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097 - Progressing Throughout a Coaching Career with Devon Hardie
118 Plays1 month ago
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We sit down with our Calgary counterpart Devon Hardie, founder of SAGA Goaltending, on how he got started in his goalie coaching career. We talk about the journey throughout his career since then, and Devon brings up an interesting topic that you will want to stay tuned for!
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Transcript
Introduction to 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 a better goalie.
00:00:18
Speaker
How's it going goalies? Welcome back to the DIY goalie podcast presented by True North Goaltending. I'm your host Connor Monday flying by myself in the captain seat today. Nathan Park is on assignment. Hopefully everybody's doing well as we are entering the latter part or the the dog days rather of summer, the dog days of the season.
00:00:41
Speaker
And as we gear more towards playoffs and and everything else, we are we're we're definitely excited and things are kind of slowing down a little bit on our end, but not really. It'll kind of die down for a week, and then we'll pick back up.
Guest Introduction: Devin Hardy
00:00:55
Speaker
I am very glad to be joined by Mr. Devin Hardy of Southern Alberta Goalie Academy. We've been talking for the last little bit here. I've been trying to get him on the pod, but he's an elusive guy to get a hold of sometimes. and But we are we are super we are super happy to have Devin on the pod today. Devin, how are you doing?
00:01:14
Speaker
Hey, pretty good. Thanks for having me on. How are you? I'm good. And we were just we were just chatting off camera here just about ah you know the just kind of how things are slowing down a little bit, not necessarily, and you know and just kind of see what kind of see what the summer brings.
00:01:32
Speaker
Devin, you and I here today, because we're just going to have a chat about goaltending. We're just going to have a chat about our careers in in goaltending and hockey and how we got into into goalie coaching and such uh but we'll start off with this here I guess just tell us just about you know your your your background you know how you just kind of upbringing how you got into hockey how more specifically you got into goaltending and uh we'll just kind of uh let the conversation roll from there Sounds
Childhood and Goaltending Beginnings
00:01:59
Speaker
good. Well, I started like at anyone or I think anyone, at least when I hear the podcast, you know, I had an older brother who wanted to shoot pucks on me or tennis balls in the basement and i didn't really have a choice. Um, then when I actually became a hockey player, I realized that I didn't like going close to the boards or behind the net.
00:02:17
Speaker
And I like being there instead of actually doing the work of skating. So coach actually put me in goal, uh, Honestly, now I found that goalie takes more effort than skator or than players ever do, but that's my take on it. um i've just found that I love the crease. Honestly, for my first time, think it was novice or whatever. Whatever they call it, united And walked in the dressing room and we had the like old brown pads, leather straps with the fluffing falling out.
00:02:52
Speaker
And the goalie stick was Patrick Waz. But now of that I've grown up, I realize that it was just not actually his stick, but I thought that that was his stick. And it was meant to be because Patrick Waugh was my favorite goalie at the time. And I fell in love with the position. Yeah. um Yeah.
00:03:11
Speaker
Yeah. So i mean wait wait, wait, wait to ruin every goalie's dream. There is, Oh, sticks got Martin Broder on it or Patrick Juan. No, it's not actually a stick, but you know you you learn, you learn that later in life. Um, so I guess just kind of diving into that, like when it came to playing was, is there any like specific moment with playing goal that sticks out to you
Personality and Leadership in Goaltending
00:03:38
Speaker
at all? And then we'll kind of, we'll dive, we'll dive into the, you know, training a little bit afterwards, if, if any at all, you know, for me, um,
00:03:47
Speaker
I've always been like the quiet kid and until you get comfortable or until I get comfortable and then I explode and just become this, i don't know, like life of the party type person. So I think, right. Maybe it's just in my head. um But I've always been like the weird one right and the more that I became goalie the weirder that I was kind of allowed to be and like in my own little element where. You put on the mask and you can be a superhero for the day right like you're leading your team out and then to the game everyone's coming to you right. Obviously when you're winning it feels a lot better than when you're losing, but when I was younger that's what it kind of felt like for me and.
00:04:31
Speaker
I don't know, through hockey, I've just felt natural in the
Goaltending Gear Memories
00:04:35
Speaker
position. Like I play beer league now as a player and I have fun, you know, trying to toe drag, but my home's still in net. I love designing the pads. I love painting my masks. I love just being a goalie and saying that I'm a goalie.
