Page by Annika Firlik

Q. What do you believe is the greatest challenge most athletes face today?

A. In general, if you want to play at a high level outside of school, you have to travel a lot, usually long distances. That’s what I did. I have to travel hours to play hockey at a higher level than what is closer to me

Q. Where do you usually play hockey?

A. When I was younger, I was homeschooled so I could travel and play hockey. I played in Orange County, Anaheim, El Segundo, and tournaments in Canada, Chicago, and St. Louis, and now I’m currently playing for Varsity Poseidon Hockey in Simi Valley.

Q. How long have you been playing hockey?

A. I’ve been playing since I was four. My brother was a figure skater, and I was always at the rink, so my mom bought me hockey skates. I started skating to let out energy when I was around four years old, and that’s how I started playing hockey.

Q. What is a typical day of practice like?

A. We practice two times a week, usually at night, for one hour-long practices. On game days, which are usually on weekends, we get there an hour before to warm up, and then the game is usually 2 hours long. 

Q.How do you manage and balance your academic responsibilities and intense training schedule?

A. Since I drive an hour to school anyways, I usually try to finish all my homework in the car so that when I get home, I don’t have to worry about homework and can just get ready for hockey. Usually, after hockey practice at night, I study for tests and quizzes.

Q. Describe your major highlights and achievements in hockey in the past.

A. When I was 11, we won the Southern California Championship at the Southern California Amateur Hockey Association (SCAHA). I scored the first goal in that game, which is one of my best memories. We went to state championships for California. I also played tennis at a pretty high level in middle school. I played hockey until about middle school and then went to private school, and I couldn’t leave to play hockey, so I started playing tennis. I was ranked pretty highly, I was 14th in Southern California, and I got selected for the Maccabi games, which are the Jewish Olympics.

Q. What do you look for in a great coach?

A. Definitely less of a screamer and yeller. In the teams I’ve played on where I had those sorts of coaches, the team’s morale is pretty low. He might make us do better at first, but overall it’s not a fun experience, and sports should be fun.

Q. Who is your inspiration for hockey?

A. In hockey, my favorite player is Anze Kopitar for the Kings; he’s the captain, has shown leadership throughout his whole career, and he always tries hard in every play.