Gerald Coleman is a rising star who is a teen-age student-player

by NHL | Feb. 20, 2002

Hard work, confidence and determination in the face of adversity are words that Gerald Coleman has come to know very well. Still a teenager, the young goalie from Evanston, IL has dedicated himself to fine-tuning his hockey skills, first as a member of the NHL's Diversity Task Force (DTF), and now as a member of the USA Under-18 National Team Development Program.

Coleman became involved in ice hockey by watching his younger sister take figure skating lessons at a local rink when he was eight. Inspired by his sister, he decided to put on skates and try playing hockey. After two years learning to play forward position, Coleman switched over to goaltending, where he had a knack for blocking pucks. As his love for the sport grew, so did his abilities.

Coleman's parents, Jerry Coleman and Sarah Wright were just as dedicated to seeing their son succeed. Jerry consistently worked overtime to buy his son all the necessary goalie equipment and to cover the ice fees. Sarah supported her son's passion by taking him to games, some of which required five-hour drives. "When you have children who love something so much, you have to support them at almost any cost," said Wright.

Coleman's tenacity began to pay off when, at the age of 12, he earned a spot to compete during the 1997 Willie O'Ree All-Star Weekend. The annual jewel event of the NHL Diversity Task Force celebrates the successes of individual inner-city hockey programs, as their top players, ages 10-12 years old, are given an opportunity to compete in an East versus West game. The players are selected based on citizenship, academics and dedication to hockey. While Coleman was excited about the opportunity to play, he was ecstatic to compete at United Center, home of the Chicago Blackhawks. At the Willie O'Ree All-Star Weekend, Coleman met some of his favorite NHL players, including Chris Terreri and Luc Robitaille. Coleman also valued the opportunity to discover how universal hockey is and how programs like DTF impact youngsters like himself.

"I knew how big hockey was back home, but when I got to the United Center and saw how popular the sport was across the nation, I was really moved," says Coleman.

The way that young hockey players with similar backgrounds came together through the NHL's Diversity Task Force greatly impressed Coleman and sparked his interest in future involvement with DTF programming.

During the 1997 Willie O'Ree All-Star Weekend in Chicago, Coleman had the opportunity not only to skate on the same ice as his favorite team, the Chicago Blackhawks, but to meet other inner-city youth hockey players like himself. Through Coleman's involvement with the NHL's Diversity Task Force, he discovered his passion for ice hockey. But when he returned to school a lanky 6'4", many of his classmates and coaches made fun of him for wanting to play hockey instead of basketball. They accused him of 'wasting his time' with hockey and betraying the 'natural' choice of joining the basketball team. Despite his critics, Coleman knew that hockey came naturally to him and the opinions of others would not deter him from the sport.

Throughout high school, Coleman continued to improve by studying skills demonstrated by the NHL's premier goalies. "I used to study Mike Richter a lot," Coleman recalls. "His agility is amazing. I can do the same things as him, but he just does everything so quickly." Coleman also enjoyed studying Martin Brodeur because "he knows he is better than anybody." Although he received formal instruction to fine-tune his hockey skills, most of Coleman's abilities resulted from his own hard work on the ice. Recently, those efforts paid off again, earning him a spot on Team USA's Under-18 Developmental Program.

As a member of this prestigious team, Coleman had to relocate to Ann Arbor, Michigan, enabling him to spend up to three hours at the rink after school. If you catch him before a game he may be listening to Linkin Park or Limp Bizkit to pump him up before taking the ice. Despite all the time he commits to hockey, he has not lost sight of the importance of his education. He has seen some of his teammates go into Major Junior Hockey at 16, thereby losing their NCAA eligibility. Coleman believed that while hockey is his first passion, education is his first priority.

So what would Coleman say to young players thinking about picking up a hockey stick for the first time? "If you want to do it, go for it," Coleman insists. "Keep working hard, and even though you may not be the most talented player, if you show the drive and do all the little things, you will prove the doubters wrong and be successful."

Hard work and determination: a message that Gerald Coleman lives by.