For the love of the game
#30 Nick Phillips
Our organization was created in honor of Nicholas Phillips. Nick passed away on May 24th, 2021 at the age of 21. When Nick was 5 years old, he asked his mother if he could play hockey. Although she was reluctant due to her fear of him getting hurt, she finally allowed him to play. Things didn’t go smoothly in the beginning, but he persevered. Six months later he took the ice. Nick was the smallest kid on his team and unfortunately he didn’t get much playing time due to this. Wanting the chance to play, he decided to switch to goalie. The last game of the season the coach decided to put him in as goalie. His first game didn’t go well, but he had the biggest smile on his face and said “I’m a goalie for life!” True to his word, Nick continued as a goalie for the remainder of his life.
Nick had many interests. He was very family/team oriented, and loved wolves because they stood for family. He viewed his hockey team as a family and would push himself as hard as he could because he never wanted to let them down. He always had a dream to go to a wolf reservation and assist in the preservation of the species. Nick was also heavy into Japanese culture. He enjoyed watching anime, attended Comic Con and Nekocon annually, and loved creating his own cosplay costumes.
To relieve stress, Nick loved to build things. He would build anything ranging from woodwork, Gundam models, Transformer models and Lego. He was an incredible write, loved photography, and had a dream of one day becoming a pilot.
As Nick progressed through life he sought out individuals who were depressed, having a bad day, or just seemed like they just needed a friend. His goal everyday was to brighten your day with a smile, joke, or by making a fool of himself; he just wanted to make sure your day ended better then it started. Unfortunately, while he was trying to make everyone’s day better he was battling his own personal demons that he finally succumbed to. Because of Nick we have come together to form PG30 to continue the legacy he left behind.
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Memories of nick
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Nick and I met back in our middle school years. We always got along and had similar friend groups, and he was always fun to be around. He was not afraid to show his nerdy side, and we all admired that about him. He was passionate in whatever interested him. When our junior prom rolled around, he offered to take me, as most of our friends had dates and neither of us didn't. It meant a lot to me, and I could tell he did it out of the kindness of his heart. Our friendship grew into a relationship before our senior year of high school, and we spent more time together. One of his hockey games was my first experience watching it in person. I got to know his family, who are very wonderful people. I thank them for being so kind to me just as he was. He is somebody that I won't ever forget throughout my life, and I only wish we could have spent more time together after graduating high school. He will forever be in our hearts.
- Lauren Banks
"People come and go throughout our lifetime. It was a privilege to be part of this young man's life as one of his hockey coaches, for the better part of 11 years. Time is precious, value it. I was fortunate to coach Nick from the age of five to about sixteen. I got to know him and his family very well. I would like to say a few things about him and his commitment to the team and the coaching staff. Whatever we asked Nick to do as one of our players he did without question or complaint. Nick was a rock solid teammate, not once in the 11 yrs of coaching, and being around Nick, did he ever denigrate another player on his team. This is a rare quality for any human being any age, I always admired Nicks ability to do this. Nick never made excuses for anything he did, on or off the ice. He was 100% accountable all the time. His only response was to ask how could he improve moving forward. Nick worked tirelessly on his craft as an ice hockey goaltender, and was unquestionably admired for his work effort on and off the ice. Nick made this world a better place, and led by example in many ways. He will always be etched in my mind as an upbeat kid, that came to the rink with a smile, and a love for the game. Heaven has gained a terrific goalkeeper and an amazing young man. You will be missed Nick Phillips!"
- Coach John Hawley
"He inspired me to be the best version of myself, always in a great mood and uplifting to those around him. A true friend and someone you'd like to have around even in the toughest of times."
- Jojo Overton