The Two Letters Grace Outwater Writes On Her Stick
Penn State forward Grace Outwater has a pregame ritual that has nothing to do with superstition. Before every game, she writes her grandmother's initials on her stick.
Before every game, Penn State forward Grace Outwater picks up her hockey stick and writes two letters on it. They aren’t her own initials. They belong to her grandmother.
In a recent conversation on Rinkside Rundown, Grace talked about the woman behind those initials. Her grandmother passed away in her early to mid-50s, and Grace was open about how much it affected her family. “It was really hard on the family because she was so young, and she was a big part of our family,” she said. “We spent our summers at the cottage with her and my grandpa all the time when we were growing up.”
What makes the ritual meaningful is what her grandmother meant to her off the ice. She didn’t really follow hockey, but that never stopped Grace from going to her. “If I was going through a hard time with hockey, or with anything, I would always go to her,” Grace said. “She was literally the most positive person I’ve ever met. She never had anything bad to say about anyone. She always gave me great advice.”
So every game day, those initials are a reminder to bring that same energy to the ice. “Putting her initials on my stick really means a lot to me,” Grace said. “Just to have her in the back of my head, knowing to stay positive throughout the game and to keep her advice throughout the rest of my life.”
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