Adam Geragosian Having joined USA hockey at the age of 13, I was moved from my age group of the 84’s to that 83’s. My first trip as a member of Team Mass. Brought me to Burlington, VT. Looking back I feel this trip is what kept me in the program. I found myself among a group of players with a talent I had yet to see. From this point forward I knew this was the time and place to challenge my abilities. A year went by and I found myself in Vancouver, BC. This tournament had us fixed to play some of the best talent British Columbia had to offer. We fought our way to the top and finished in 2^nd place. However this trip was special because I was named tournament MVP. This award, although minor, gave me the confidence I would need to reach the next level. Another year gone by and it was summer again. For most kids this meant family vacations, trips to the beach and time to relax. However this summer would prove to be one to remember. 1.

In the late spring I had been selected by USA hockey to one of six players to fly to Czech Republic and represent the best talent America had to offer. The summer began and I was selected to Team Mass and we flew to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play against the top regional teams in the country. We struggled in the tournament and finished in dead last. Not more than 3 weeks after arriving home I was on another flight with 5 players I had never met before. We were in Czech for 15 days with some of the best coaches and 15 year old hockey players in the world. I arrived home and began my High school season and waited for the next summer to arrive. July came with a blink of an eye. I was in St. Cloud, MN in the national tournament. We started out strong and tied the powerhouse Minnesota 1-1. Our tournament went well and we finished in 4^th place. I was selected to the All-tournament team and we were flown to Czech Republic to compete in the four nation’s tournament. We played great and won the tournament. My final summer with USA hockey we were again in St. Cloud, MN and had another strong showing, losing to Team New England in the Bronze Medal game. 2.

My time spent playing USA Hockey gave me some of the most memorable experiences of my life. I was taught how to compete and found out what I was up against on both a national and world stage. I found myself given opportunities and traveling the world seeing places I had never dreamed of going. USA Hockey always emphasized excellence and attention to detail, giving me a great foundation to build off of. Due in large part to USA Hockey I have had successes in high school, junior hockey, and now at Northeastern where I plan to carry with me everything I have learned. 3.