Introduction to the DIY Goalie Podcast
00:00:06
Speaker
Welcome to the DIY Goalie Podcast where hosts and goalie coaches Nathan Park and Connor Munday share their insights on how to become ah better goalie.
00:00:18
Speaker
How are we doing today
Summer Camp Promotion
00:00:19
Speaker
goalies? Welcome to the 66th episode of the DIY Goalie Podcast. As always thanks for sticking around with us this long and I'm surprised that you guys aren't sick of hearing us talk yet because I'm I'm sick of it sometimes.
00:00:38
Speaker
Just kidding. um But just before we get started here, if you guys are interested in coming out with us this summer for our five day long camp, the August 11th to 15th camp that we have going on, we currently only have three spots left.
00:00:57
Speaker
or four spots left. And that might change by the time this airs. So um if that's something that you guys are around the Edmonton area for, want to join us for a jam packed week of goalie development, you can add to truenorthgoaltending.com and check that out.
Mystery Questions Segment
00:01:16
Speaker
um We are here for part two of our mystery questions that we didn't get around to finishing last week. So we are, kind of driving on with that and we have come up with more questions so we might down the road have to do a part three but uh we'll take a break from it after part two for a little bit anyways um so today I'll let Connor go first since I went first last time but uh I I stole him away from his pool so he's probably a little bitter right now but how are you doing Connor
00:01:54
Speaker
Didn't get my tan on. That's what I need. um No, I'm good. It's been it's a very busy week for me outside of ah outside of everything that we do.
00:02:06
Speaker
um Yeah, no, i got I got nothing. Just, you know, still troll still trucking along here. We do have one of our... three-day kind of conditioning organizational camps with one of our um organizations that we worked with throughout the winter last year. So I'm excited to be running kind of my own camp this year. I don't think i I'd never really done that before. So this could be an absolute dumpster fire and Nathan's never going to let me do it again, but I'm hoping that's, I'm hoping that's not the case, but I'm definitely looking forward to seeing all of our goalies.
00:02:40
Speaker
Out this weekend as of recording this. And yeah, if you guys are in the Edmonton area and coming up for little summer vacation or something or visiting family, bring the goalie gear and register for one of our spots. We are also listed in the In Goal Magazine goalie coaching goalie school.
00:02:59
Speaker
kind of flip look flip book that they have on their website so uh if you found us through there hi hello how you doing welcome to the welcome to true north goaltending and we're uh we're looking forward to uh having everybody out gonna be fun one definitely uh definitely enjoy that Yeah, I passed the torch for this weekend, so I'm going to be popping my anxiety pills and, you know, sitting home hoping things are going good.
00:03:24
Speaker
Dude, my anxiety pills are going to going through the roof because, my wife could be any day, man. Any day at this point, she could pop out this child. Yeah, fair enough. Well, I'll be on standby at home, so I'll have my ringer on.
00:03:38
Speaker
All right, well, do you want to kick us off for today?
Influential Coaches and Figures
00:03:41
Speaker
Yeah, um I want to start off with a little bit more of a personal um kind of question.
00:03:49
Speaker
um And this one, i guess like these two kind of go hand in hand here. so um for i mean like I know kind of my answers to this, but I'm curious about yours.
00:04:00
Speaker
Who do you think has... been the most influential coach, parent, or other goalie throughout your career? Hmm.
00:04:15
Speaker
Well, I think bar none in terms of the technical aspect of my game would have to be Schwartzy, Dustin Schwartz, because don't know, I really didn't have ah whole heck of a lot of consistent coaching before that and didn't really get explained the why behind things before that. So that kind of definitely started me on the path of that and kind is the reason why I started, you know, True North Goaltending and kind of doing this stuff just to try and give other goalies the knowledge that I didn't have the when I wish I did.
00:04:57
Speaker
um Another one kind um kind of we shouted him out a couple episodes ago but uh gavin armstrong with the uh goalie academy who i think it's been about a month now since he he had passed um went and saw him a lot he was kind of a big driving force behind the desire of getting our own facility going to his facility growing up and uh you know, he definitely kind of brought the fun aspect of things. That's a big reason why we do three puck at the end of a lot of our sessions, because that was always the thing to look forward to going to Gavin's was playing a game of three puck at the end of the session.
00:05:39
Speaker
um Yeah, I mean, it's tough because like, I didn't have ah whole heck of a lot of like resources available when I played. And I think just in general kind of, you know, goalies that played 15 plus years ago, even 10 plus years ago, there wasn't a whole heck of a lot out there.
Maintaining Goalie Community Relationships
00:06:05
Speaker
You kind of just went to, you know, your one summer goalie camp before tryouts. And that was about it that we got. There was no talk about cognitive training, no talk about sports psychology, no talk about any of that kind of stuff. Um,
00:06:21
Speaker
And, uh, there wasn't really a whole lot of, you know, the why explanation, even when you did get training, it was a lot of just, uh, yeah, just do this. Let's practice T pushes. Okay, great.
00:06:33
Speaker
And, um, so yeah, but I think there's definitely been a lot since I've stopped playing a lot more, um, you know, like listening to guys like Jamie Phillips or, um, you know, listening to stuff like the podcast Curtis McElhaney had, or, uh, just, you know, kind of some of these tidbits you get from a bunch of people in the goalie community.
00:07:01
Speaker
Um, that's, uh, yeah, I don't know. I've probably gotten a lot more influenced by people in the last, uh,
00:07:13
Speaker
four to five years is than when I actually played but uh yeah so that's kind of where I'm at with that I guess but I don't know there wasn't there like what you got was gonna say like like mom and dad like weren't more influential or there like wasn't like a goalie partner that well yeah so obviously like Mom and dad were super supportive and stuff like that growing up. um I just like neither of them knew anything about goaltending.
