Michael Romano '24 Recruiting Profile

When I was eight years old, my brother and I asked our parents if we could try roller hockey. We had both always played a variety of sports and simply saw this as an opportunity to try something new. Neither of us had spent much time roller skating, but we didn’t let that stop us. After a fun and relatively short season, my brother was ready to head back to the soccer field. But not me. I was focused on learning how to play this game out on the ice. I soon joined a Squirt team, having never ice skated before and still learning the fundamentals of the game. But I knew then that I wanted to become a highly competitive player and that I would have to work hard to achieve it. I quickly began to understand the meaning of commitment. A commitment that has changed how I show up as an individual athlete, a teammate, a student, and a person overall. And I remain committed today, as a AAA hockey player who is preparing to play at the highest level possible at a top academic college.

Discipline is at the heart of everything I do. I set both short- and long-term goals for myself when it comes to my game as well as my academics – and it starts with managing my schedule. I am essentially on the ice six to seven days a week, whether it’s an official practice, skating lessons or other focused drills. To ensure I have the stamina, I follow a rigorous off-ice workout schedule that begins at 5:30 a.m. each day, diversifying my routine with everything from weight training to yoga. When it comes to school, I map out my schedule weeks in advance to ensure I have time to complete day-to-day assignments, as well as plan for projects and study for tests amidst an intensive travel schedule for hockey. My discipline has paid off. I ended my freshman year in high school with all “A”s and was moved to the honors math class for sophomore year, while at the same time moving up to the AAA level.  

Self-discipline allows me to deliver on my own goals, but it also allows me to show up as a strong teammate. If my teammates and coaches were asked to describe me, I am confident they would talk about my ability to remain focused, no matter how high stakes the situation is, and the fact that I’m a dedicated, hardworking player. Through the support of many great coaches over the years, I have learned that it’s critical to understand the strategy, learn from mistakes and consider my teammate’s individual goals as well as my own so that the team can succeed.

I wake up every day thinking about hockey and spend my time working toward my goals. In the short term I am preparing to play college hockey at the highest level possible at a top academic school, majoring in a math-related area. In the long-term, my goal is to incorporate both math and hockey into my career, and I am currently investigating options related to data analysis. I am very fortunate to have the guidance and support of both my coaches and my parents as I continue to investigate my opportunities. I am excited to begin the recruiting process.