Olympic Hockey Star Kacey Bellamy Helps Mustangs Get Their Minds Right
Millbrook School takes athletics seriously, because the skills students hone through competitive endeavors prepare them for lives of meaning and consequence regardless of what career they pursue. To emphasize the synergy between sports and life success, Millbrook invited women’s ice hockey star Kacey Bellamy to speak with students.
Bellamy is an eight-time world champion with the U.S. Women’s National Hockey team, and she played in three Olympic games, winning a gold medal in 2018 and picking up silver hardware in 2010 and 2014. She also played professionally for 10 years in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) and the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL), winning championships in both leagues. Currently, she is the Director of Athletic Development at Massachusetts sports training complex Maples Crossing, a motivational speaker, and a poet.
“You can’t play forever, but you can grow the game forever,” - @kbells22— Team USA (@TeamUSA) April 8, 2019
A look inside the journey of 3x @usahockey Olympian Kacey Bellamy and the responsibility she carries with her for the next generation. https://t.co/vvAoH4v3uR pic.twitter.com/iyNuvm3Tpu
Millbrook Girls Varsity Hockey Captains Piper Smith ‘25, Jaicee Downs ‘26, and Lilly Ainley ‘25 introduced Bellamy. They shared an example of her leadership from the 2018 World Championship, when she patrolled the hallways of Team USA’s hotel reminding her teammates to get their minds right for the challenge ahead. Then, Bellamy took the stage at the Chelsea Morrison Theater to share what she’s learned throughout her career about overcoming adversity to achieve her goals.
Throughout her presentation at Millbrook, Bellamy emphasized the importance of setting a goal, determining the small steps needed to achieve that goal, and consistently following those steps. Discipline and hard work at each stop along the way—from playing youth hockey on boys teams to skating in boarding school at Berkshire, starring on the ice in college, and realizing Olympic dreams—drove her to greatness.
On her journey to success, Bellamy learned that to reach her dreams, she also had to develop indomitable resiliency. She advised her audience that to succeed, they would need to have the same mindset:
“Never let the thought of failure stop you from reaching your dreams,” she said. “I always tell kids now, if you have one percent of doubt, you’re probably not going to be successful.”
Bellamy wrapped up her presentation by answering questions from the students. She then invited the audience to the stage to examine her Olympic medals and pose for pictures with her.
Several students noted specific ways that Bellamy’s message influenced them to change their approach to their sports and studies:
“I was impacted by reflecting on my past seasons and remembering how I reacted to when things didn't go my way. After the forum, I ordered a journal and wrote 5 goals I have for this upcoming season. Change doesn't happen overnight, so it is important to document the small stuff in my journal. It was a really cool way to look at how small changes can truly impact your career in both athletics and academics.” — Piper Smith
“It was really inspirational and will help us build the culture we are trying to create on the basketball team this year.” — Marcus Vega ‘25
“I really enjoyed the talk because it was different to hear advice from someone who has been through the full process of getting to the highest level. It changed my perspective a little bit and made me start to question if I am really preparing for every single small aspect of how to be my best. Sometimes I think I do my best but after listening to Kacey break everything down, I realized there is a lot more to the mental side than the physical.” — Jaicee Downs
The Millbrook community is honored that Bellamy made time to share her inspiring story and give students the rare opportunity to hold gold and silver Olympic medals. This experience is sure to spur Mustangs who attended to new levels of success in athletics, academics, and future vocations.
“I am excited to see how students will implement strategies throughout the next season, and what take-aways will resonate with them over a longer duration of time,” said Girls Varsity Ice Hockey and Field Hockey Coach Juliana Pecchia, who organized the event. “As Kacey said, the key is consistency: benefits don’t come from two weeks of work, but from working every day to do all of the little things to be the best you can be.”
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