As he steps into the coaching position for his first year, Robert Shannon, a teacher here at Skyline High School, is excited and ready to get back into hockey. “I wanted to coach hockey because I had a love for the game and wanted to get back into it, and to teach kids how to play because some of them are brand new… that’s the joy of it,” said Shannon.
Shannon took the position of the new Skyline/Huron, (Skyron) Girls’ Hockey coach. Having taught the sport before, he’s ready to return to it and help this team progress. “It gives me an opportunity to meet kids from another school that I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to meet, and it also gives the girls a chance to connect with one another from different schools,” said Shannon. “You wouldn’t have met them because you would’ve played against them, not with them.”
The team made it to the semi-finals in districts the season of 2023-2024, and they are hoping a new coach will increase their chances of bringing the win home for this upcoming season. “A new coach will be good because he will lead us in the right direction,” said Skyline student athlete Estelle Haft (‘26). “I’m excited for him to coach. I think last year [2023-2024] went well but I’m disappointed we didn’t win states.”
Shannon has been working at Skyline for 10 years in the business magnet. “I really like Mr. Shannon as a teacher, I think he teaches his subjects well and gives us lots of independence,” said Julia Moe (‘27). “He helps us guide ourselves to be more prepared for the future.”
The reason Shannon started coaching was because of his daughter, Lily Shannon (‘24). He had coached her team in previous years and enjoyed it. “One winter, my entire backyard froze over and we turned it into an ice rink,” said Shannon. “We went and got her skates and all the other kids skates and after that they said let’s play some hockey.”