00:07:44
Speaker
I know my mom actually even recently when we started doing the merch, she bought a My Little Goalie Makes Big Save shirt. And I'm like, Mom, I don't even play anymore. And she's like, that's OK. You'll always be my little goalie. And I'm like, oh, I know, right? Cringely. Yeah. So that's mom's for you.
00:08:04
Speaker
um but yeah i uh i don't know like nothing really like stands out i guess um yeah i mean i don't know like i said you just kind of showed up to the rink and played like you know it's I don't know.
00:08:24
Speaker
Like there wasn't a whole lot of like goalie specific support, I guess. So um I don't know. Okay. Okay. That's kind of, well, I, I, I share the same answer with you from a coach's standpoint and Dustin Schwartz.
00:08:37
Speaker
Like I had, I had goalie training throughout majority of my career, already I mean, like I went to ATC goaltending with Jamie McKaig and Dave Ratchett. And, you know, I did the, um you know, the goalie school, you know, the once a week goalie school when i was in Bantam with Brent Bradford.
00:08:59
Speaker
ah who was running it at the time. um and But like definitely like Dustin Schwartz and Curtis Mucha towards the tail end of my high school tenure brought in structure and you know just kind of really got you thinking more about the the the technical aspect of the game um and then especially once after dustin had moved on to the oilers and um curtis came in in my grade 12 year like just being able to have that opportunity that i didn't think i could have or really wanted to have or not wanted to have that's not the right word to use i didn't think that i could have with uh
00:09:39
Speaker
with Dustin. You and I both know Dustin fairly well. mean he's He's a pretty intimidating guy sometimes. right so i felt that you know I felt that for me that you know Curtis was was more approachable. and being know i was able to I felt bad. I probably took up more of more of his lunchtimes than I'd like to admit and just kind of sitting down and going through video and just kind of talking shop really in that aspect.
00:10:03
Speaker
um You know, not to say that, you know, Dave and Jamie, you know, they were they were the first goalie coaches that I really had. You know, I went to each of their summer camps every every year, had a lot of fun there, got to do some mentorship with them.
00:10:18
Speaker
um And then, you know, Brent Bradford, mean, he and I had a falling out and, you know, which is unfortunate, but he was, when I was working with him, he was, you know, really supportive and, you know, wanted to see everybody under his tenure succeed. So.
00:10:37
Speaker
what happened beyond that is stuff that I will keep personal. But, uh, um, yeah, I mean, you know, definitely like definitely had a lot of influential coaches throughout my career. And I said it on, one of our local radio shows like months ago.
00:10:53
Speaker
Um, cause you know, Dustin was taking a lot of heat here with Oilers fans and,
Impactful Coaching Methods
00:10:57
Speaker
uh, um you know so i went on this radio show as more more so part of a contest but i guess in the segment prior that they were talking about uh the oldest goaltending and and goaltending coaching and you know i said i said to the host it's like i know a lot like i know there's a lot of talk about you know dustin schwartz but i have nothing that i'm having nothing but nice things to say about the guy he's been a huge part of my life and uh i'll always accredit my skill as a goalie and the reasoning for me to want to be a goalie coach because of him and by proxy, uh, Curtis Muka when it came to, you know, the parental side of things, you know, my dad played goal back in Ontario.
00:11:35
Speaker
Um, you know, so we still have the old Cooper pads, some down here somewhere with the waffle board uh, And all that. And, um you know, so he was he was technically my very, very first goalie coach.
00:11:47
Speaker
But, you know, just he was he was always in my corner and, ah you know, being able to kind of bounce ideas off of him and just kind of being able just to talk goaltending in general was always a always ah always a fun one. And then when it came to goalie partners, I had a lot of great goalie partners.
00:12:02
Speaker
um growing up and, you know, going to going to school and being a goalie as well there, you know, you get to, you, there was a lot of different goalies from a lot of different walks of life and a lot of different levels. So I don't think I could really pick out one in particular when it came to that.
00:12:17
Speaker
Yeah. I think my answer is more of a Testament as to, how bad I am at networking slash like, you know, getting to know people.
00:12:28
Speaker
But one thing I will say though, um and kind of been doing a bit of reflecting, I guess, or i don't know if that's the right word, but um since, you know, like Gavin has passed, it's, um I don't know. it It's kind of like,
00:12:51
Speaker
it makes me think that I should have stayed in touch a little bit more like throughout the years, kind of, cause you know, he did have a big influence on like younger Nathan, just like having fun with the position and you know, kind of that whole dream of like, Oh, let's have our own facility and stuff like that.
00:13:12
Speaker
And, um, the one thing that I'll say for you, younger goalies is try and keep those touch points as much as you can because not only do you never know when you might need the support you can get from somebody in the goalie community but you also never know what doors it might open down the road um you know it's we all know how small the hockey community is and how much smaller the goalie community is even
00:13:45
Speaker
and Don't take for granted the relationships you make along the way. I think that's one of the things that I wish I definitely did better kind of, you know, as I went through the years.
00:13:57
Speaker
So I don't know, just make the connections, reach out to, people stay in touch even if it's like once every couple months hey how's it going how's the new position if they're a goalie coach or how's you know the new team if they're a player or whatever the case is and that's something that I am going to try and do a better job of like with our goalies that we work with and kind of you know the other coaches that we work with and stuff like that too but just a piece of advice for you guys it kind of goes a long way if you can try and keep
00:14:32
Speaker
those relationships going on as much as you can. um yeah. And, uh, you know, let people know too, like if, if they are kind of a major influence or whatever, you know, thank them and, and kind of, you know, give them credit for, for kind of what they've taught you and where they've brought you and kind of the success they've helped you to achieve. And, uh,
00:14:54
Speaker
Yeah, that's something that, looking back, I wish I had done a better job of. but you know i'll be the I guess I'll be the the the the double-edged sword with that. I mean, like...
00:15:09
Speaker
again, without going into a lot of detail, but that's kind of, and like, like I wouldn't say like, that's how I ended up having a falling out with Brent and this, one of the other goalie coaches, schools that I used to work for.
