Introduce Yourself

Hi! my name is Ike, im 27 years old. Ive only technically been playing 3 years (all three between the pipes) I got started cause i was the FNG and too dumb to know better! lol I play on a B level tournament team and basically am teaching myself how to play by trial and error. Some of my team mates try to coach me at times but it doesnt work well. (remember the old adage about too many cooks spoiling the soup? well the same holds true for too many coaches for the same goaltender!) About the only thing i have going for me is decent reflexes and a stubborn streak that wont let me quit or give up on a play (its my Irish/German heritage lol)

i found this sight by Googling for used equipment and thought it looked like an interesting site. Hopefully i'll even learn something here!

Hello, I'm Joey, i'm 15, i live in southeast Wisconsin where hockey is definitely an after thought, i just started playing goalie, on my backyard rink too lol. unfortunately if i wanted to play high school hockey i would have to drive 40 minutes each way :( So my brother and i decided to build a rink, i get most of my playing time on that! Its great fun and hilarious to get looks from people (down here i think we have the only outdoor rink for about 20 miles around us) I'm just getting started but i absolutely love it!

Bull welcome, and don't listen to what your team tells you. Take a good solid mind on the ice with you and remember your job is to position as much of your body between the puck and that gaping 4'x6' hole behind you. If you want to know how to better handle certain situations ask us...other goalies who play the position ranging from I think 20 years (Canadian_Man_44) to guys just starting off. There's lots of experience and those of us who play at least know what we SHOULD be doing. Doing it is completely separate. Hopefully you enjoy your stay and become a contributor to everything that goes on here.

Wdw, you've entered a truly unique world. We're the only people in the world stupid enough or smart enough to stand in front of a 1"x3" solid rubber disc moving at velocities up to 110m.p.h. and still enjoy it year after year. Back yard rink or AHL/WHL/ECHL/NHL level, you're now a goalie of some sorts. Feel free to weigh in and ask questions!

-Arth

Hey Gang:

I was directed to this site through a couple of pm's from another forum. So after receiving a third pm today I though that maybe it was time to come over to this board. So here I am... about myself.

I live in Niagara Falls and I am a mostly old, decrepid 38 year old 'tender. Back in the day I was being looked at for Junior B during my Bantam year. After my grades dropped I was forced out of the game. In 1994 I resumed playing in a Men's League and things went all right until I was in a bad car accident. Fast forward the clock a little and I resumed playing hockey. Until 1999 when I fell ill. So again I had to give up hockey... and it killed me. So I decided in 2006 to resume playing again and although I would like to have more ice time I'm happy with what I get. The way that I look at things is this.. I play every chance that I get to when I feel well enough. I'm suffering from severe Diabetes (I have nerve disease and kidney damage from it) and I've suffered 3 heart attacks. But I love the game too much to walk away and I've never known to give up. For some reason, I'm having my best year ever. Maybe I'm like a salmon fighting it's way upstream for one last swim before the inevitable...who knows? I guess that came out pretty dark eh?!

I coached two great little goalies the last two years and it was a blast. I coached the Novice age group (Squirt in the U.S. I believe) and to me that is just a great age to coach. I hope to be able to contribute to the site and learn some things. LOL.. like me deciding to have to evolve as a 'tender... but that's for another thread.

Alex

Good on ya Alex for not giving up, that is the most important part, enjoy what you do, and dont let anyone tell you that you shouldnt be doing it!

Also as a Coach you are giving these kids the most important things they need in life. Someone to look up to, someone to learn from and who they look to for inspiration!!

Welcome to the site, and enjoy!

Scottish:

Thanks for the warm reception.

Those kids made the 0500 wake-up and drive worth it. It wasn't just the goalies but the skaters as well. I think they liked it because on the ice during practice I was one of them... doing the drills in my full goalie gear... while the other coaches stood around and blew whistles. It's funny..they only won the one game last year but they never gave up...and always had fun. That was the one thing that I preached to them... "never give up...no matter how tough things might be"

Alex

I coach rugby, and it was the same deal, the kids loved it when I took part, as opposed to sideline whistle blowing, especially during sprints, and training excersises! Really made them push harder as they wanted to beat me etc. My team werent the best either, and eventually I did get them to focus on enjoying the game they play and not worry so much about the score. There were of course always a couple who would spit the dummy when loosing! but the majority always came of the pitch with a smile.

Although I spend most of my time on ice as a goalie pick the puck out the net, I wont ever give up or stop playing, its wayyyyyy to much fun, especially when you make that one spectacular save, that jeast stoms all the previous goals! hahaha

Wow Alex, i'll use that as inspiration the next time i want to skip practice or dont feel like giving it 100%....i guess sometimes i forget that it is a privilege to play this great game........