Why we play the game

Every kid should have heroes to look up to. One of
mine was Eddie Giacomin of the New York Rangers.

Hi gang,

This post comes at an interesting time, when I find myself at a crossroads of sorts in my coaching career. Last winter, I underwent back surgery for a condition called "spinal stenosis." It's basically arthritis of the spine, and my lower back was a mass of arthritic growth pressing on my spinal column and the nerves that branch off from it.

I tried to deal with my condition for several months via "non-invasive" measures, including chiropractic care and steroid injections. When it became abundantly clear that my back wasn't going to heal itself, I had the surgeons open me up. The laminectomy of my L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1 joints is designed to take the pressure off the nerves, in the hopes that they can regain their normal function. My surgeon -- a great guy -- was honest and direct with me. He said he couldn't guarantee that I'd have any type of "miracle recovery." And whatever recovery I did have could take between six and 18 months.

"All I can guarantee is that you won't get better without the surgery," he said.

Finally, at the seven-month mark in my recovery, I got the green light from my surgeon and physical therapist to skate again. It was a disaster. I felt like a first-time skater, absolutely terrified. It was clear that while I had recovered much of my strength, my balance was way off. So it's back to the drawing board, and back to physical therapy. Our summer camps will go on without me. But I'm fortunate to have a great wife, and a great physical therapist, who won't let me mope. Whatever recovery I make, it will be because they wouldn't let me quit.

All of which brings me to the following column, which now seems more poignant than ever. I plan to get back to coaching, but if it doesn't happen, stories like this remind me that I had a great run. Let me know what you think ...

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Why we play the game

It's not easy growing old in the goalie coaching business. There's the subtle-but-insidious risk of getting labeled "Old School," or a curmudgeon in training. I've been in the game for a half century now, and I understand that different generations bring different challenges. Kids change.

Parenting styles have definitely changed as well. My coaching philosophy reflects my parenting philosophy, which I learned from my mom (who would have been a great coach, if she wasn't so busy raising six kids). It's not about being friends with my kids, or my players. It's about getting them to be accountable, to dig deep, and make the most of their God-given talents. That sometimes means employing some "tough love," and bringing the hammer. If you're afraid to bring the hammer, you're probably selling your kids short.

That said, I've loved the changes in the position (even if they accelerated the demise of my hips during my 40s and early 50s). Techniques, and equipment, have evolved tremendously. But the exceptional challenge, and thrill, of being the "last line of defense" never changes. That's what makes goaltending, to my mind, really special. And that's what makes goaltenders special.

My favorite students are those goalies who absolutely relish the challenge of stopping rubber. It's not about the cool equipment, or the accolades. It's about doing whatever necessary to keep the puck out of the net, to just give your team a chance to win. Which brings me to "Cary."

Every now and then, I get a note that completely stops me in my tracks. Dead stop. The email below is just such a note. I've changed the name of the author, because I'm using it without his permission. To be perfectly honest, I was afraid he might not want me to use it. But the emotions that "Cary" elicited with his note cut to the very core of why I love this game so much, so I felt compelled to share it.

So, without further ado, here is Cary's note:

Hey Coach,
Hope all is well. It's Cary. Just checking in to see how everything is. I've been going back and reading through your Goalie Guru blog again, and really enjoying it. I'm currently sitting in an office for an internship. I've been enjoying growing up, college, the freedom, the responsibility, the accountability.
But as I sit in this monotonous office working upwards of 10 hours every day, Monday through Friday, I've been trying to build a time machine in an attempt to go back in time and locate exactly where, when and why reality trumped imagination in my childhood/teen adolescence. (I'm) trying to figure out when I stopped believing in the crazy dream that someday I would suit up for the (Montreal) Habs, even if it was for one game. Why I hung up the skates just because I was better at lacrosse, and had a much better chance of playing it in college. Why I just walked away from the sport of hockey completely.
 A part of me is heartbroken over this. It's almost like I had to compromise my dreams so that they would become more realistic to me in my head. I miss getting in fights in middle school because I wore a Canadiens jersey three times a week. I miss standing in front of my house with a sign that said 'Free Shots' while using cardboard boxes as leg pads, a baseball glove, and a regular hockey glove as a blocker, guarding (my neighbor's) worn-down nets. I miss playing street hockey every day of every month with my best friends until we got yelled at by neighbors or we lost all our balls to the darkness. 
I also certainly enjoyed being given the opportunity to play at the high school level. I wish I just tried to keep going, as crazy and unrealistic as the whole dream seemed. I guess maybe reality caught up to me when I started thinking that I began playing the position and sport too late, and did not have enough time to develop or compete with others. Maybe I was right, maybe I'm wrong. The chase was what it was all about, though. I still glance at those Simmons pads from time to time with a multitude of emotions.
 However, I am not writing to you about me. I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your writing. Reading through it has sparked a fire in me that I haven't felt in awhile. Thank you. Hope all is well.
 All the best,
 Cary

