WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Giada Greco is only 11 years old, but she is years beyond her age on the ice.

The middle school goalie is already doing college-level and pro-level drills.

What You Need To Know

  • Girls hockey is growing rapidly in Florida, and it's one of the fastest-growing youth sports in the United States
      
  • Wesley Chapel’s Giada Greco is an up-and-coming hockey goalie who won the Dominik Hasek trophy last year for her excellence in the sport

  • Greco may only be a middle schooler, but her skills on the ice will make you think otherwise. 

Bernie Desrosiers specializes in one-on-one goalie training, and several of his students have gone on to find success in the NHL.

He says Greco has what it takes to compete at the highest level.

Desrosiers said the Olympic dream is not out of reach for Greco, who started playing hockey when she was 8 years old.

“I think my second year, when I was like 9, I thought, like, I’m definitely going to stick to this my entire life,” Greco said. “I’m going to put every effort in practice every day, and so now I do that.

For Greco there’s hardly any time off.

“She just tends to push it and she wants me to push her harder,” Desrosiers said.

The drills are what you’d expect from someone twice her age, but Desrosiers says she has the work ethic and skill to contend.

And she is always keeping her goals at the top of her mind.

“My goals are to someday reach an Olympic team, and get into the women’s NHL,” Greco said.

Desrosiers said Greco embraces every challenge she can.

“She plays with boys, in a co-ed league, which means boys tend to be a little bit more intimidating," Desrosiers said. "She’s tough."