00:15:23
Speaker
um There, there, there is a, like, I guess a double-edged sword in that aspect. And, you know, I know that definitely and like Brent and well, Brent for sure. And I can't say so much about the other guy, but like,
00:15:37
Speaker
Yeah. Like talked about in a previous pod, you know, like like when I was just even talking about, you know, wanting to do my own thing, like they kind of saw it as a threat in that aspect. The other guy, not so much. It was more so differences of opinion when it came to how to do, how to coach the position. But, um but yeah, no, it's, that's definitely something like, I don't know. Like I feel weird about it. Cause like I don't talk to Mr. Schwartz a whole lot, really, ever.
00:16:05
Speaker
um I still have Curtis's number saved in my phone, and it's one of those things where it's like I try not to bother him a whole lot because I know that he's... you know and I know that he's busy. I mean, like again, like it's like like even then, it's like i like I don't want to flex on it a whole lot. you know It's like, hey, I have the Edmonton O'Keefe goalie coach's phone number and call him up on speed dial. Even it's the same thing with Marlon Boasano.
00:16:27
Speaker
When she came on, again, that was the coolest thing ever for me. Not that I'm going to go messaging her every day saying, like hey, how you doing? but like it's um there's There's definitely double-edged sword in that. And any even then, when I've had...
00:16:41
Speaker
you know goalie parents reach out to me and students that I have worked with. like I don't know. I feel weird about the entire thing. It's like, oh, okay. like I coached your kid for like one year, but all right, cool. Yeah, but there's ways to go about it.
00:16:55
Speaker
Oh, yeah, absolutely. Obviously. and and I just think it's always good to kind of you know, have those in your back pocket. If you can do it naturally, like don't force it, um, obviously and whatever, but just the people that you click with in the goalie community, keep that and try and kind of, you know, nurture that as much as you can reach out every now and then doesn't even have to be about hockey. Just like, Hey, how are the kids or, Hey, you know, whatever the case is, right. Just, uh,
00:17:26
Speaker
you know, staying in people's good books and kind of maintaining those relationships, I think are are good or is a good thing for, you know, where you want to be and just kind of as a person, too. But I do want to put this disclaimer in here quickly. I'm not knocking on Brent Bradford. mean, yes, he and I had a falling out, but he's doing a lot of good things. He's a teacher now.
00:17:49
Speaker
um He's doing a lot of good things. Again, very, very thankful for the opportunity that you know he gave me. Unfortunately, things just between him and I didn't work out, but I wish him nothing but the best. Yeah.
00:18:01
Speaker
All right. So I'll hop into mine here. And do have... ah do have a personal one for my next one, but this one's kind of more of the hockey side of things. So when it comes to goalies, assuming that there's a little bit of time, would you rather they hold it or would you rather they play
Game Situations: Hold or Play the Puck?
00:18:26
Speaker
Now, again, i know it's situational, but if a goalie eats a puck, would you rather them hold it and cover it, get a whistle, or would you rather them play it if they have enough time? Obviously not if somebody's like right on top of them, but say it's like, you know, ah two on two, they're coming in the zone, they kind of fire it on net and they're still at the blue line.
00:18:54
Speaker
Goalie has some time to dish it to the corner or something like that.
00:18:59
Speaker
This is kind of a continuation from the question that I had asked when we were talking about rebounds. know, when I asked, like, you know, is there more, like, are you seeing more rebounds or would you prefer rebounds over chest saves?
00:19:13
Speaker
Me personally, i would rather they hold it i I get really bad anxiety when they go like when they play the puck. And because I don't trust our defensemen worth anything on any team that I've ever coached on, um i would just I would rather they hold it, get the whistle, we regroup on our own zone, and then we break out of our own zone.
00:19:38
Speaker
um I also can't, I personally can't take the anxiety, I could never take the anxiety in a game, but I can't take the anxiety of like, you know, oh, shot one, shot two, shot three, you know, and it's absolute madness in front of the net.
00:19:51
Speaker
um Yeah, I think for me, I'd rather, mean, situational obviously, but I think in a general sense, you have more than one or two guys in our zone.
00:20:04
Speaker
i would just, I'd rather you hold it, just eat it. Yeah. Fair enough. Yeah. I just asked the question because we're definitely seeing an uptick in goalies having the confidence to move the puck a little bit more. Like I think ah you see a lot of whistles even where the whistle is blown when the goalies kind of got his glove out, like ready to drop it.
00:20:28
Speaker
Right. if If he gets the chance to. And then obviously with the three on three overtimes, you've seen a couple of goalies make some clutch plays to spring a guy to. I also think just in general, like stick handling, puck handling, passing, shooting for goalies is, you know, being practiced more often. And we're kind of seeing it with the uptick and goalie goals that have been scored in the last, you know, five plus years.
00:20:56
Speaker
um So it seems like there's a bit of a trend towards keeping the play alive as opposed to eating it. I think eating it is slightly more of a traditional quote unquote traditional, like way of seeing it. I, I do agree. I like, you know, taking the whistle, but at the same time I wasn't the best puck player.
00:21:20
Speaker
So I, I, think it boils down to again, like we were talking about last pod, you know, this, the, the hockey IQ, the game, they that the, the, the sense awareness basically. tom la Exactly. Right. So,
00:21:35
Speaker
obviously all situational, but I think, you know, just to minimize any mistakes, I think just if you hold it's probably, that's probably, for me, that's not a bad thing. Yeah. All right.
00:21:46
Speaker
Next. right. Um, I'll ask, i wanted to ask this last one and I'll ask this now.
00:21:59
Speaker
is there a particular technique or a style that you like to teach more than others? Or is there like one kind of, for lack of better term, save execution that you don't like teaching, but you still teach it anyways, because it's, it's, it's still good for the goalie to, you know, learn it.
00:22:22
Speaker
One that I don't like teaching, but I still teach. Hmm. Um, I don't know.