00:04:50
Speaker
was there any specific set of pads or any like specific mask? And I asked that question because you can kind of tell behind me here, I have the Reebok P4s and that was the very last set of goalie pads that I wore in my minor hockey career mixed in with the Maple Leaf helmet right there. And then actually just the helmet right over there is a very, very first helmet that I ever wore playing. And then the set of white pads is the the beer league pads that I wear every so often. So just what like, was there ever like a set of pads that, growing up that that that this like you're very fond of or like ah like a specific type of mask that's ah that you you remember it distinctly? Honestly, growing up, I...
00:05:35
Speaker
I realized now how much I didn't like my equipment, but I didn't know any different. And I was too imid to actually try stuff. So once I got adult money and was able to figure out, hey, this feels better than this, I've really dialed in on my systems and like my stuff. Like i i have the AXIS CCM helmet or CCM AXIS helmet.
00:05:59
Speaker
And before I was always Bauer, it was like style points or nothing. I had the white cage, black, the the white straps, like it was just style points for Junior, right?
00:06:10
Speaker
ah But I realized that the helmet didn't fit me. And like I tried to do certain things like I cut out the chin strap so that I could push it in tighter. And there was one game where I realized that my nose actually stuck out of the cage.
00:06:24
Speaker
And I found that out by puck to the face. Oh no. So that was the like things that I just thought that I could get away with because i was like, oh, it doesn't feel right, but I don't know how to fix it.
00:06:35
Speaker
Ended up causing more damage at that point, right? But now I'm in the Axis helmet and like, I don't know if I can go to a different helmet, right? Like little things like that. um Same thing with my pads. Like, honestly, I went with ours currently because of,
00:06:52
Speaker
I was lucky enough to get a ah special deal. um but like I really like the Vaughn graphic, but wanted long-term.
00:07:03
Speaker
right So I wanted a nice stiff pad because as much as I loved the Vaughns growing up, I'm a beer leaguer. I don't want to have a soft pad five years in and then have to replace it, replace it, replace it.
00:07:15
Speaker
ah But I've always loved the graphic. So I went with the Carat Price graphic. for like Remember the swirl? Not the swirl, but the razor. Like the E-Flex graphic?
00:07:27
Speaker
No, like his V2 swirl with the lines and he had one line. Oh, those ones. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. yeah I forget what. There was like the 7700 graphic or something like that. Yeah.
00:07:39
Speaker
i don't know. Yeah. But. Okay. That's. So then. Sorry to go on a tangent and just ramble. hu Well, hey, we're all goalies. ever Everybody gets into goaltending one way or the other. i mean, it's it's funny we talk about gear because that's the whole reason why I got into playing. is My dad still has the old Cooper pads sitting in the in the stairs and in under the basement here. um And then...
00:08:07
Speaker
just I remember just seeing those pads because Dwayne Rolison was huge influence on on my on my playing career. And just remember seeing his pads and remember saying that, like, I want those specific TPS pads.
00:08:23
Speaker
ended up getting a box set of iTech from Ikea, which were ice legal, by the way. ah and And, you know, just kind of just just just kind of just kind of ran with it from there. So we all we all get into goaltending for different reasons. And I think the most generic one over anything is, like you were saying, your older brother sticks you in that or or it's or it's the gear.
00:08:46
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, literally, right? It's... You're able to be yourself as a goalie. that's
Transition to Goalie Coaching
00:08:53
Speaker
That's what I find. yeah but ah so making So making that transition then, ah because goalie coaching, especially the way that we do it nowadays, is still a relatively newish thing.
00:09:09
Speaker
I don't know, thought or like an and a newish, you know, system. um And it's, and it's still weird for me to think that it's not that long ago that there wasn't really much of, if at all goalie coaching, especially in the the early two thousands and, you know, the, the, the late 1990s and such. So I, so for you, before we talk about you getting into being a goalie coach, um,
00:09:35
Speaker
what was your development like growing up playing as a goalie? Did you really get much coaching at all? And do you remember, do or do you have any coaches specifically that you remember working with?
00:09:52
Speaker
Well, like, yeah, like I had no goalie coaching between U15. And then I went to the edge school and Todd Lorne was there my first year.
