New York Islanders & 43 Oak Foundation Partnership | Sophie Shuksta Birch’s Hockey Journey

Alright, over here we have a signed jersey by Sorokin. Ilya Sorokin portrait. This big necklace signed by him too. Skating on the ice at UBS Arena, I got to play where Ilya Sorokin plays. It was really exciting,
and I’m grateful for the opportunity 43 Oak has given me. My family,
we were actually, political refugees from the former USSR.
I was being raised with like a single mom. I mean, growing up with, like, nothing like food stamps,
welfare, Section 8, all that stuff. I didn’t even really grow up
playing any sports whatsoever. Hockey does not run in our blood at all. I first started playing hockey
when I was around eight years old. It was interesting because I’ve tried
other sports like soccer and I didn’t really like it, but then hockey was just this fun sport,
something that made me like, really happy. She was like, I really want to try hockey, I really want to try hockey. And then one of my friends told me
about the Learn to Play program. I mean, I was really surprised
to see how into it she really got and how passionate she was about it,
like so quickly. Getting into hockey had its challenges. I felt almost like a foreigner
in a new country. I was trying to look up grants or anything for girl hockey players.
I actually found this organization, it was called Black Girls Hockey,
she told me about 43 Oak. We were initally like just on
a path to show people that you could play hockey if you are from
the city and you’re black. Right? Like you can get far in the game. But that evolved because we didn’t want to
just help one community, we wanted to help multiple communities,
and then that includes girls. That mission of helping
underprivileged and diverse athletes break down the barriers to entry
in the sport of ice hockey, I don’t think that mission is going to change. All of the mentorship sessions are really helpful
to both Sophie and myself to learn, like, life lessons
that are really important that you might not get until
maybe you’re in college. I know for her, hockey and 43 Oak
definitely changed the trajectory of her life. I started playing player
for a couple months until I looked at the other goalies
and thought I think I could do better. She has a great demeanor for a goalie
because everything just rolls off her back. She doesn’t let anything get to her,
she still has the competitive spirit, you know, never giving up on a play. Being a goalie
is like the last line of defense. The spotlight’s on you. I’ve actually just been really impressed
with how well she adapts to the pressure of being a goalie. It took me a while to be able to control
my own anxiety watching her play. She was subbing in a lot of practices,
night after night, just continually just honing her craft. I was really impressed because
she was playing with a bunch of kids that were much older than her.
She was just kind of unfazed by it. Comes out and skates with the boys,
and some of them are older than her, I mean she’s, you know taking shots
fom 15, 16-year olds and she’s standing there with
no fear in her eyes. At first she just had to kind of continue
to believe in herself, understand the position
and get her fundamentals under her belt. But once that occurred,
she really, really started to take off. She also kind of works on it,
even like when we’re watching Islanders games and I’m like,
look at what Ilya Sorokin is doing. I’ve learned many techniques from him. I watch how he plays. “Yeah that’s how I warmup!” And he’s really given me so much inspiration. Skating on the ice at UBS Arena
was a very important experience for her. To be able to block pucks at, you know, the same goalie posts
that your idol does, giving her that inspiration
and “that could be me one day.” I think it’s really important. The Islanders and 43 Oak
have gave me an amazing opportunity. They’ve started a career
that will take me far.

The New York Islanders, in partnership with 43 Oak Foundation, are committed to growing the game of hockey and making it more inclusive for future generations. In this video, we spotlight Sophie Shuksta Birch—a passionate young player and proud Ilya Sorokin fan—whose journey reflects the power of opportunity, representation, and community. Through the support of 43 Oak, Sophie is thriving in the sport she loves, breaking down barriers and inspiring others along the way. Her story is a testament to the impact of a mission rooted in access, equity, and empowerment.

This partnership solidifies the commitment of UBS, the New York Islanders and UBS Arena to our local community in and around UBS Arena, the growth of the sport, and diversity within the game of hockey. New York Islanders staff with support from Islanders alumni, 43 Oak staff, and UBS hockey team volunteers will conduct clinics and provide meaningful engagement opportunities for participants.

The 43 Oak Foundation is an accredited 501(c)3 non-profit organization serving youth in the New York Metropolitan Area ages 13-22 (Grade 8 to seniors in college). They provide transportation, equipment, ice time, funding for travel hockey leagues and tournaments and other vital resources for the players.

💻 Stay Connected On Everything Isles: https://www.nhl.com/islanders/fans/newsletter
Shop Isles Merch: https://isleslab.com/
Buy Tickets: https://bit.ly/45gh1xG

📲 Download our app: https://yi.nzc.am/1i/clYmKF

Follow Us On Social
Islanders X: https://twitter.com/NYIslanders
Islanders Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NEWYORKISLANDERS
Islanders Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nyislanders/?hl=en
Islanders TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nyislanders?lang=en
Islanders Threads: https://www.threads.com/@nyislanders

#Isles #NewYorkIslanders #NHL #HockeyLife #longisland

1 comment
Leave a Reply