00:22:33
Speaker
Like, I don't have anything that I absolutely dread. Like you, if I throw you in the stick handling, uh, at sessions.
00:22:44
Speaker
Um, yeah, I don't know. Like the one thing I'll say is the one that i like do preach a lot on. Like if you talk about ah a style would be efficiency. Like that's, I don't know, everything that I kind of work off of when I coach is based off of how can we do this with the least amount of movement possible to get the job done?
00:23:13
Speaker
um Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I guess the one that I'm not a huge fan of, but I will work with the goalie if that's what they want to do is kind of the low saves with the pads as opposed to using the stick.
00:23:32
Speaker
Cause that's something that's come up a lot recently with, you know, kind of current goalies is not using the stick and kind of trying to use the pad to place rebounds. Now I know,
00:23:47
Speaker
it's different than when we played like rebounds absolutely fly off of pads now. Whereas when we played, they just kind of died on the pads. Um, so in certain situations, I can kind of see the merit of, you know, basically trying to launch a puck out of your zone on a rebound or just make it come off hot enough that, you know, the other team can't corral it on the back door or something like that. But,
00:24:13
Speaker
I do like, even if I'm working with the goalie that is pretty set on doing that, I'm not a huge fan of it. I still in the back of my mind are like, no, get a stick on it. Let's get a stick on it. yeah So that's one, I guess.
00:24:30
Speaker
um I'm trying to think too. i It seems like it's kind of died now. I don't know if it ever really caught on, but one that I was never really a fan of was the Panda.
00:24:44
Speaker
didn't really understand that one. Um, but I think that that was kind of a flash in the pan and nobody seems to have really latched onto that one.
00:24:55
Speaker
Um, yeah, I don't know. That's all that comes to mind right now. Like I can't think of anything off top of my head. That's like, yeah I hate doing this, but I do it anyways.
00:25:09
Speaker
but Well, yeah, yeah, you're right. Definitely. The, definitely the stick handling for me is ah not my favorite thing in the world. Um, I guess like for me, and like i shared the same sentiment with you, you know, teaching efficiency as a style.
00:25:29
Speaker
um I'm not a fan of the elevated stance, particularly. I'm not even really a fan of like the. I'm going to call them the small adjustments. That's not what I mean.
00:25:42
Speaker
um But like the quick kind of shuffles across the, the, the crease top of the crease, you know, you know what, you know, I'm talking about kind of certain Nathan's go be talking about on a pass or like on a, on a walk. Cause if they're walking, that's kind of how you have to follow the puck.
00:26:02
Speaker
and yeah Yeah, if it's a walk, yeah, that, like, it makes sense to me. Maybe a path, I don't know, I don't, i
00:26:12
Speaker
Yeah. That's one I'd need to see an example of to know. Sure. And that's, yeah. And that's, yeah. And that's, and that's fine. um Yeah. I don't know. I just, mean, like I'm a taller goalie, but, and it's not like I'm playing low in my stance when I played, but was always told stick on the ice,
00:26:34
Speaker
You know, it's milliseconds from being in an elevated stance to being or getting down your butterfly or getting in your stance properly. um Just never really ones that I guess I understood or or ah agreed with really.
00:26:51
Speaker
Puck handling for me... Just it's boring. It's boring to teach. It's one. That's, that's the whole reason why I don't like it. I've now was never really the best puck handler. So it's kind of hypocritical of me to really teach it, but I don't know. I just puck handling to me is so boring.
00:27:10
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. yeah The elevated stance I'm fine with situationally. There's like, obviously if a guy's in the slot ready to like lock. Yeah. and Like screens. Yeah. No, it definitely makes sense.
00:27:22
Speaker
Um, even perimeter stuff though, I'm quite all right with that. Cause there is like some merit to, you know, some energy conservation to an extent there. I also think too, like just with the way that we play and we're of always in the butterfly, like your stick's going to come down to the ice as you drop.
00:27:43
Speaker
I don't know. I mean, i i'm definitely not opposed to it in terms of the small adjustments, like thinking about it, I think, If correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're talking about like happy feet or chopping salad.
00:27:57
Speaker
Yes. And if that's the case, then yes. But again, that kind of stems back to the efficiency discussion where if your feet are constantly moving and, you know, chopping salad or you know, whatever you want to call it um then, yeah, that leads to, you know, inefficient movement. You're burning energy, you're wasting time kind of thing and not really getting too far so yeah i'm okay like i'm i'm okay with it as a uh like like as a skating movement as a skating pattern if we're just doing skating but when it comes to like actual drills with pucks involved that's i i i don't i don't see the value in that yeah i think i think the small adjustments as long as you're following a puck um as being locked is fine but
00:28:49
Speaker
But even then that has its, that has its caveats. Yeah. um Anything else on that one? Nope. That was it. All right. So this one, what do you miss most about playing?
00:29:06
Speaker
Like, and I know you did still do the odd beer league game, but I don't really count beer league.
Competitive Aspects and Camaraderie
00:29:14
Speaker
um I think the competitiveness.
00:29:18
Speaker
I've never played double-A, triple-A, junior hockey as much as everybody, Nathan, around me likes to admit, or likes to rub in, rather. But I'm not a play-to-win type guy, but I'm definitely a play-good, feel-good type of guy.
00:29:37
Speaker
but i'm definitely like ah play good feel good you know type of guy you know um you know, like, like you were saying, like I fill in for the odd beer league games and those are frustrating on the best of times, but I think just generally, you know, playing competitively, you know, playing in an organized, betterly organized, um, kind of setting compared to, compared to beer league.
00:30:09
Speaker
that that was it. I don't miss the tiering process. Hated that. Um, I don't miss the, the, the politics that I guess came with it, especially in my last year of hockey.
