(Photo: Reagan Smith/WCSN)
Although freshman Sara Zimmerman’s hometown is listed as San Jose, Calif. on the Arizona State Women’s Hockey team roster, she actually originates from Piedmont, Calif. That mistake may seem trivial to those outside of the Bay Area, but its recognition uncovers her deep dedication to the sport.
“They closed [Berkeley Iceland] when I was like five, but that’s where I started playing hockey,” Zimmerman said. “Then I started playing hockey in San Francisco, but the program wasn’t super good. The only place to find a good program was in San Jose.”
Piedmont is located approximately 45 miles north of San Jose. In order for Zimmerman to play at a competitive level, she traveled roughly two hours by car to attend practice. For that, Zimmerman is grateful for her father’s commitment to her success.
“My dad has been our support in hockey because he drove us to San Jose every day—that’s like an hour from my house,” Zimmerman said. “He stuck through it all.”
Zimmerman also credits her father for his continuous encouragement.
“My dad, he would always push me: ‘Just try, just try,’ and I was like, ‘No, no, no,’ and then the first time I played I was like, ‘I love this, this is awesome,’” Zimmerman said.
Hockey runs deep in the Zimmerman family. Her grandfather attended a Swiss boarding school where he picked up the sport.
“[My grandfather] took my brother skating when he was little and then it always stuck with him,” said Zimmerman. “Then [my brother] started playing so my parents were like, ‘okay, we’re just going to put her on skates.’”
Zimmerman’s older brother immensely influenced her hockey development.
“He’s like seven years older, so I watched him my whole life and looked up to him,” Zimmerman said. “I think I learned a lot of my stuff from him because when I was on the ice, it just kind of flowed.”
Family ties are important to Zimmerman, so making the move from California to Arizona was a momentous change for her.
“My whole family is from [the Bay Area]…and has been there for many generations, it’s just such a special place to me,” Zimmerman said.
Zimmerman’s mother grew up in Berkeley and her father, who was also raised in Piedmont, attended the University of California, Berkeley.
“Coming to ASU, all of my friends are from around the country,” Zimmerman said. “[They] had not grown up how I had grown up which I like.”
Since Zimmerman’s older brother also attended ASU, her transition into college life was easy. As well as being a part of the women’s hockey team, Zimmerman is also in Barrett, the Honors College. She is majoring in sustainability with a double-minor in fashion and art.
“Coming from the Bay Area, I’m super aware of [environmental issues], and coming to Arizona, I’ve noticed that no one’s into sustainability,” Zimmerman said. “You can just see so much styrofoam and plastic bags. That’s something I’m passionate about, changing the planet for our future.”
In addition to a love for the planet, Zimmerman also has a love for ceramics.
“My brother and I play hockey and stuff, but my whole family is artists,” Zimmerman said. “It always been a super big part of my life and I enjoy doing art. It’s something different from hockey and sports.”
While Barrett, the Honors College, is considered the “gold standard of honors colleges,” and the Herberger Institute and School of Sustainability were integral parts of her decision to attend Arizona State, a spot on the women’s hockey roster was what sealed the deal.
“I was looking at a bunch of different schools, and in the end…hockey really sold it,” Zimmerman said.
And she couldn’t be happier with her decision.
“The team is super special it’s not like any other team I’ve ever played on,” Zimmerman said. “I really love my team.”
