Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one or more of these five skills… and tell us the actions you took and the outcome.
Conduit Hockey is an organization that brings hockey, a sport typically reserved for wealthier student-athletes, to underserved communities throughout Des Moines. As a coach, empathy and awareness are key, as our players have varying degrees of stability within their families. Understanding this, I encourage positive language, mindset, and consistent attendance. I firmly believe setting the tone with these topics from a young age will help guide student-athletes to success, on and off the field.
Currently, one of my players has autism. At the beginning of the spring 202X season, he struggled with his self-image. Some kids made fun of his name. Others mocked his seemingly random comments and lack of focus. He wanted to quit – I couldn’t blame him. However, I believed staying on the team would ultimately help him, so I worked with him one-on-one to improve his stick skills and defense. With hard work, he slowly improved. By the end of the season, he was a starting defender. He gained the respect of his teammates, and most importantly, he gained the confidence to respect himself. This is one example showing how impactful this sport can be, and I am proud of the inclusive environment I created for my team.
At Columbia Business School, I will bring my coaching experience with Conduit Hockey to a similar local organization, such as Harlem Hockey, and encourage my Columbia classmates to join me. I firmly believe addressing systematic inequity and building inclusive environments through hockey will benefit these student-athletes throughout their lives.