Sofia Polizzi and Mr. Oberle.
Breathing life into her instrument and darting across the ice on her skates, Sofia Polizzi, a senior at Fort Hamilton High School, lives between two worlds: one on the stage, and one on the hockey rink. Music and ice hockey have been a part of her life since childhood and continue to define her life as she leaves high school.
When choosing which high school to attend, Polizzi was between schools that specialize in either music or hockey. She ended up choosing Fort Hamilton High School, which awarded her the best of both worlds.
“Mr. Oberle was really with me and my mom and the decision process,” Polizzi said. “He would probably call me [almost] every week. So I ended up picking Fort.”
As a part of the music program at Fort Hamilton High School, Polizzi plays for the school’s Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and Marching Band, playing a variety of instruments. Throughout her life, Polizzi learned to play the piano, the drums, the flute, the tuba and the trombone.
She plays mainly the trombone, and tuba and was a drum major for the marching band. Every week she also plays with the Brooklyn College Wind Ensemble.
Polizzi says that her favorite memories have been performing at winter and spring concerts over the years and auditioning for Essentially Ellington, a program for high school jazz bands.
“We didn’t make it but it was just like the experience was really fun,” she said. “I got to know the jazz band a lot better and I think it made us really connected. That’s one of my favorite memories.”
After playing at her last spring concert of her high school career, Polizzi looks back on her experiences as a student musician with fondness and gratitude.
“It was just a really good experience because that’s where I met all my friends,” she said. “I probably wouldn’t be the same person I am right now because Mr. Oberle has taught me a lot of things. And so have my other teachers, like Mr. Mulligan, Mr. Shin, Ms. West.”
But instruments aren’t the only thing Polizzi plays. She has also been playing hockey since the age of four and has been honing her skills on the ice ever since.
Polizzi first started playing hockey on boys hockey teams. Years later, she began transitioning to girls hockey teams which rely less on physical checking and more on skill and speed. In hopes of pursuing hockey on the collegiate level, Polizzi had to play girls hockey.
“It was like a really hard adjustment,” she said. “I ended up playing half and half two years ago. And then I officially transferred to girls hockey last year.”
This year, Polizzi began playing on a Triple A team, the highest level for hockey players. She plays on The Egypt Women’s Ice Hockey team, competing in tournaments like the Dream Nations and Amerigol Latam Cup.
Polizzi has committed to playing ice hockey at Connecticut College, a Division 3 team playing competitively with colleges and universities across the United States.
She hopes to continue playing hockey throughout her life and making it on to a Division 1 team.
“Sofia is a standout,” said Mr. Thomas Oberle, Assistant Principal of Arts and Business. “I guess one of the most impressive things is that she doesn’t speak about her activities. She has traveled all over the world playing co-ed ice hockey. Actually, she doesn’t just play, she is an ice hockey star. She is so unassuming.”
Wherever life takes her, Polizzi plans to keep both music and ice hockey in her life through college and beyond.
Mr. Oberle offered parting words of encouragement to Polizzi. “You can hide no more! You are a star! Go forth and make us proud,” said Mr. Oberle.