Amad Dao '24 Recruiting Profile

Hi. My name is Amad Dao and I am a 17 year old Highschool Senior in New York. I attend KIPP College Prep and plan to graduate next June 2024 with my high school diploma. I plan to go to college and major in computer science with a minor in business . I hope to continue my path as a ice hockey and or football player in college. I really aspire to play hockey in college and look for to obtaining my bachelors degree to support my goals of growing my own business. 

Sports has always had a special place in my heart since I was a kid. Since I began at age 5, I have always wanted to keep playing hockey & football year after year with my team. I love both sports but I will focus on hockey here. 

In the community of hockey, there aren't many people of color who play the sport. It’s usually because most people see the sport as a predominantly white sport, especially in places like Canada. But little did I know that a program named Ice Hockey in Harlem would make a big impact on my life and educate me on the sports history and diversity . This is important to me because of my family’s background being from West Africa and exposure to new opportunities. 

When I originally got into hockey, my mom, a single mother & a nurse, found out from one of her patients at an old job. When my mom originally offered me the idea to join the program, I was immediately willing to try it. This was especially true since it's the first winter sport I have ever played. When my mom applied for me, it was almost instant that I had to play. 

Since hockey season was right around the corner, I was very excited to give it a shot. As a child, I didn't really know much about the sport or the number of people of color playing hockey either. Still, I definitely wanted to give ice hockey a go. I knew I wouldn't be the only child that would be there, and for sure, I wouldn't be the only child of color to have many friends while playing. 

As I started to play hockey, I figured out that hockey was harder than it seemed. As you begin to play the sport, I learned that you will have to multitask with other things. I had to master ice skating and, at the same time, hold a stick. I also had to watch, control a puck, and move with speed. It was definitely very hard to learn how to play the game overall, especially with things like learning the rules and the do's and don’ts. Each day of me going to practice was like adding a new challenge to my life, knowing that it would take me forever to complete. Even though there would be many massive moments and challenges where I would want to give up and stop playing, I kept showing up, day after day. All I wanted to do was learn more and more. I wanted to dedicate my time and life to playing ice hockey. As I continued to play overtime, it became so rewarding. I loved hockey year after year. I can say that I learned a lot of skills that helped me improve myself as a player, as a teammate, and boosted my confidence. 

What makes me a good candidate for a college team is that the skills I learned as a young athlete,  mostly revolved around my techniques  with skating and my problem-solving ability. I found this especially when it came to tight situations from playing hockey. My coaches make me do drills at the beginning of practice, the idea revolved around teamwork. I realized that when you master teamwork among your teammates and peers, playing achievements become ten times easier. I learned that, as a player, I can shift around the puck. I also have to anticipate what I need to be doing next.  Learning problem-solving on the ice allowed me to make hockey a big factor in my life. These skills taught me that we can affect the outcome of our hockey games. When learning what to do in situations, such as a fast break or a double team (having two players on one person), you can learn and master getting your teammates more involved. I also learned that I should make sure that, as a team member, I’m not getting myself into another complicated situation.

My life outside of hockey has taught me a lot. My character is well known among my classmates and teammates as a friend and supportive person. I am a high achiever and give credit to my faith, my mom, my family, and to sports. This has pushed me to be a successful student from elementary to present leading me to stay in honors programs, be recognized by all my principals, and mvp awards throughout my hockey and football career.  This is all due to the importance of teamwork. When it comes to playing sports with my various teammates, teamwork has been one of the top three most important values I’ve learned from my coaches. I found that when it comes to school work with my fellow classmates and even my family, you can succeed doing things together. When doing things like projects and presentations, the use of teamwork has drastically improved my effectiveness in getting work done. I have also learned that even if we make mistakes, we can leave things behind us to move on. 

In conclusion, the sport of hockey has had an overall positive impact on my entire life to this day. Because of hockey, I have had many opportunities to meet pro hockey players at conventions, network and get advice from them, and ask questions about experiences to get a better understanding of how real the professional is. Because of the sport, I have also had the opportunity to work with life-changing and historical professional hockey players like Mark Messier. This sport has also given me the opportunity to teach kids and teens throughout New York City how to in-line skate, roller skate, and advance to the ice. With the opportunities that hockey has provided in my life, I can truly say that hockey will always be a forever-life-changing experience that I hope other kids all over the world can experience too. I plan to take these skills & past experiences with me in my college and adult life. I know how being given an opportunity or a better chance, it can mold your life into the future your desire and dream of.