Bridget Bayles '23 Recruiting Profile

 When I was in fifth grade, I set my mind on playing hockey. I’m not sure what planted that seed in my mind, but it stuck with me. It seemed like a crazy idea, as I didn’t even know how to ice skate. I started with an ice skating class, and though most of the kids in the class were half my age, I stuck with it and was the only student to pass the class. I joined an instructional hockey program the next Fall and was invited to join a girl's recreational hockey team after just a few weeks into the instructional classes. It was hard playing hockey, being such a new skater, but making the team and getting thrown in games helped me to improve my skating all at once.  I was blessed with teammates and coaches who were positive and supportive even though I was only a beginner. I even got the opportunity to play goalie in one game using my friend’s equipment. I really enjoyed it and I surprised myself because I wasn’t too bad at it, and I only let in a few goals. From then on I began training as a goalie, playing on MYHA u14aa girls the following year. 

I currently play goalie on York u19aa girls, with the addition of the Saint John’s girls varsity team. I am definitely not perfect but am constantly working to improve my playing ability. Hockey is a part of my life and I cannot imagine living without it, which is why I plan to pursue a hockey career in college. On the ice, I am a mature player who is able to stay calm in a stressful environment. I am always actively looking for criticism from my coaches and mentors, accepting my flaws and building off of them as I play.

In college, I hope to pursue a career related to computer science.