Lyla Gleason '29 Recruiting Profile

I was four years old when I stepped on the ice for the first time and I was five when I started playing hockey. I’ve been playing hockey for almost 10 years now. I love it, it is my passion. I have met so many inspiring people including, peers, college students and professional hockey players, some of whom were my coaches.  

My most challenging season so far was 12U AAA. After tryouts, I was so excited to have made the team. Coach Todd Drevitch was to be my Coach. Coach Todd had/has a reputation for being demanding and tough. I knew I would be challenged and was looking forward to it! However about a month into that season I was diagnosed with vocal cord dysfunction and sports asthma. Initially this proved to be a big challenge. I worked with my doctors, a speech therapist and my coaches to learn some breathing techniques to help me play through the discomfort. Through hard work and dedication, I was able to overcome some challenging health issues and gained experience in dealing with adversity which I draw on every day, not only in hockey but in my academic and personal life.  My 12 Major season also made me realize how much I truly love hockey. If I didn't love it there is no way I would have worked as hard as I did to overcome the obstacles in front of me.

I am a dedicated student who consistently makes honor roll each marking period.  I am in honors level science classes which is important to me because I would like to go into the field of dentistry when I graduate.

I currently play for the New Jersey Colonials 14u AAA team and am looking forward to continuing my hockey career into college.  I am so grateful to be part of an organization that helps women succeed in athletics, I’ve known since I was young that hockey would be part of my life forever and I am grateful for the opportunities presented to me by my club.