Islanders Thrill Students at Hewlett Elementary School

New York Islanders’ defenseman Mike Mottau told students at last Tuesday that focus and hard work was needed to achieve his dream of playing in the NHL, and it’s still crucial for him today.

“In high school, I knew I had to get really good grades and test well in order to go to Boston College, which has a really good hockey team, and the academics are really good too,” Mottau said. “We practice every day and work really hard on and off the ice. That can apply to you here at school with your homework and classroom time and listening to your teachers."

Mottau, along with teammates right wing Nino Niederreiter and defenseman Travis Hamonic, spoke about their careers and the importance of doing well in school at a presentation to the entire HES student body.

Physical education teacher Jesse Corben, who arranged the visit, aroused wild cheers from the students and teachers as he introduced the players into the auditorium. Many kids, as well as teachers, wore Islanders jerseys and waved team souvenirs that they brought from home. The presentation started out with a short film of past game highlights, featuring footage of notable plays.

“School is something I always took seriously,” Hamonic said. “You need to get good grades to get a good job.”

Hamonic discussed the importance of reading, adding that the team reads a lot during their many hours on planes, commuting from one city to the next.

“It’s important to go to school,” Niederreiter said. “If you guys have a goal in mind, you have to work hard to get it.” 

Mottau said something that students can do right away is eat healthier foods.

"We need to eat healthy to be in top shape," he said. "As athletes, we need to fuel our body with good food. It keeps your mind sharp and your body sharp."

After brief speeches from each player, they took questions from the audience. At this time, dozens of young hands were immediately stretched to the sky, hoping they would be picked and get a turn to speak directly to one of the players — in some cases, their idols.

Following the presentation, the kids got fired up with a booming chant of “Lets Go Islanders,” led by Corben. This isn’t new to the Islanders, who have been visiting Long Island schools for many years, according to Katrina Doell, digital media manager for the Islanders.

“They want to talk to the kids about doing well in school, eating healthy and give their own life perspective on how they got where they are today, because they were committed to doing those types of things,” Doell said.

Principal Sandra Pensak said that this isn’t the first time the school has had famous guests.

“We’ve had Ruby Bridges here, who helped integrate schools,” she said. “We’ve had Gov. Mario Cuomo’s wife, and we’ve had famous authors."

Although the school has hosted many famous and interesting guests in the past, Pensak said that a visit from celebrities like the Islanders really make an impression on the students.

“We’ve had the Islanders several times,” she said. “They want to come here, so our kids will get excited to support their team. The kids really relate to them, because these are people in their lifetime.”