That evening, an hour after Cary's email arrived, my wife found me sitting at my desk, streaks of tears lining my face. I'm sure Cary has no idea the kind of spark his email would contain, and the emotions that it brought to the fore for me. I could relate completely, because I was once a kid much like Cary.

Northern New Jersey in the 1960s and '70s wasn't the hockey hotbed it is today. But it didn't matter. My brothers and I were nuts about the game that our maternal grandfather had introduced us to. We would play any chance we had. Every … single … day. I'm sure my mom considered it "a phase," but it was much, much more than that. I simply couldn't get enough.

Eddie Giacomin and Gilles Villemure of the New York Rangers were my heroes, even though I was tall and lanky, built more like the Canadiens' Ken Dryden. I'd watch every game I could, often sneaking off to my neighbor's house, because they had that newfangled cable station broadcasting the Ranger home games (we would turn off the sound, and put on the radio, with Marv Albert making the calls). Giacomin was fiery, a guy who overcame long odds to make it to The Show. My kind of goaltender.

I may not have had the same natural talent, but I loved keeping the puck out of the net. That's what drove me as a young goaltender. Heck, it's what drove me as a beer-league goalie (where I was probably a little too fiery for my own good). And it's what continues to drive me as a goalie coach. I'm passionate about the game, and the position. That wonderful obsession hasn't waned, despite my advanced age, and despite a pair of new titanium hips.

I'm sure part of that passion is developed over time, fueled by some measure of success and encouragement. But I firmly believe that most of it is innate. It's who you are. You've either got it, or you don't. That's one of the reasons that self-actualization is critical. Kids who will do anything to stop shots are far less likely to blame teammates. They want the responsibility, and they're willing to accept the results.

Players who bring that passion to the ice are rare. Over the years, the game has kept me young. Today, it's kids like Cary who fill that role. I'm a very lucky man to be able to share their dream.

FINIS

Goalie strong

Here's my June column from the New England Hockey Journal (though it can now also be found in the New York Hockey Journal ... all part of my grand plan to take over the hockey universe!). Fitness was once a dirty word for ice hockey goalies. No more. In fact, it is absolutely essential.

GOALIE STRONG

Perhaps the most enduring, and erroneous, misconception about goaltenders is this: Goalies don't need to be in shape. In reality, this notion was never true, and is no doubt a holdover from the time-honored practice of sticking some unfortunate overweight, slow kid in nets during neighborhood street hockey or shinny games.

Today, with the position's emphasis on the butterfly technique and proper recovery, it's essential that goaltenders be among the fittest players on the ice. There's really no way around it. Athleticism is a bonus, but even goalies with less-than-exceptional reflexes can close that gap significantly if they dedicate themselves to getting in shape.

That fact really hit home recently, in two distinctly different settings. The first was a youth hockey practice, where I had a number Squirt and Pee-Wee goalies. The second was a Stinky Socks adult goalie clinic, with netminders ranging in age from 22 to 62. In both groups, the common denominator separating the solid goalies from those who struggled was fitness. For many of the huffing and puffing netminders, young and old alike, it was a rude wake-up call. This is not an easy position to play, if you want to play it correctly.

The techniques we teach now put a premium on dynamic, athletic moves – butterfly slide, butterfly push, recovery – that require not only power, but also endurance. If you think you can "play your way into shape," using only your time on ice to get fit, you won't stand a chance. This isn't, to paraphrase an old marketing slogan, your father's goaltending position.