00:30:24
Speaker
Um, but you know, I definitely miss like the camaraderie amongst teammates and, you know, the, the, the tournaments and, you know, the pizza parties at Boston pizza, where we fill, um, pictures of pop with random items to piss off the servers but um nathan's gonna be that kids yeah don't do that please you know yeah please don't do that um yeah i don't know i think i think just the competitiveness of it is probably what i miss most um
00:30:58
Speaker
our organization's lawyer has told us to disregard anything Connor just said. HR! Yeah. um Yeah, no, that's fair. That's probably what I miss most too is kind of, I don't like,
00:31:16
Speaker
I don't know, just the reward, the reward of your success kind of thing, you know, like winning at a high level or whatever level you're at feels good. Yeah. and I mean, it's, I mean, like, you know, you could you could get, you could lose six, three or six, two, but as long as you did everything that you could and you're satisfied with the like you might not be satisfied with the result but as you long as you're satisfied with the performance that you put out there and it was a worthy performance and i don't think that there's there's anything wrong with that and i think that translates very very well into today's game you know as well as
00:32:00
Speaker
Oh, it's all little Johnny's fault because he gave up six goals 20 shots. Well, yeah. Well, what was the rest of the team doing? a Little Johnny probably made probably some of the best blocker saves that he's ever made or at like the best stick saves. And he kept the puck out of the net for five minutes at once or, you know, whatever, right? Like, yeah.
00:32:22
Speaker
So, yep. that's ah That's that there. and Nothing else on that. No, I'm good. and come I'm just going to cross this one off here.
00:32:34
Speaker
um Okay. I got another bit of a personal one here. And I'm actually kind of curious about this. you and i You and I first started working together back in 2022 in September. We connected, what, late August?
00:32:49
Speaker
Sometime around August, sometime around there. Yeah, I don't know. It's all 10 years ago. so you know, yeah so what were your thoughts on me as a coach when we first started working together versus now?
00:33:17
Speaker
tread carefully um the listeners are probably like i don't want to hear what mason thinks about corner except for brad brad wants know um no uh honestly at the time like I was at a place where I needed help.
00:33:36
Speaker
And so just finding somebody like even somewhat competent, I just needed some form of warm body that could actually somewhat coach goalies.
00:33:49
Speaker
Because, yeah, that was right near when i transitioned from kind of doing stuff just on my own, testing the waters, things were going fairly well.
00:34:00
Speaker
And then So i think only a couple months before we met, I started True North. And yeah, I was just getting to a point that it was really tough to get six goalies booked for a session and having to last minute try and text handfuls of people that most of the time we're like, no, like I don't do that or don't do that anymore or whatever. I don't know.
00:34:33
Speaker
So it was ah definitely nice for sure. um i again, it's been a while. I know it's only been like three years, a little less than that, but um I don't know.
00:34:50
Speaker
I, I think the eagerness, like there is a lot of eagerness, a lot of like, you know, I want to make my mark, which was good. I'm still there.
00:35:02
Speaker
and That's why you bullied me into getting on this podcast full time. But yeah, i I don't know. I think we see eye eye on a lot of stuff except for race dances.
00:35:19
Speaker
um And and didn't realize that there's going to be a lot of shots here. Yeah, a few other small... Oh, you walked into this one. Yeah, I did. I did. I did. i did But no, I mean, I think, i don't know, like there's been a lot of just in general growth over the last couple of years, whether it's the organization itself or myself or you or whatever the case is. I mean, last year there was you, me and one other coach, and now there's like 12 of us. So, you know, it's, yeah it's, it's ever evolving and all that stuff.
00:35:59
Speaker
But yeah, no, I think, yeah, that's probably the big thing is just kind of that eagerness to be involved, eagerness to learn and to, you know, and be the change you want to be in the world kind of thing.
00:36:15
Speaker
But so yeah, I don't know. Why don't i reverse, uno reverse that on you and see where you're standing over there. Just remember, I'm kind of your boss. no No pressure. I love my job. I love being here. Gunned ahead.
00:36:35
Speaker
um um Yeah, I mean... you know yeah i mean kind of like you like it's all just kind of blurred together at this point um
00:36:48
Speaker
the ah you know when when When you and I had first met, um you know I honestly wasn't sure kind of what to think of you. um you know like you well and you like like You're a very monotone guy, right?
00:37:07
Speaker
i was like okay i was like like i couldn't i couldn't get ah you know couldn't really get a read on you like and the the first one the first time i met yeah But, you know, as we've worked together and have grown over the years, you know, you become one of my best friends and, and you know, my boss at the same time. And, um you know, there's like, again, a lot of growth. I mean, um you know, I think...
00:37:32
Speaker
your passion and your drive, you know, into this, I admire a lot because i Lord knows that I can build a business from scratch and, you know, sink a lot of money into, you you know, the facility and, you know, we do all the sessions and and all that, like that's, that takes time and effort and the, you know, you being able to put that time and effort in because you want to see true North succeed because you have a passion for it, which has never wavered.
00:38:03
Speaker
Um, and as well as, you know, the other, the other business ventures as well, you know, the, the, the DIY goalie podcast, uh, you know, being one of them and the many, many other true North offsets that we keep joking about.
00:38:17
Speaker
But, uh, um, yeah, I mean like the, the, I have, I have nothing but nothing but good things to say about you. And told, and I'm, yeah I'm glad to be here.
00:38:30
Speaker
Um, yeah, I, I, I don't know. Like we, we both have, uh, we both have grown over the years and, uh, I've learned a lot from you and I would like to think that you've learned a little bit from me at the, the, the same time. And just, uh, you know, the fact that we're able to text each other and, you know, just be able to call and bounce ideas off of each other and kind of talk about how our sessions went and just kind of, uh, kind of just chat really basically and just talk shop about all that. So.
00:38:58
Speaker
Connor loves to call me after a session right when I put my kids to bed. so and that's sad Hey, got to deliver on those progress reports, boss. That's what I got. I got to deliver.
