the ability to prepare both
physically and mentally.
“Coach Chow always
said the regular season is
only preparation for the
playoffs,” Eli said. “And I’ve
always remembered that”
The Raiders, of course, are
coming off a Championship
season and they look to be
heading in the same direction
this year. Through the middle
of November, they were 14-1-2
and held a five-point lead over
second-place Charleswood.
On a team with veteran stars
such as Carson Rybuck, Nick
Mathews and Batt himself,
no one should be surprised.
“Last year we got off to a
ELI BATT AND GOALIE
KYLE MCHOLM
3 2 | G AME O N | D EC EM BER 2017
slow start,” he said. “Physically
we were in every game but we
just couldn’t close and were
losing close games. The guys
just decided to focus and work
harder and it paid off. We
didn’t have an easy route to
the championship. We swept
the top team (Charleswood),
then beat St James and finally
ended up beating the Stonewall
Jets, a very good team, in six
games. It was quite a year.”
The Raiders are a proud,
well-run North End-based
organization with strong
coaching and solid ownership.
Batter summed it up
this way: “With Neddie
(President Ned Sanders) you
never get bullshit. He tells
it like it is. It’s all about the
community and giving back.
“Walking through our rink
little kids come up to you
and recognize who you are,”
Batt continued. “We are role
models and that’s very cool.
And the Raiders Alumni is the
best. Picture yourself coming
off the ice and seeing 40 guys
cheering you on. These are guys
giving back to the team and
basking in reflective glory.
“The kids get so engaged
with the players,” Batt went
on. “All the Raider players
participate in Let’s Read Month
and again, it’s all about giving
back to the community.”
Batt describes his style of
play as: “A puck-dispensing
defenseman.” He also
indicated that he has grown
into “becoming a better a
two-way player, focused on
defense, but always looking
to advance the puck.”
He makes it a point to “lead
by example,” showing the way
to the younger players and
building up their confidence.
“I have to help the younger
players just like the veterans
helped me,” Batt said. “Past
Raiders showed me the way,
so I have to do the same.
I’ve always believed that
coaches guide players and
players promote growth.” ❍