Interview with SHS Hockey Junior AJ DeRosa

The Panthers wrapped up the 2020-2021 season on Saturday night with a loss in the state tournament against Bishop Watterson. Boro played tough through the end. The Panthers faced some tough opponents and even tougher obstacles this season, including injuries and COVID scheduling challenges; however, they stuck it out, played a full season despite the pandemic, and gave it their all on the ice. Congratulations to the Panthers on a great season! To finish off the season, I sat down with junior AJ DeRosa to talk about everything hockey.

Meet #5 AJ DeRosa…

Hockey story:

Hockey is a huge part of AJ’s life; he started skating almost as soon as he could walk, and he was playing hockey at the age of four. Hockey runs in the DeRosa family blood—AJ attributes his inspiration to play to his father who has played or coached for his entire life, and both of AJ’s older brothers played hockey. AJ started playing for the Dayton Bombers, which later became part of the Dayton Stealth. He often played up an age group in order to play on the same team with his older brother, Theo. There's no doubt that being the youngest on the team pushed him to be the best he could be. AJ played on several house and select teams for the Stealth until he started for the Panthers in his freshman year. AJ is earning his third Varsity Letter as a Panther this year.

Playing with his brother and father:

Coach Tony DeRosa has been coaching hockey the entirety of AJ’s life and has coached nearly every team that AJ has played on. AJ also played his freshman and sophomore seasons (as well as many youth hockey seasons) with his brother Theo. Not a lot of people get the opportunity to be in a similar situation, so I asked AJ about the pros and cons of playing with his father and brother. Jokingly, he said he liked playing with Theo because he didn’t need to ask for a ride to practice when he was an underclassman. The only challenges AJ could think of regarding playing with his brother was Theo passing the puck extra hard during drills to try to make him miss it! AJ has always been used to playing on Coach Tony’s teams, so he couldn’t really think of any cons. He noted that sometimes Coach Tony might be harder on him than other players, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t bother him because he thinks highly of his coaching.

Professional hockey player that AJ looks up to the most:

The professional hockey player that AJ looks up to the most is retired Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr. In AJ’s words, Orr is the “greatest hockey player of all time and also a good guy, lots of sportsmanship.” If AJ had to choose a current player that he looks up to the most, it would be David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins. Laughing, AJ said, “he’s fun to watch, and he’s in those Dunkin’ Donuts commercials.”

How hockey has changed AJ’s life:

AJ said this question was difficult to answer because he doesn’t really know a life without hockey. Short, sweet, and to the point, he said, “I love to play it; I have met a lot of great people by playing it.”

What game this season AJ is most proud of:

Back in January, the Panthers played one of their best games against Dublin Jerome. They lost 4-3, but AJ said it was a pivotal point in the season. The Panthers had just lost a player, but the team came together and proved they could still play great hockey. AJ said, “that game could have gone either way.”

AJ’s favorite part of the season:

Those that know AJ might know him as a man of few words. AJ said, “I honestly don’t really think like that; I mean, it’s been a good season.” There you have it, folks. AJ loves hockey, and he can’t break it down into one favorite part. 

Music AJ listens to before a game:

This season, I’ve asked a lot of the players about their game day routines. If you’ve ever walked by the Panthers’ locker room before a game, you know music is a game day staple. AJ said that if there’s a home game, he usually picks two good hype up songs for the drive to South Metro. If there’s a road game, AJ spends the first half of the way to Columbus listening to classic rock and the second half listening to rap. 

Fun fact about AJ:

AJ is right handed, but has always played hockey as a lefty! (Just like his brother and his father.)

AJ’s plans after high school:

There’s still one more hockey season between now and then, but after high school, AJ plans to attain his Bachelor’s degree in Physics, as well as a Master’s and a PhD. 

AJ’s advice for young hockey players:

AJ often works with younger players and helps teach them about the great game of hockey. Because of this, he would like to share two pieces of advice. When teaching young players how to skate, AJ reminds them “Quick steps, chop your feet, lean on your stick.” But on a more serious note, AJ talked about how hockey is difficult to start playing because of the skating aspect. It takes more time and effort than other sports because you have to learn how to skate as well as play the game. Despite the difficulties, AJ said, “If you stick with it, I think it will pay off.”

Just because the hockey season is over (is it ever really over, though?!) doesn’t mean Off the Reels is over. Stayed tuned for player interviews with more local sports teams this spring and summer. Follow @offthereelsblog on Instagram to stay updated!