Amateur athletics, in all sports are the base and foundation to the professionals. Collegiate athletics have always been important to the popularity and talent of any professional league. Amateur athletics, were much different when they first started. People like Jim Thorpe and Hobey Baker are the people who made multi-sport athletes famous. Hobey Baker, in his time and still today, is labeled as one of the best amateur athletes to ever live.

Hobart Amory Hare “ Hobey “ Baker was born January 15th, 1892. He was born in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of two boys, and was born into a very wealthy family. At age 11, Baker was sent to St. Pauls School, New Hampshire. While at St. Pauls he was introduced to ice hockey. Malcolm Gordon, one of the first men to teach and spread the game of ice hockey in the United States, was the coach there. Gordon noticed Baker’s speed, agility, and skill. It was said that Baker spent many nights skating on frozen ponds, to get better in every aspect of the game (trib). Baker was so skilled, that by the time he was 14, he was named to the school’s varsity team. During his first year on varsity, he helped his school beat some of the best prep and university schools in the United States. Rumor had it hat Baker mastered every sport he tried within his first attempts. By the time he was 15 he was named as the school’s best athlete in hockey, football, baseball, tennis, swimming, and track (Philly).

After his schooling at St. Paul’s he enrolled into Princeton 1911, where his grandfather and father both attended. He immediately joined the school’s hockey, football, and baseball teams. Due to the school’s regulations that stated a student can only play two varsity sports, Baker dropped baseball and made his focus on hockey and football (Hobey). In one of his first football games, Baker helped his team defeat their rival Yale; He faked dropped a kick, and returned it for a touchdown. Princeton that year finished with a record of 8-0-2 and won the national championship. During another game against Yale, Baker had 13 punt returns which broke a school record that still stands today. During that 1911 season, Baker scored 92 points himself, which was a record until 1974. In 1913 Baker was named captain of the football team. During Baker’s three year football career, he scored a total of 180 points. Baker caught 900 punts in his career and averaged 300 punt yards per game. Baker’s senior year in hockey was his most memorable. Not only did his team play the longest game in history at that time, but they also won the national championship. Baker was estimated to have a total of 120 goals and 100 assists in his three year hockey career at Princeton (Hobey). Baker was known his superb sportsmanship, he also was regarded as the schools best athlete.

After Baker finished his schooling in early 1914, he quickly tried to enter the working society. He befriended a very wealthy banker, and soon was working an office job at a bank. He soon couldn’t stand the boredom, because most of his enjoyment and entertainment was found through sports, so he went and played for St. Nicholas Club, which was an amatuer hockey team. While playing for St. Nicholas Club for three years he was again regarded as one of the best players in the American Amatuer Hockey League. Baker was also a very shy and humble man, that did not like alot of attention, and rarely ever talked to the press. So when the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey Association offered him a 20,000 $ contract, he denied it. Baker played his last game of hockey on March 24, 1917. The game consisted of an all-star team from Philadelphia and an all-star team from Pittsburgh. The team from Philadelphia was lead by Hobey Baker, and ended up winning 3-2, with Baker having all three goals (Hobey).

Having had pilot training since 1916, Baker on August 23, 1917 left to go be a pilot in World War 1. Baker was extremely eager to go and fight on the front lines, but he was told he could only fight if he was certified in French, because that is where he would be spending most of his time. Just like everything else, he easily passed all of the courses and mastered French. He then went off to fight, and soon after promoted to lieutenant. He then helped bring down an enemy plane, and due to complicated problems, he was not given credit for confirming the battle. Baker was then transferred to a Squadron of other men, and with his superior leading and pilot skills he was soon in charge of his own Squadron, that consisted of 26 pilots and 180 enlisted men on the front lines (Philly). The next year in early October, again Baker was promoted; he was promoted to captain. On December 21, 1918 Baker was ordered to come back to the United States. Right before coming back, he tested a newly repaired plane, and the engine gave out when he was 600 feet in the air, and he almost died on impact, but died in an ambulance minutes later.

Baker’s legacy in hockey were astronomical. He was one of the first 9 players indicted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, upon its opening in 1945(Hobey). He was also inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. He was also awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1987 by the National Hockey League and USA Hockey, for his contributions to hockey in the United States. In 1975, Baker was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and is the only person to be in both the College Hockey and Football Hall of Fame. Recently in 2010, Baker was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame(Princeton). The biggest award given to his as a hockey, is the Hobey Baker Award, and that award is given to the nation’s top hockey player in the NCAA. When Princeton, built their new ice arena in 1921, they named it Hobey Baker Arena, and the arena is still called that today. His presence and time was so valued at Princeton, that after he joined the armed forces 9 of the 11 players on the hockey team joined also. He has had people from Princeton that only talked to him once, write novels and books about his personal and social life. He was a role model to all people, and was a perfect example of a true athlete.



Work Cited

Trib Live. Hobey Baker, Early American Hockey Star. Pittsburgh: Trib Total Media, n.d. 1. Print.

Philly.com. Hobey Baker, Amateur Athlete, War Hero. Philadelphia: The Inquirer, n.d. 1. Print.

Hobey Baker . Legends of College Hockey. N.p.: n.p., n.d. 1. Print.

Hobey Baker. Hockey Hall of Fame. N.p.: The Hockey Hall of Fame, n.d. 1. Print.

Princeton Tiger Shop. Hobey Baker Arena. N.p.: Princeton, n.d. 1. Print.