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6 // AUGUST 2019 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM O F F T HE D R AW By Harry Thompson S o m e w o u l d s a y t h a t M a r k M a n n e y jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire when he retired from the Air Force in 2004 and started coaching hockey in his home state of Minnesota. As a 1983 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy where he played varsity hock- ey for the Falcons, Manney used many of the lessons he learned on the ice over the course of his 23-year military career, which included the last six years as a pilot with Air Force One. "I approached flying like athletics: go out and do the best you can today. When you get distracted and start looking ahead to a big flight, just like an opponent will beat you in sports when you look ahead to a big game, you may perform poorly on the flight," Manney said in a 2004 cover story in USA Hockey Magazine. "I'm constantly thinking what happens if I don't get the altitude I want, or do I have enough gas, etc. The same held true playing hockey. What happens if the puck gets turned over in the neutral zone? Who do I pick up, etc." T h e s e d a y s t h e r e t i r e d lieutenant colonel is pass- ing those mental skills along to the next generation of hockey players. In addition to serving as the head coach at Andover (Minn.) High School, Manney holds numerous positions in support of grassroots hockey north of the Twin Cities. H e h a s b e e n a n i n s t r u c t o r w i t h t h e American Development Model, served as an evaluator to select local players for USA Hockey 's Player Development Camps and been a long-time member of the Minnesota S t a t e H i g h S c h o o l H o c k e y C o a c h e s Association board. " I t d e f i n i t e l y k e e p s m e p r e t t y b u sy," Manney said with a laugh. "It's not some- thing that pays much, but it's a chance to be involved and maybe make a difference in the lives of the youth in our community. "I've been here long enough now that I've had kids come back and say, 'thank you for everything you did for me. I didn't necessarily appreciate it at the time but I do now. And I've been to a bunch of weddings and some of these players have kids of their own. So it's kind of neat. So in a way I guess you can say that I'm paying it forward." Even though it's been 15 years since he offered his final salute, Manney still misses the day-to-day camaraderie that comes with serving in the military. There's an old saying in hockey that the crest on the front of the jersey means more than the name on the back. That same adage rings true with those who dedicate their lives in service for their country. "Being involved in team sports was the great- est preparation for the military because you're in pursuit of a goal that means that you might have to sacrifice individual accomplishments in order to achieve it," Manney said. "They don't keep stats in the military, but every individual piece has to be functioning properly i n order for t he ent i re g roup to achieve success. So I think there a re a lot of parallels." P Years Later, Air Force One Pilot Still Flying High Mark Manney continues to serve long after retiring from the U.S. Air Force. STICK TAP FOR SERVICE