlighting the three female finalists for the award. To learn more about the organizations Meg Simon has been involved with check out Middlebury Amateur Hockey Association, Special Olympics Vermont, and Yellow House Communityfor more information.
