When Katie Homan was growing up in rural Ohio, hockey wasn’t part of her world. Outside of watching The Mighty Ducks, the sport simply wasn’t on her radar.
Everything changed in 2015.
A former UNC classmate working with the U.S. Olympic Committee recommended Homan for an opportunity with the U.S. women’s hockey team. She was invited to assist at one event... and never really left.
“They invited me to one event, and for some reason they keep inviting me back,” Homan said.
More than a decade later, Homan has become a trusted part of USA Hockey’s medical team, attending three Olympic Games and helping care for two gold medal–winning teams, including the squad that went undefeated at the Milan Olympics and defeated Canada in overtime for gold.
“These elite women are a different breed,” Homan said. “You’re seeing some storylines of athletes coming out with different injuries they’ve pushed through during the Olympics. They’re just incredible athletes and even more incredible people.”
Homan now works full-time with USA Hockey and also serves as the head Athletic Trainer for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women’s Hockey League.
Throughout her career, she has watched the sport grow while the level of care for athletes has evolved alongside it.
“It’s crazy to think how far even we’ve come in my 11 years with USA Hockey and what we’ve been able to offer these athletes,” she said.
Despite the championships and Olympic success, Homan says the reward isn’t about medals.
“We don’t do this for the glory or hardware,” she said. “We’re just really doing it to try to see those athletes that we work with day in and day out have that success and reach that mountaintop.”
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