"Future athletes don’t believe a word she says to you during the recruiting process. Playing for her is like volunteering for the mental health hunger games… the Athletic department at Colby has known about the reports of mentally abusing players and yet hasn’t done a thing about it… it’s a real shame they don’t care about their student athletes. "

"I wish I could go back to the day I committed to this program and make a different decision. Before playing for her, hockey was my entire life. I was fortunate enough to have coaches who valued hard work, fairness, honesty, and development. They made me love the game even more. Playing here had the opposite effect. By the end of my time in this program, the passion I had spent years building was completely gone, and that is something I still struggle to forgive. What made the experience so damaging wasn’t losing games or not getting ice time. It was the environment that was created. No matter how much effort I put into practices, workouts, or improving on my own, it never seemed to matter. Certain players were singled out and isolated without any clear explanation, creating an atmosphere of anxiety instead of growth. As my mental health began to decline, I reached out to her hoping for support or at least a honest conversation. Instead, I felt ignored and pushed even further to the margins. After opening up, my opportunities became even more limited, leaving me feeling isolated from both the team and the sport I loved. The damage extended far beyond hockey. My college experience suffered because so much of my life revolved around a program that had become emotionally exhausting. While friends at other schools spoke about supportive coaches and positive team cultures, I dreaded going to the rink. It felt like certain players were targeted while others were treated completely differently, and there never seemed to be any transparency or fairness. Being scratched was difficult, but what made it especially damaging was never receiving any meaningful explanation or guidance. I was expected to watch games from the stands, separated from the team, with no clear understanding of what I needed to do to earn another opportunity. It felt less like coaching and more like an isolation and humiliation ritual of sorts. Parents send their children to college programs expecting coaches to develop them not only as athletes but as people. In my experience, this program did the opposite. I left with less confidence, worse mental health, and a love for hockey that had been stripped away. It’s been both validating and upsetting to see some other reviews here of players who experienced an almost identical experience to mine. I say upsetting because I would not wish this treatment on anyone and to know it still after all these years later continues on is truly both disturbing and disappointing. I sincerely hope any player thinking of committing to play for her thinks twice before agreeing. "

"I wish I could have given 0 stars. If you are being recruited by her RUN. I’m not even exaggerating when I say she will out you through mental and emotional internal warfare unless you are one of her select few “chosen ones” which by the way she doesn’t even base on effort or character. Her relationship with these select few is borderline inappropriate and disturbing. She will kill all love for the game and make you feel so isolated and alone. No amount of conversations or communication with her or the athletic director will change this it will only make it worse. "

"Horrible horrible horrible manipulative psycho dishonest poor-communicating coach. would not wish her upon my worst enemy. worst person ive ever known."

"Theres not enough space to write down all of the things that are wrong with her “style of coaching”…I was excited to play for this program based on my recruiting experience, but the reality was extremely disappointing. I experienced what felt like constant mind games, favoritism over effort, and a lack of support for players' mental well-being. Instead of helping me grow as both an athlete and as a young woman, the environment and team culture that she created negatively affected my confidence, relationships with other teammates, and passion for hockey. This was one of the hardest experiences of my athletic career, and I think prospective recruits deserve an honest picture before making their decision to spend the next 4 years of their lives with someone who isn’t who they say they are. "

"Where do I even begin. If I could have given zero stars I would have. Unless you are one of the small handful of players she oddly cherishes (to the point of it seeming inappropriate) then she will absolutely kill the love of the game for you. School Athletic Director had been warned several times about her emotionally abusive and mental manipulative behavior and turned the other way. I would not recommend taking your chances with her. She picks on a select few each year for no rhyme or reason and makes their life a living h*ll. BE WARNED!!!!!"

"Before Holley, I've never had a coach care deeply about her players as much as she does. She is always there to talk about anything. She has a winning mentality, but is proud of all our accomplishment on and off the ice. She runs the best practices and has a lot of experience on the ice. She's the best coach I've ever had. "

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