Speaking
School Assembly Speaker: Blake Bolden
Blake Bolden speaks to students about the parts of her story they can use now: getting cut, starting over, and showing up when nobody is watching. She was the first Black player in the NWHL, the second woman to scout in the NHL, and is now a lead analyst for the PWHL and on Amazon Prime's Wednesday Night Hockey.
Schools book her because she can hold a full auditorium, then sit with a small group at lunch and talk about what they are actually facing.
A motivational speaker for students who remembers being one
Blake went to prep school herself, at Northwood School in Lake Placid, and then to Boston College. She knows early practices, living away from home and college recruiting from the inside. That makes her an easy fit as a prep school speaker and as a high school motivational speaker.
For student-athletes she has the full path: youth hockey in Cleveland, two U18 world golds with Team USA, captain at a Division I school, then seven pro seasons. For students who do not play sports, she talks about failure, discomfort and patience in plain terms.
She also works as a commencement speaker. A graduation talk asks what comes next, and Blake has changed careers twice, from player to NHL scout to broadcaster.
Blake is based in Southern California, so school visits in Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego need no separate travel quote. She travels to schools nationwide too, and a full day of assemblies and small groups is often the best value for a school that brings her in. Teachers can show students the reel on this page the week before, so they know who is coming.
Topics
Her topics, framed for students
Her six themes, at the right level for middle school, high school or college.
- 01
Facing Adversity
Being the first, and what to do when you are the only one like you on a team or in a class.
- 02
Using Failure as a Tool
She was cut from a team and told she was uncoachable. Students hear how she came back from it.
- 03
Getting Used to Being Uncomfortable
She learned to skate pushing a chair with a tennis ball on it, and could not stop on her left side for two years.
- 04
Trusting the Process
Getting up at 5 a.m. for practice when the payoff is years away.
- 05
Following Intuition
Choosing a path when the adults around you have a different one in mind.
- 06
Taking Advantage of Your Current Situation
The school and team you have right now are where you start.
Speaker reel
Watch Blake speak
Two and a half minutes from one of her talks: learning to skate pushing a chair, being cut and called uncoachable, the call that brought her to the Boston Blades, and the young girl who told Blake she started playing because of her.
From an organizer
Blake's visit was a total hit with our community, and the kids especially got so much out of her talks. She's amazing in the way that she can command a full room and then also connect so deeply with a small group of kids around a lunch table. I really appreciate the time and effort she put into tailoring the message for different audiences; they'll take her advice into all the spaces they go, both in sports and in life.
Carly Rodriguez
Director of Communications, The Thacher School
Speaking fees start at $7,500
Travel outside Southern California is quoted separately. Multi-session visits are packaged on request.
Check availabilityQuestions organizers ask
What ages does Blake speak to?
Middle school through college. Every talk is shaped for the room, and she adjusts the stories for younger students.
Can she do an assembly and small groups on the same visit?
Yes, and schools often do. An assembly followed by lunch with a team, a club or student leaders is a common day. Multi-session visits are packaged on request.
Does she give commencement speeches?
Yes. Send the date, the size of the class and anything you want the graduates to leave with.
What does a school visit cost?
Speaking fees start at $7,500. Travel outside Southern California is quoted separately, and multi-session school visits are packaged on request.
More ways Blake speaks
- Youth Hockey SpeakerFor youth and girls' hockey programs, banquets and team events.
- Black History Month SpeakerA first-person story of breaking barriers in hockey, for February assemblies and company events.
- Women's History Month SpeakerA women in sports speaker for March events at schools, companies and athletic departments.
Bring Blake to your event
Tell us the date, the place and who will be in the room. Blake and her team read every inquiry.