Time was, hockey coaches would shout to their young netminders, "Stay on your feet!" Now, more often than not, the refrain is "Get up!" Which makes sense. The "stand-up" goaltender is, for all intents and purposes, an anachronism. Instead, youngsters today, enamored with the style they typically see on display at the collegiate and NHL level, are inclined to drop too early too often (which reveals a lack of discipline that the butterfly technique requires). Still, even coaches without much goaltending experience or expertise can see the benefits of the butterfly style on the first shot (provided, of course, that it's employed correctly).

What drives these coaches (and me) crazy, though, is the young goalie who hits the ice, and then gets stuck there like a beached whale. They're quick to flop, but far too slow to recover. And typically the reason comes down to a lack of fitness.

With youngsters, fitness – the combination of strength, power, and stamina – comes quickly, provided they apply themselves. Members of the PlayStation Generation may not be as active as their parents were, but they'll soon learn that strong thumbs won't get them very far on the ice. As I mentioned last month, I'm a big proponent of active sports off ice, such as soccer, lacrosse, roller hockey, and tennis. The more often kids can get outside and play, the better.

On this score, I'm going to cut the older guys (and gals) with work and family responsibilities some slack. The position has changed dramatically in the past 10-15 years, so they're not only adapting to new techniques, but also trying to regain lost fitness. For the plus-30 goalie, it's a question of putting it all together. Most are strong (resistance), but not necessarily powerful (motion). Plus, stamina (or lack thereof) is also a serious issue. Be patient, and take the time necessary off-ice to prepare yourself for the rigors of play.

With the idea of getting fitter quicker in mind, here are a handful of easy exercises that will help any goaltender, regardless of age, better handle the demands of the position. I purposely steered clear of "weight-training" regimens (we can delve into that topic in a later column). For now, I'm focusing on developing a foundation, using simple plyometrics (or exercises that take advantage of your own body weight). Most of these can be done in your spare time, while watching the Red Sox or Bruins' re-runs this summer.

Strong middle ground
Your core, or mid-section, is key to overall performance. A former soccer coach once told me, "When your core is strong, everything else follows." And he was right. A sturdy middle will help you maintain balance, and move with a quiet upper body, allowing your lower body to do the hard work. Excellent exercises include planks, side bends and twists, and sit-ups. Just be careful not to strain your lower back; Keep those knees bent!

Explosive power
Both forward and side lunges help strengthen the all-important quadriceps, gluteus, and hip muscles. These are the big muscles that drive you in those short, dynamic movements that goalies need to be at the right place at the right time. If they're weak, you'll try overcompensating with your arms, and rather than having a quiet upper body (See a theme here?) and compact blocking surface, you'll be flailing about the crease. A series of simple squats and lunges (side to side and forward) will help jog your muscle memory. Wall sits will work your quads, while elastic exercise bands are great for working those big, stabilizing hip muscles.

In good hands
The ability to control your stick is an underappreciated skill. You need hand and forearm strength to be able to control your stick on initial shots, and when playing the puck (another vastly underrated talent). Improve your grip strength by squeezing a chunk of thera-putty or tennis ball, and whip your forearms into shape with wrist curls (tie a piece of rope around an old stick shaft, and attach any size weight, to give you a perfectly functional wrist curl tool).

Rolling into shape
Perhaps the single best – and most fun – off-ice training regimen I can recommend comes with knobby tires, handlebars, and a saddle. Road cycling is fun, but for flat-out fitness, you can't do better than mountain biking. Plus, it's a blast. Riding off-road, especially on tight, twisty singletrack with lots of short, steep hills, helps you develop the explosive power and balance that goaltending requires. It's a full-body workout that engages your gray matter as well.

Stretching it out
Last, a quick word to my adult goalies. Flexibility is inherent in young bodies, but typically AWOL in those of us past 30. Don't forget to stretch. Often. Stretch lightly before and after exercise. Stretch in the morning and evening for good measure. The operate word here is "lightly." Don't overdo it, or you'll risk muscle and ligament strains. Yoga (especially Bikram, or "hot yoga") is another excellent option to regain flexibility.

Best,
-Brion