Ollie

What do they love most about playing their sport(s)?

I love playing hockey because when I play I don’t have to change who I am in any way, I can just be myself. I don’t have a lot of friends out side of hockey but that is all worth it for the family that I am able to create with my team. The way any hockey team can bond is just special and I love it. Most of the kids in this new age don’t really care about their friends, but a good hockey team will do anything for their teammates no matter what it is.

Who inspires them—on or off the field—and why?

The person who inspires me is Kobe Bryant because of the time and effort he put into getting better and the person he was off the court too. He was always finding ways to become the best version of himself that he could be. It could be 3 am and he would be in the gym getting better putting up shots or anything just to become 1 percent better than he was yesterday. The effort he put into camps for kids and raising his daughters was also inspirational to me.

What’s one moment in their athletic journey that makes you proudest?

He recently had the chance to play with some of the best kids in his year group at the USA Hockey National Festival. Seeing him wear a USA jersey with our name on it was pretty special. What made me the proudest though was when he came off the ice after a game and told me “dad, I’ve never had more fun playing hockey!”