Prompt #1 (freshman applicants) Describe the world you come from — for example, your family, community or school — and tell us how your world has shaped your dreams and aspirations.
My path to college was unexpectedly altered at the end of my freshman year of High School. The avenue I was traveling on was the road of ice hockey. Freshman year I was playing in my 5th season, as a goaltender for the Los Angeles Jr. Kings (LAJK) youth hockey club. I had made the Bantam 14AAA team, the highest level for my age group. I can’t remember a time when I did not play hockey. My ticket to college would be through an athletic opportunity, or so I had envisioned.
One path to college for many hockey players involves playing two to three years of youth AAA hockey, then hoping to be scouted by or trying out for and making a junior team. After signing with the Western Hockey League (WHL), American Hockey League (AHL) or another junior team as a junior or senior in high school, you would leave home; live with a host or billet family, finish high school on-line, and play hockey until you are scouted for college. After that, the athlete would hope to get noticed by a Division 1 college or university to gain a scholarship. The final goal is of course, getting signed to an NHL team. That was my plan, until reality set in and everything in my world changed.
I had spent my entire freshman year, while a member of the Bantam 14AAA team, preparing for this possible college path. My goalie coach since I was ten, former L. A. Kings NHL goaltender, Jamie Storr, worked tirelessly to help me prepare for a spot on next season’s Midget 16AAA team. Paradoxically, Jamie had accepted the position of assistant coach for that team. He informed me that the rink’s General Manager’s son, who was a year older than me, was going to be signed as the starting goal tender and I would be his backup. I was anxious to prove my skills and be a part of that AAA team.
In June, right before the official team tryouts, they brought in the head coach. The very first thing he did was recruit a goalie from Canada, in hopes of attracting more elite skaters from other clubs to his AAA team. “What, are you kidding?” I gasped in discontent. It was true; I was out. Jamie, seemingly betrayed and deceived me; he suggested I stick with the Kings and try out for a position on the AA team. He wanted me to spend the next season to further develop and remain in the ‘radar.’ Well, of course I went and tried out at another club. I thought I had to be AAA to reach my college goals. Unfortunately, that team had a poor showing for tryouts and folded. I returned back to the Jr. Kings with my tail between my legs and was gratefully signed to the 16AA team. However, the irony was yet to occur.
Late in August, just before school started, my family got a call from Jamie. He was a bit desperate. The Canadian goalie they signed, instead of me, had arrived to town with his family and he had no home, for the season. The non-hockey family that agreed to host him, backed out at the last minute. Jamie pleaded with my family to billet his goaltender for the season. The boy that was put in ’my spot’ would now be my roommate for the next six months, how ironic. .
So how did these circumstances alter my outlook for college? It humbled and grounded my expectations. I suppose that saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” applies to the politics of hockey. I found out later that my roommate’s goalie coach in Canada was a colleague of my goalie coach, Jamie Storr. I’m not being cynical about what happened, just realistic. My epiphany was I never really had any control of my youth hockey ‘career’ at tryouts yet my stellar grades were never compromised for hockey because I was always in control of them. I decided my passion for math and science would prevail in my search for college and if the school had a Division III or club hockey team, I would ultimately be in a win, win situation.
Prompt #2 (all applicants)Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud and how does it relate to the person you are?
I am a person who follows the rules, leads by example and gives back to my contemporaries. I think back to when I began my pursuit of a black belt in karate, starting at age three. I religiously attended weekly practices working diligently towards this goal. In the mean time, I was also following a dream of playing goaltender in the NHL by participating in youth travel ice hockey. These two worlds complimented each other in every way. They both demanded; discipline, dedication, commitment and respect. The only conflict was the timing of practices. My karate instructor was much more lenient than the board members of the hockey club. To me, following rules meant I should never miss a practice for either sport. On the ice, there are only two goalies. If I was missing, my team suffered. So after ten years of karate, when it was time to test for my black belt, I struggled with ice and karate practice conflicts. I felt it was my duty to seek a replacement for hockey when I had to be at karate. This did not go over well with one particular hockey board member. My hockey coach, also a black belt, understood and felt if I found a replacement, there was no problem. This was a lesson in balancing commitments. I eventually fulfilled my karate practice requirements and passed my black belt test at age 13. .
I proceeded to volunteer at the karate studio to help other kids try to achieve their goals. I also asked my goalie coach for a volunteer assistant coaching position at his goalie school to help other goalies follow their dreams in hockey. Working with kids who have such big dreams and seeing them progress, improve and succeed makes all my years of hard work worth it.