00:39:11
Speaker
and It's funny that you talk about the monotony that I have. and Because actually, the more I listen to the Goalie Science podcast, the more I'm like, I feel like Jamie Phillips is like, of like almost like a spirit animal, like ah like very dry humor, very like, you know, sarcastic and, and kind of that monotonous, but yeah, I've, I've definitely been told that it drives some people nuts.
00:39:41
Speaker
um All, all good things. We're getting emotional here on the DIY goalie podcast. Some, some tissues. Where's the tissues? where's the tissue So um I'll reel it back to a little bit more kind of goalie related.
00:39:56
Speaker
um When, okay. I guess before I ask this, you can give me different answers for different age groups. That's fine.
00:40:08
Speaker
When is it okay to pull a goalie?
When to Pull a Goalie in a Game
00:40:14
Speaker
Didn't we talk about this in the community hot takes episode? kind of. look I feel like we did. i know we briefly touched on it, but yeah.
00:40:28
Speaker
So I guess I'll divide this by age level, but also in terms of skill level. So when it comes to, i guess like, or I should, I'm sorry, I should say it's streams rather.
00:40:44
Speaker
So in the general minor hockey stream,
00:40:51
Speaker
um sorry I'll backtrack again here. So I guess first thing I want to say is that like i'm never I'm never really one or a fan for pulling the goalie. But I understand that there's a time and a place for it. i'm always I'm always everybody should play, everybody does you know everybody fair play, this, this, and that.
00:41:08
Speaker
Which aligns more with the general minor hockey stream. In my eyes. um By extension, when it comes to age levels, I would say probably wouldn't so much U9, U11, what is is now.
00:41:43
Speaker
whatever novice adam peewe is now yeah yeah that would be novice adam pb yeah yeah pwee maybe or u13 u18 i think there's again there's a time and a place for that um and the more competitive streams such as a double a triple i think um again like in For me personally, I would boil it down to how is like how is the goalie performing generally throughout the game?
00:42:18
Speaker
You know, again, like this we might be down 3-0 5-3 or rather. um and sometimes, you know, well, just you don't just to shake things up you know with the team.
00:42:31
Speaker
and never really um it's never really on the goalie I think though it just it depends just kind of the on the performance throughout the throughout the throughout the throughout the game I don't know I'm like like I said like I've never really won or have any favor for for ah for for pulling the goalie but um I understand that there's a time and a place for it and for a reason So then the answer is never.
00:42:59
Speaker
When is it okay to pull a goalie? Never. Absolutely never. Roll with the punches. All right. Well, I definitely know you're not getting a job on Pete DeBoer's coaching staff. so yeah God, how it like you you're such a well-recognized coach. how do you like How do you go into panic mode that quickly?
00:43:21
Speaker
Well, it's not panic mode. I think it's just more of that old school mindset, right? Yeah. I don't know. Either way. Tell me why I'm wrong, Nathan. Oh.
00:43:32
Speaker
Okay. Well, yeah. I don't know. I'm more on the side of it's not a time to pull the goalie unless they are like emotionally...
00:43:52
Speaker
um I don't even know the word I'm looking for, like distraught, disassociated, like when they've gotten to the point that their emotions have kind of taken over, you know, their abilities, like if they're at the point that they're not even able to really like do anything that their training has prepped them for because they're either frustrated or upset or whatever the case is. I think that's a point to, to take them out.
00:44:27
Speaker
Um, I also think, you know, if it's, I don't know, I, I understand the shakeup. I've been on both ends of that. Like,
00:44:41
Speaker
the one that drove me the most nuts is I got pulled after allowing the second goal on 18 shots to make the game two, two with eight minutes left in the second period. I got pulled in that instance.
00:44:57
Speaker
it So to me, that is what, when not to pull a goalie, I'm still bitter about that one, but I can also see too, like,
00:45:09
Speaker
you know, the mercy pull where even if it's not necessarily your fault for letting in six goals on 20 shots, just to be like, you know what, take a breather, take a reset, like, you know, because you might end up like we saw the whole Patrick Waugh situation that obviously irked him. So some goalies, you know, might just want to get out of the net at that point.
00:45:35
Speaker
um And but I think that's also unprecedented by a conversation ahead of time to see what your goalie likes and doesn't like and where they're at um so that you kind of know.
00:45:49
Speaker
ah So I do think there are some certain times and places. Now, when we're talking like really young kids, they should be splitting games anyways. So you're not really necessarily pulling them unless they get hurt or something like that.
00:46:03
Speaker
um Once you kind of creep into the U13, U15, there might be a time and a place. Again, I think that one, that age group is more the emotional side. If they're really struggling emotionally, it's time to get them out.
00:46:20
Speaker
And then i understand that there's a performance aspect to it when you get older. So you 18 junior and that kind of thing. um And, you know, at that point, it's a business. I get it. If it's not the goalies night, it's not the goalies night.
00:46:35
Speaker
um but at the same time, I do think there's something to be said about trying to play through it. So I think sometimes coaches are a little quick on the trigger. You know, we saw the whole Pete DeBoer thing with two shots on two goals.
00:46:49
Speaker
um At least the Oilers let Koskinen get to four goals on four shots before they pulled him a few years ago. But yeah, so I think, i think you know, U18 and up is probably when,
00:47:04
Speaker
ah you might be okay, quote unquote, with performance related polls um if you're at a high level. But again, it to me has to be more justified than a quick, you know, like two goals on a five on three that your team started out with or something like that, like give them a bit of a chance to battle through and then kind of work from there.
00:47:27
Speaker
But that's kind of my viewpoint on it.
00:47:31
Speaker
So yeah, I got, I got, I got no rebuttal on that. Um, I guess we'll do one more here to cap off the pod. Um, I hate
00:47:48
Speaker
you so much. Shout out Brad McDonald. Um,
00:47:57
Speaker
I guess I'll ask you this. It's kind of off the books here.
Future Plans for True North Goaltending
00:48:01
Speaker
What is the plan with true North goaltending moving forward?
