Related Content
•
CoSIDA.com/CoSIDA360 Magazine Archive
Note: This story appeared in the Spring 2020 May edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Fulfilling A Dream
Baldwin Wallace Communications Assistant Louie Abounader Bring Home Bronze from Arab Cup 2020
by Cannon Dees – Baldwin Wallace University, Communications Student Assistant ‘20
On February 2, Baldwin Wallace University Athletic Communications Assistant Louie Abounader landed in Kuwait with the Lebanese National Ice Hockey team for the 2020 Arab Cup. Seven days later, he returned to Berea, Ohio, with dirty laundry, jet lag, memories and a bronze medal.
During the six-day tournament, all six teams played one match against each other in a round-robin format. Lebanon started the tournament in a good position after a 5-1 win over Bahrain thanks to Abounader’s three-goal and one assist performance, which earned him the player-of-the-game Award for Lebanon. The team carried that momentum into the second game with a 13-0 win over Saudi Arabia. Their first loss came at the hands of host-team Kuwait after a 5-2 result and was followed by a second loss to the United Arab Emirates, 8-3. Their final game ended in a 5-4 win over Egypt in what was a must-win game to secure third place. Overall, Kuwait finished first in the competition with a 5-0 record. Abounader finished the week with four goals and two assists.
Although hockey was the focus of the trip, the team was still able to enjoy themselves off the ice.
“Even though our schedule revolved around hockey for the most part, such as games, meetings, and practices, we would fill in the time between at the hotel with each other,” said Abounader. “Our five-star hotel had some of the best food I’ve ever had, an outdoor pool, sauna, ping pong table, foosball, and billiards. It was a perfect place to be when we had only a few hours to kill.”
However, when they had more than a few hours to kill, Abounader and the team would take part in more tourist-like activities, such as sight-seeing.
“We went to the top of the Kuwait Towers to get a view of the Kuwait City skyline and Persian Gulf,” he said. “We also visited a beautiful marina by the beach with an Americanized mall attached to it. It was funny seeing all of the American chain stores and restaurants with Arabic lettering instead of English.”
Amidst the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Abounader initially had reservations about being with a group that he had met very little previously.
“I was a little skeptical on how close we would become as a team for the short amount of time that we were together and how minimal we had played together prior to the tournament,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised at how close we all became by the end of the trip despite basically being strangers beforehand. I think having the common goal of making our Lebanese families, and all of Lebanon proud, was the reason we all bought in and got along. I made a lot of friends on the team and coming home was like having to wake up from a good dream.”
One part of the experience Abounader was sure to mention was the culture shock when they first arrived.
Louie Abounader (right) notched four goals and two assists in helping Lebanon to a bronze medal at the 2020 Arab Cup.
“Most people we encountered could communicate in English; however, there were some that spoke no word of it,” he said. “Luckily, I hung around the some of the older guys on the team who were fluent in Arabic and could help me. Some of the other things I wasn’t used to were the desert landscapes, unique architecture and the difference in attire, such as the thawbs (similar to a white robe) the men would wear or the elegant dresses and hijabs the women wore. After our first game there was a camel ‘parked’, or tied down, outside the rink. Regardless, everyone I met was extremely kind and hospitable throughout my stay, whether it was the hotel staff, the tournament committee, or the general public.”
When not traveling the world to play hockey, Abounader is an Athletic Communications Assistant at BW, where he serves as the primary contact for nine of the 23 varsity sports.
While early February is a great time to leave cold and snowy Cleveland, Ohio, it’s a busy time for collegiate athletics. Winter sports are entering the second half of their season while preparation for the start of the spring seasons are underway. Taking a week off in that time frame is no easy task, nor is it always realistic to be able to. Luckily, it wasn’t an obstacle for Abounader.
“I reached out to Sports & Media Information Director Jeff Miller about the opportunity during winter break,” Abounader said. “He understood how much the opportunity meant to me and how narrow my age and physicality window is getting to participate in competitive hockey now that I no longer play regularly. He reached out to Erin Madden, who held my position for two years before me, and she helped supervise some of my home events I’d be missing. They, along with our other Athletics Communication Assistant Dustin Parker, collaborated to cover for me and my responsibilities for the week. I am extremely grateful for our athletic communications department’s willingness to accommodate for my experience and is something I will remember throughout my career.”
“It’s not every day that your assistant gives you a call about such a great opportunity as playing for their national team,” said Miller. “When I got the call, I was excited for him and his chance to continue his hockey career. I remember that call as if it were today because Louie knew he had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but also understood he had a commitment to Baldwin Wallace. It’s not every day that someone is willing to forgo a lifelong dream, but I told him that if he truly wanted to do it, I would make sure his events and workload were covered. For me, as a mentor in this profession, you don’t always get a chance like this and it was great to see how appreciative and happy he was to be able to experience it all.”
Abounader was named player-of-the-game in his debut after a three-goal, one-assist performance.
Despite thoroughly enjoying his experience, Abounader’s future with the Lebanese Ice Hockey team is yet to be determined.
“The team has definitely expressed interest in wanting me to return for future competition, but I have not fully committed to anything thus far,” he said. “Most of their training and team-oriented events take place in Montreal, Canada, so being in another country doesn’t make it easier. However, if they reached out to me again, and I could afford it and have no conflicts in my schedule, I would definitely jump at the opportunity.”
Want to add something to this topic? Add your thoughts on the
CoSIDA Connect Open Member Forum.