00:10:04
Speaker
I'm not sure if you're aware of him, but he was part of World Pro. I honestly don't know what he's doing now, but he he made me fall in love with the sport. Like, I thought that I loved the sport before, but he showed me a different side of it, of how to how to take my abilities of being weird and focusing on actually doing the the position, right? And i found with Todd, not only did he help me, like,
00:10:31
Speaker
navigate my crease better, but he, he slowed me down so I could actually focus, um, which I find, i don't know about you, but I find a lot goalies struggle with that, right? Whether they have ADHD or whatever it might be.
00:10:47
Speaker
but he, but he he he had a way of dialing the end to really focus on what needed to be done. And because of that, I found that not only did my game develop, but like everything around me developed and I found just a ah great passion for the like for the sport. Right. And in my grade 12 year, i had a chance to give back to the community. I was going to be ah a sports med like trainer on one of the minor hockey teams.
00:11:19
Speaker
And it kind of was a two part thing because I said, hey I can goalie coach. I'm playing this level and I can help out on my time off. And, you know, and.
00:11:31
Speaker
the The coach that I asked, his son was the goalie. And he was like, that's excellent. I don't know a thing about goalie. Come on out and help him. and So it was like a don't know, tier three team or something like that. And decent, decent little hockey players, but it was fun. And from there, I followed the kid all the way up. Just every year they asked me back, asked me back. And it was like my way of giving back to the community as I went through my junior and all that kind of stuff. And then...
00:12:02
Speaker
I decided to actually step away from the sport itself. i I hung up the pads, I wasn't coaching anymore, and I went into the trades.
00:12:12
Speaker
And I spent about a year and five months in it, and i ended up falling through a ceiling. Oh dear.
00:12:24
Speaker
and And like completely off topic of hockey, everything like it was just, I was at a point in my life where I was like, I'm done with the sport. I love it. But that that kid that i watched grow up he's kind of done and just ready for the next chapter.
00:12:41
Speaker
Now, When I fell through the ceiling, I'll be honest with you, I was a basket case and I thought that it was January. And when I came outside of the hospital and all that kind of stuff, realized that it wasn't January, I lost like six months of memory, like just wiped me out. And...
00:13:02
Speaker
Season came around and i I text the coach saying, hey, like, why have I not got any updates? What's going on? I'm coming back to coach. Like, what's what's going on?
00:13:12
Speaker
And he was like, you quit. You said you were doing this. He said you were doing that. Like, we're still friends. But like, what do you mean? Right. And. Anyways, he ended up bringing me back. he like I was in three casts and I couldn't skate or anything like that. But he said, yeah, when you're healthy, come back. We'll love to have you. Again, it was just recreation. Like, not recreational, but volunteering, right? And that season with those kids kind of brought me back to pod again.
00:13:44
Speaker
And that drive, that passion that, hey, I am a good goalie and I can give back and I can do this and I can do like more. I can do more than just this team.
00:13:57
Speaker
And in that same season or whatever, i had a parent, friend, co-worker, I'd say, all of the above, um,
00:14:11
Speaker
She wanted to get goalie coaching in Strathmore. And she remembered me from one time we worked at a store, like a sports store together. We still do actually at BNP cycle. Yeah.
00:14:26
Speaker
Well, that's dates me, but that was, yeah, 20, 2016 now. And when I, when I quit from the, when I quit from the store, quit coaching, all that kind of stuff to pursue,
00:14:40
Speaker
um
00:14:44
Speaker
I guess falling through a roof in the trades, that's what I pursued. yeah um When I went back to the store to get track suits and all that kind of stuff, because I had my connections, I wanted to get our team track suits, she offered to pitch the idea of being a goalie coach in Strathmore, which is a small town so or east of Calgary.
00:15:05
Speaker
And i was like, sure, why not? You take the reins and I'll go from there. And she basically started Saga, which was originally Saga Goaltending Advancement. No, Southern Alberta Goaltending Advancement.
00:15:21
Speaker
And... But I love the logo, personally. Everyone says that's a good logo. But anyway, so the first year, it didn't really take off the way that we expected it to. I think we had like one and a half goalies maybe on a good day. um So we kind of just...
00:15:41
Speaker
let it flop in a sense. And she got busy with her kids going into hockey and I was like, Strathmore is way too far for me to drive. And that's and I was honestly, I was still up in the WCD stuff and I wasn't fully set on.
