ANNVILLE, Pa. (Conference News) – The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has announced King College’s Erin King as one of the 2022 recipients of the MAC Giant Steps Award.
The MAC Giant Steps Award is presented to individuals who have overcome adversity while still succeeding in life, who use sports as a vehicle for positive social change, who break down barriers to provide opportunities to those who follow behind them, and individuals who inspire us to do great things using the positive aspects of sport.
During the 2019 season, Erin King was diagnosed with a concussion sustained on the ice. After being referred to an EMT for lingering symptoms and a consistent ringing in her ears, King went through tests and MRIs to find that she had a benign epidermoid tumor compressing cranial nerves seven and eight and one of her major arteries.
“Normally when an athlete calls you, it’s usually bad news but not terrible,” said King’s College athletic trainer Tina Seber. “But when a 21-year- old athlete calls you to tell you that she has a brain tumor that needs to be removed, it’s a difficult call to receive.”
Doctors informed King that she would have to endure an eight-hour brain surgery to remove the tumor and that her playing career was over. King was determined to prove everybody wrong and that she would be able to finish her collegiate career for the King’s women’s ice hockey program.
Over the summer, King worked diligently with her athletic trainer to rehabilitate and strengthen her head and neck. Upon a visit to her doctor in the fall of 2020 prior to the start of the season, King shocked the doctors with her immense progress and cleared her to return to the ice.
“Erin did come into this with a positive attitude, kept her head up, and wanted to prove everybody wrong that she could be back on that ice,” added Seber. “She showed her teammates and everybody around her that if you put in the motivation, the hard work, and the dedication that you can do anything. Anything is possible.”
King returned to the ice for her senior campaign in 2021, and she not only competed but also led the Monarchs in points as a defenseman and earned a nod as MAC Offensive Player of the Week. King was also just one of four players to compete in all 24 games in the season for the Monarchs while leading the team with 14 starts.
“Learning that Erin went through something so big as brain surgery and a countless amount of other injuries, she has been the epitome of working hard and pushing through anything you can go through as an athlete, basically being the best role model for any kids, regardless of on the hockey team or any others on campus,” said King’s women’s ice hockey sophomore Savannah Willard.
Because the concussion led King and the doctors to find the tumor, King saw the diagnosis as a blessing in disguise. King has taken this opportunity to advocate for concussion awareness and mental illness awareness on campus, especially as they directly connect with brain health and concussions. She encourages student-athletes across campus to communicate and speak out about the importance of their brain’s health.
“This is something that just goes to show exactly how much of a fighter Erin is both on and off the ice, overcoming all of the obstacles she has,” said Head Women’s Ice Hockey Coach Jordan Ott.
King has left a lasting impression on the King’s women’s ice hockey program and the entire King’s athletic department. On the ice, King is scattered across the women’s ice hockey record books for her individual career. Her efforts outside the rink to help promote concussion awareness and brain health laid the foundation for future discussions and advocacy for the King’s campus community.