Personal Statement
I was ten years old, roaring loud in support of my favorite team at Madison Square Garden, when I looked at my dad and asked him if I could play hockey and be like my idol Matts Zuccarello. One of my highest concerns, though totally outrageous for a ten-year-old to be caught up on, was if there was hitting in girl’s hockey. When my dad told me there wasn’t, I intended on showing people that girls are just as aggressive, fast, and skilled as any of the boys- staying out of the box of course.
Coming into the sport late while nearly every girl started skating as a toddler was definitely a challenge. I was behind in every way. I had no shooting or stick ability, no game IQ, and no skating ability. Developing quickly wasn’t an option and if I really wanted to compete, I was gonna have to get down to it. It was working from square one that taught me unshakable work-ethic. Early morning skates and after school workouts were the name of the game. As I learned to compete on the ice, I learned that a lot of progression skill-wise takes place off ice. I finally was learning to balance my academics with my athletic life. My coach was extremely hard on me and taught me how to be resilient when the scoreboard wasn’t looking too good, what it means to be a team player, how to be a leader, and to love being pushed to the max. Aside from my love for hockey, I aspire to be in the health field, hopefully a nurse one day. Playing both a college sport and being in a health program is going to be extremely difficult, but I'm confident in my work-ethic and am more than ready to dedicate all the time needed to fulfill these dreams.