00:16:01
Speaker
Like. It was a weird point because i was we might have to edit a whole bunch of this because it's all jumbled and all that kind of stuff, and I'm sorry, but there was times where I was really passionate, and then there was times where I was very depressed.
00:16:15
Speaker
And there was times where i was very passionate and very depressed and like dealing with the struggles of like broken injuries, and I couldn't push weight on sticks, and then I loved the kids and wanted them to grow and develop, and it was it was a lot. And and
00:16:35
Speaker
When we made the decision to kind of walk away, I figured that was it. Like, i've I'm there, but i'm not there, right? And...
00:16:50
Speaker
I think it was like March or not March,
Saga Goaltending's Development
00:16:52
Speaker
November. um I had a guy randomly call me and his name was Evan. Evan Kester out of Rockyford, Alberta. And he said, hey, is this Saga goaltending account or advancement?
00:17:07
Speaker
And I was like, i I don't know what you're talking about. Like, sorry, bud. and he's like, well, do you know ah Lisa? And I was like, hey, I know Lisa. Why, what's up? And he's like, well, Lisa was working with us last year and she gave me your number and we need goaltending coaching.
00:17:26
Speaker
And was like, Oh, okay. I can do that. i I'm a goalie coach. And like, it like it was looking back at it it, was like literally that dumb. Like i was just like, yeah, I i can do that. Like i felt like a caveman. greatly But all the injuries and all that kind of stuff, right? Me go coach. Like literally, I was like, oh yeah, I am. ah Yeah, okay. you Me coach. i I got skates. I got helmet. Away we go.
00:17:55
Speaker
And had to Google Maps where Rockyford was. Like it's it's passed out Strathmore, like out past Strathmore, I think it's like 90 minutes from Calgary. And I was like, yeah, but sure, I'm here.
00:18:08
Speaker
Coldest rink I've ever been in. Like minus 15. And I was like, every every second Monday. And ah did that for November, so only two Mondays.
00:18:20
Speaker
By December, Strathmore got word that I was doing goalie coaching. And that association called me. And then Indus called me. And it just like, i had more time on the ice than I had days in the week. And I didn't know what to do with myself.
00:18:36
Speaker
And it was very overwhelming. um And then on top of that, I was trying to deal with my concussion from falling through the roof. So it was like big spikes of like doing, don't know, like 13 ice times a week, 13 20 ice times a week. And then it would be like a big crash because I couldn't keep up down to like three ice times a week. And then it would pick back up and then like I would just fall apart and I'd have to cancel. And I felt awful. Like it was like,
00:19:09
Speaker
You don't realize what you're in until you're in it, right? And, like, I'm probably going to say a lot about myself, but I actually haven't told a lot of people.
00:19:21
Speaker
um Just replaying the memories. This is, like, almost a blast from the past. But, like, I remember there was numerous times where I was... over my head in like just coaching right like it was like t-push shuffle shuffle t-push shuffle shuffle t-push shuffle shuffle and it seemed so like redundant that three months in like i i forgot where the kids actually came from right like and what i mean by that is like
00:19:54
Speaker
You see a kid every week or every two weeks or every, you know, every day, right? And you don't see their development. And then they take a step away from you.
00:20:05
Speaker
And then they come back and they're a different goalie. And I had this weird thought process where i was like, like I was really in my head, partially because of the concussions and just not remembering stuff and all that. But i would make like the joke of like, did you go somewhere else? Because i don't remember you being that good. right And like I was just baffled by the progress that these goalies were making off the hop. And I don't want to toot my own horn anything that, because I honestly did not think it was coming for me. I was like, why are we still on the shuffle, shuffle, tee push? like Why are we not past this? why are we like We should be doing butterfly slides. and like like I remember my coaches being like like, why are you not trying harder? Why are you not trying harder? Why are you not trying harder?
00:20:50
Speaker
and I was like, I'm trying as hard as I can. I'm like, what do you mean? And then I kind of became that coach of like, why are you still doing shuffle shuffle T push? We should be doing butterfly and like reverse into the post and all that. And and then they'd come back and they'd be doing like stuff like goalie.
