Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/900652
"I think winning really fuels the fire because you know what it's like to have that success and you know what it takes to get there." D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 13 MHJ // Was wearing the maroon and gold always the plan and dream? Baldwin // Oh yeah, I always came to some games here and there when I was younger. I love having the community of Minnesota rally and support us, espe- cially family, having them close to come to games. It's always been a dream of mine to go here and I never really realized I was good enough or would even have the opportunity to play here until my junior year [of high school] so it was really amazing to have that and a dream come true. MHJ // What was it like winning back-to-back national championships? Baldwin // I had some experience winning in high school and I think winning really fuels the fire because you know what it's like to have that success and you know what it takes to get there. You want to get back there, you know what it takes and you want to have that success. You know how to win and you don't want to accept anything less than that. It acts as motivation to want to get back there and have that outcome. It's all a part of the process and that's what you want to focus on each practice, each game, each series but at the end just wanting to have that outcome. You want to win that last game of the seasom. MHJ // How does the state high school championship compare to a college national championship? Baldwin // Obviously both are really spe- cial. I was at Minnetonka High School for all four of my years so that was special to achieve together. You look at the individuals on each of those teams and they were full of amazing leaders. They were on different stages, so I would say the feeling of a national championship is a little bit different because you put more work into those in a way. But both are amazing. MHJ // You've earned academic honors in high school and college. How do you bal- ance school and athletics? Baldwin // For me, I've always been and wanted to be a high achiever in the classroom. I've always been a learner and I like to learn, and I've always held myself to a higher standard. I think having that mindset with athletics also translated to the classroom, too. MHJ // What's your best off-ice hockey moment? Baldwin // I love to travel, outside the United States primarily. I've done a couple recent trips but I went backpacking through Europe with my sister, Paige, for about three weeks after my freshman year and really found my love for traveling and exploring new areas and that was a moment in my life where I really felt fulfilled and satisfied, so I would say that's a top moment in my life not involved in hockey. MHJ // So what's one place that you're dying to go? Baldwin // I have a long bucket list but I've always been enthralled with the idea of going to Bali or Thailand. MHJ // What's one thing you want people to know about Sydney Baldwin? Baldwin // I try and do other things not focusing on the same thing with my energy so I like other sports. I play tennis every once in awhile—go up to the cabin in the summer and I try to do a lot of trav- eling and really strive to live a balanced life. I think that's really important. MHJ // So how important is a solid playlist for trips and locker-room pump up? Baldwin // Very important. I like a lot of variety, so I'll have some country, some contemporary. I'll always have some Adele and Beyonce. Very import- ant to have a jamming playlist. Would you rather live a week in the past or in the future? I'd say a week in the future because I think it's important to always keep moving forward. Obviously it's important to look at that past but keep moving forward in that positive direction. ?