00:48:11
Speaker
Kind of the five-year plan. What wonder what what why can we look forward to? Take over the world. Yeah. mean, honestly,
00:48:22
Speaker
i mean honestly It's yeah, I don't know about it necessarily like five year plan. length I think it's just an ongoing plan. Like basically my goal with True North Goaltending and the DIY goalie, although that's going to become True North Goaltending very soon, um is just.
00:48:45
Speaker
Getting as much information and resources as possible into the goalie community and to do the best that we can to help support the goalie community.
00:48:58
Speaker
So I kind of have like my next thing up now that business tax time is over and you know, whatever else.
00:49:09
Speaker
The the website merger is kind of next on my hit list. But after that, my next major project is to get the coaches supporting their goalie course.
00:49:22
Speaker
um You know, video like scripted, videoed and and set up. And after that, eventually I'd like to do a goalie parent one.
00:49:34
Speaker
And then kind of keep, you know, like going with the content, going with the sessions to again, kind of give the give the goalies the stuff that i slash we didn't have when we were in their position. Because i can tell you I would have done a lot more with my career had I known a fraction of the stuff that I know now.
00:50:03
Speaker
And I wish I had somebody to tell me some of that stuff. And so to me, it's kind of like it's criminal how important the position of goaltending is and how under supported it is.
00:50:19
Speaker
Like coaches are always like, oh, we need a goalie that can steal us games. And then it's like you watch their practice and their practice is all flow drills with two on O's and you know, like, and it's just like, well, no wonder your goalie can't steal you a game because you don't give him the tools. so And so that's kind of, I guess, like the ongoing plan. i mean, I guess if you're talking about specific goals, like, I don't know if it'll happen within five years, but I would like to get actual ice for us, not just synthetic at some point. um
00:50:56
Speaker
And yeah, just keep, I don't know, putting it out there in terms of content like that's another thing like I wish I had more time to do that just between the day job and two young kids and the business and whatever I really don't have a whole heck of a lot of time to do content which sucks and I wish I did but that's something I want to try and do more of down the road as well but yeah I think the main goal behind true North goal attending is just to get as much knowledge as possible in the hands of goalies to help them, you know, get to experience some of the cool things that comes along with being a goalie and, um, you know, have fun with it. I think we kind of lose that a little bit too, is how much fun it is to make a big save in a close game and, you know, all that kind of stuff. And so,
00:51:55
Speaker
I don't know, just passing along the torch to the next generations, I guess, is the biggest, biggest ongoing plan.
00:52:06
Speaker
Fair enough. um Yeah. No, fair enough. I'm just here for the ride, so... Yeah. don't know. Does that pass the vibe check? Are you sticking around for the next five years?
00:52:22
Speaker
would like to, yes. Yeah. Are contract negotiations coming up soon? Yeah. Yeah. Performance evaluations. Yeah.
00:52:34
Speaker
All right. Well, I was... maybe gonna save this one but maybe we'll end it off since it's been a bit more of a ah personal episode so i honestly okay so okay so i like i have to say like honestly felt like you were asking more personal questions the last one i was asking the technical ones so i thought we were gonna flip the script this time fair enough well i got one that's uh all right but personal to end off so Do you think being a goalie has shaped any part of your personality like away from the rink? And if so, how?
00:53:13
Speaker
I'm going to get you to do it again because it cut out literally like mid question. Oh my God. Okay. Do you think that being a goalie has kind of shaped your personality like away from the rink? And if so, how?
00:53:31
Speaker
I don't know so much about being a goalie. I definitely think goal being a goalie coach has shaped it more, know, cause I don't know. I it's, it's strange and kind of silly. Cause like I have this love, hate relationship with playing goal.
00:53:51
Speaker
Cause well, no, cause cause like when I get asked to play, you know, whether it's on the pond or in beer league or whatever, it's like, I kind of have to be in the mood to want to play.
00:54:05
Speaker
Otherwise, I don't really want to. And if I don't want to, then I know I'm not going to perform well. And if I want to, I know I'm going to perform well. um
00:54:17
Speaker
I do think being a goalie, you know, has...
00:54:24
Speaker
made me a better athlete in other sports. Being a goalie um has given me an opportunity to play the game that I love and to play the position that I love and to kind of have a bit of a unique experience in playing the game.
00:54:46
Speaker
Um, but being a goalie coach for me, I think it's shaped it more because I, I view things technically and I view things analytically and I've been able to utilize kind of the, the, the skills as a coach into kind of my personal, every and personal everyday life, more specifically at work, where it's like, if I need to correct something, I'm not coming in and berating about it. So I know how to talk to the individual that I'm talking to and be able to quote unquote coach them um and to be able to, Hey, let's make sure that we're doing the right procedure here.
00:55:23
Speaker
um Or let's make sure that we're doing the right thing because this is not only what it's asked of us, but here's the, here is the skills that I'm going, that I'm giving you to be able to, to do that. um So I definitely, I definitely think that being a goalie coach more has shaped more of my personality and kind of how I view the world compared to being a goalie.
00:55:44
Speaker
Fair enough. Fair enough. Quick, quick, quick last little thing kind of related. Bonus question. Yeah. and um As an almost dad.
00:55:58
Speaker
Do you want your little girl to be a goalie?
Children Becoming Goalies
00:56:11
Speaker
Do I want them to get into hockey? Yes. Am I going to force her into it? No. Do I want her to be a goalie?
00:56:25
Speaker
I, I, I think it'd be cool kind of following in dad's footsteps. Cause that's what I did. That's one my, that's what my brother and I did with, with, with our dad. Um, Lord knows that I don't think I genuinely don't think that I could separate parent from coach.
00:56:45
Speaker
Um, I probably could. That's why you have a team of true North coaches. Yeah, yeah exactly. right um as long as I get facility sessions for free, I'll take it.
00:56:59
Speaker
ah Yeah, i I say that I don't think I'd be able to separate parent from coach. I think I probably actually could um because I would probably just treat her as like any other young kid that I have coming through the studio.
