GoalieInGlasses

Where to start? Well...I'm a 31 year old male living out here in Vernon, BC. I've never played hockey before growing up, aside from gym class and the occasional street hockey with friends. But I've always loved the goalie position and thought it was cool, especially how the gear looked. Unfortunately, I could never find the time or money to really get into game. It's always been about focusing on school/university or my job or all the other usual things life throws at you.

Jump to 2010. I hit the fun age of 30...the age where friends and family just love to tease you over. It was around that time I started to look back at what dreams I had growing up, and how many of those just weren't going to happen anymore. I started to think about wanting to be a goalie. Over the next year, crossing over into 2011, I kept going back and forth over trying goaltending out. So many doubts kept popping into my head, like what if I'm too old to start now, or it was too expensive to buy all that gear, or there will be no place for me to play. So finally, in August of 2011, I finally made the leap. I visited a local used sporting equipment shop, and bought a bunch of used gear to get me started. It was approximately $900 in total for a bunch of worn gear (especially the pads...several clips broken/missing and duct taped in a couple places), but I figure it was good enough for now. Oh, and the only goalie jersey they had at the time was solid purple...yuck lol. Picture a giant grape trying to stop pucks :)

Next challenge was finding a place to play. I managed to find an arena that had drop-in ball hockey. They had a usual set of goalies that played, but lucky for me there were some that were ok with me subbing in a game or two. The first time I stepped in and stood in that crease, it was a weird mix of anxiety, excitement, fear, and joy. And yes, I was so awful the first time I played, I think the majority of the shots directed my way went in. But all the players there were super supportive and gave lots of advice, and I had so much fun. I was also sweating buckets because it was the middle of summer and the arena had minimal airflow, and the next morning I could barely walk from being so sore. But I took that first step and I have zero regrets over the decision.

I think that's a good place to stop for now. I got a lot more to share, but I'll save that for future post. Oh, and the reason for my username (GoalieInGlasses) is because I wear sports glasses under my mask. I have issues with putting contact lenses on, and I sure as hell can't afford laser eye surgery :)