WEEK #1: ALYSSA H.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

My name is Alyssa Hidalgo and I am 12 years old.  I love playing hockey & volleyball as my main sports.  I’m also on my school basketball team and would love to play football.  My favourite team is the Seattle Seahawks. 🙂   I did play on a select hockey team and was on an 11U volleyball rep team but in 2019 I had to take a break because of acting.  Acting is my hobby and I love to act.  I’ve acted in several commercials and won a Joey Award for the Best Actress and Best Group Ensemble for a commercial I filmed in 2018.  I currently have a lead role as Agent Orla in Odd Squad Mobile Unit scheduled to air on TVO Kids in February 2020.  In 2019 I went to school for half a year and filmed for the other half while being tutored on set.  Soon I’ll be filming and working full time again which I am very excited about.

How do you best support your teammates?

I best support my teammates by passing to them giving them a chance to drive forward with the puck to score.  I cheer them on regardless if they’re having a good or bad game.  I always use positive words to encourage them and I try to have an overall positive attitude all the time.  In volleyball, we have a lot of cheers. As a team, we work together to motivate each other.

Who is your favourite female athlete? Why?

My favourite female athlete is Danica Patrick who is former professional race-car driver.  I like her because there aren’t really any female racers and she shows all girls that we can do whatever we want.  She made history by being the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race in 2008 when she won the Indy Japan 300.

What advice do you have for parents, coaches or sport administrators to encourage or improve sport for females?

Don’t sugar coat anything. Be direct and honest to the athlete while still being respectful so that they can learn and improve and not have a false sense of their skill level.  Also, show that you’re interested in their game so that the athlete feels you support them.

What is a quote that motivates you?

The quote that motivates me is:

“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky

This motivates me to do better and try my best because I’ll never know if I can do something if I don’t try.  So, I always try.