00:57:12
Speaker
um Easier said than done. I know how expensive the position is. um and if she's anything like me, she's going to want her own equipment, brand new, you know, whatever the latest, whatever is.
00:57:28
Speaker
um but I think just as long as like, for me, if she wants to play the sport, great. If she wants to be a goalie, great. If she wants to be a player, even better, my wallet will thank her later.
00:57:41
Speaker
Um, but I think just if, if, if she wants to get into, into the position or whatever it is that she wants to do when it comes to some kind of activity, um,
00:57:56
Speaker
I'll always be there for her and I'll always, uh, um, so support her no matter what. Um, and I'll just, I'll just be dead. That's, that's, that's the goal is just be dad, be her number one fan and, uh, um, just do everything that I can to make sure that, uh, she succeeds and make her dreams come true.
00:58:19
Speaker
Um, we're so touchy feely on today's.
00:58:24
Speaker
We'll have to get listener feedback on if, if, if we need more of that or not.
00:58:32
Speaker
Just start putting expletives in the, in the pod. We'll have to beep everything out, but. Yeah. Yeah. We'll we'll have playing in net Nathan come out and yeah, that's there. There'll be a lot of bleeping going on for that.
00:58:47
Speaker
what Well, what, well, what, well, what about you? Cause you're, cause your oldest is fit completed his first year in playing hockey. Yeah, so they they's still like he's still a couple years away from there being full-time goalies.
00:59:01
Speaker
um I do still believe he's going to be a baseball kid. He seems to have the skill set for that. um But yeah, I am in the same boat. Obviously, if they're going to go that route, I'll support them good on them.
00:59:19
Speaker
I hope they don't, but it's not even because of the position itself. It's just because I know that they might have a hard time separating dad from coach.
00:59:32
Speaker
Yeah. And you know, it's, oh, the rink's supposed to be my like getaway and dad's still here telling me what to do kind of thing. Right. So,
00:59:44
Speaker
in that sense, I mean, it's not too bad now that like we do have our collective of coaches. um I could probably just get one of you guys to do coaching with them, but I always knew that like, it would break my heart a little bit to have to like pay or get somebody else to coach them because they won't listen to me kind of thing.
01:00:07
Speaker
Um, so that's kind of the reason why I also like, would very much enjoy to be the naive parent that has no idea what's going on. Like I would, if we went the baseball route, because the hockey route, I know like the games that are played. I know like,
01:00:24
Speaker
you know, all the stuff that goes on and, and, you know, and I know that goes on with every sport, like you don't get away from it, but it'd just be nice to be like, show up and just cheer and not have a care in the world, you know, ignorance is bliss kind of thing.
01:00:42
Speaker
um So I don't know, we'll see what happens. But so yeah, I, I won't be opposed to it. I just would rather them not. But it's not even because of the position itself. It's just for other reasons as stated.
01:00:58
Speaker
ah so and there Fair enough. mean, and I, I applaud the parents that do, i think you're crazy, but I applaud the parents that do. Um, um, Yeah, I don't know. just I guess like for us as coaches, mean like we hear so many parent horror stories and we deal with some pretty interesting parents.
01:01:19
Speaker
And I think it's kind of shaped our kind of what do we want to do with our kids you know when they get in the sport. I...
01:01:31
Speaker
ah yeah I guess like, i don't know for me, it like, like if my, if my daughter chose to go into, don't know, something like, I don't know, something soccer or, you know, basketball or whatever.
01:01:44
Speaker
I like, I don't think I'd mind it. Cause then I kind of get to learn a new sport alongside her, you know, and kind of get to name learn. and Yeah, yeah, exactly. And just kind of want learning.
01:01:54
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. um Because, I don't know, like I guess, like and you probably share the same sentiments, like for us, it's like if they decide to pursue hockey with some intent, we we know the ins and outs of it, and we know that it's going to hard for us to keep our mouth shut, basically, right? Yeah.
01:02:19
Speaker
So, yeah, I don't know. um It's a double edged sword because it's like, might be able to really help them get to a high level. But at the same time, it's like, well, or is it just too much? Right. Yeah.
01:02:35
Speaker
yeah All right. Well, you want to bring us home then? i will bring us home. The 66th episode, the Mario Lemieux episode of the DIY Goalie podcast presented by True North Goaltending.
01:02:52
Speaker
If you are listening on the podcast side of things, first off, thank you. And if you are a new listener, make sure you hit that follow button for ah new podcast episodes that come out every Tuesday.
01:03:03
Speaker
um Sorry for making you edit the last one. um moving Moving on and away from that, make sure you do hit that share button across all your favorite social media platforms, more goalies that we're able to bring to our little goalie community.
01:03:18
Speaker
The better. um If you are watching over on the YouTube side of things, again, same deal. Make sure you hit that like button. And if you're new viewer, subscribe. um And same deal as well. i Make sure you share the YouTube channel with your friends and family and other goalies across the great internet.
01:03:35
Speaker
Don't like the way I said that, but I'm going to continue on with it. um Yeah. it's ah But yeah, so do all that. More goalies that we're able to bring together, the better. ah You can follow us on your favorite social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, all at True North Goaltending, except for Instagram, because we like to be different.
01:03:54
Speaker
That one is YEG Goalie Coach. You can follow myself on Instagram at MondayGC. Go check us out, truenorthgoaltending.com. If you are in the Edmonton area and you want to book a ah session with us, we do have those available.
01:04:09
Speaker
um As well as, like Nathan said at the start of the pod, we have four open spots left for our five-day camp happening August 11th through 15th. So if you are in the Edmonton area or happen to be passing through, and if you want to come out for a week-long skate,
01:04:25
Speaker
register because spots were filling up fast. So we're looking forward to seeing everybody in August. It's going to be a fun one. Thank you guys so much for watching and listening on behalf of Nathan and myself.
01:04:37
Speaker
We'll see you guys next time. Make some saves.