00:21:07
Speaker
Right. And it was at that point I was like, okay, like I can settle. We were actually making goalies. We're actually like developing something here. Like more than just like more than just volunteering, I felt right. Like
00:21:27
Speaker
I don't know. Like it just, it, everything kind of seemed to click. People were saying to me, like, and it made my head huge. Like I always like, i I don't want to toot my own horn, but like a lot of parents are coming up and they're like, you're doing great things. you Like you have this knack, right? And when I was volunteering, a lot of parents came up to me and they had like oil money and they're like, you should build something. Like, let me invest in you. I have money. And I like, I never saw that in me So didn't accept it. Right? Like I was like, no, no, I'm just, I'm here. I'm great.
00:22:00
Speaker
And as the like As that first season really took off for me, where I had it, like had Saga, and everything was kind of going strong, I realized like the reason why I started it, it was to give back and to keep costs low for parents because hockey's expensive. like If you're playing the elite levels, yeah, you can afford it, but like for the ones who are just getting paycheck to paycheck or their goalies coming in...
00:22:32
Speaker
like pads that I wore back in the day. Like it's for those parents that want to get something but don't know how to go about it or can't afford it, right? Because like it's a it's an expensive sport, right? So with going with the associations, that's why it's like I started it that way. So then the association could and cover the cost or help but cover the cost and they get coaching and you know From there it's really developed into what we have it today. and Now we're working with junior teams and we're working with kids overseas and we're doing video calls. and
00:23:10
Speaker
ah But honestly, like when I started goalie coaching in 2008, did not see that in the slightest. And then when I started Saga in 2018, I still didn't see it.
00:23:21
Speaker
And, you know, i I had to rebuild three times now, i feel, because like we we built once and then COVID happened and then we built again. And i had my like, I had a really good core of like five coaches and four of them quit like within three weeks of each other and it was a scramble of everything and with that, bullies went ah elsewhere and you know i i I really had to go back to the basics of like the shuffle, shuffle, key push and watch the development again. and it's
00:24:00
Speaker
It's been an interesting journey. like That's the business side of things and that's a whole bunch of other stuff but like I've been able to not necessarily, again, I'm telling you that this the first time ever that I've actually spoken about some of this stuff, right? But like through that drive of like, hey, I'm resilient. I'm a good goalie. I know within I got the fundamentals. I know like I started out really bad hockey. I had some coaching. I played really good hockey. I still play senior AA.
00:24:33
Speaker
If I can continue through my stuff and come out on the other side, i can teach a goalie how to battle through it and you know, come out on the other side. And then if my ceiling's here and they're starting there, they they can go further, right? Like, you know, the first kid that went through our program that got drafted was this year to the dub. And like, that was a big thing for us, right? Like, it was just, hey, like our program...
00:25:00
Speaker
you know, created something, right? Like, yeah, right. Like, you know, and there's great programs out there, right? Like they're, everyone's great. Right. But I don't know about you guys, but down in Calgary, we have like cutthroat where we like don't like each other.
The Competitive Goalie Coaching Scene
00:25:15
Speaker
Like, it's like you're stepping on my toes and I'm, I'm just a goalie coach. like i You shoot pucks at me. I'm caveman. I got stick, I got skates, and I shoot. like yeah you know there's there's There's a lot to unpack there, and I'm really and i'm really thankful that you decided to...
00:25:34
Speaker
To share that with us. I did want to touch on a couple of points that that you brought up in there. I guess um just first thing that this like I just wanted to say just yeah you and i kind of think on the same wavelength a little bit, you know, they there were times where. You know, like, oh, maybe this is, like, my last year in coaching. Maybe, like, this is my last time in hockey. And then there's that one stupid little nugget that just pulls you right back in. And then all of a sudden you're down the rabbit hole again. and there's a few years. And then you're like, oh, maybe this is the time. and it is it it's it's It's a cruel mistress. And it never it never never lets you go entirely. Yeah.
00:26:17
Speaker
I guess for the for the viewers as well, ah Devin and his and his group of guys, they're based in Calgary. We're based up here at Edmonton. So we kind of already don't like each other based on the Battle of Alberta standpoint, but some ah which i will which I want to touch on in a minute because I think it'll be interesting to kind of get your side of things. um let's Let's go with this. So when you got...
00:26:44
Speaker
when you When you started with set with with SAGA, I remember seeing on your profiles, on your social media, is that you're the biggest motto that you guys have is to build good habits.
Building Good Habits for Goalies
00:27:00
Speaker
which seems like such which Which seems like such a standardized motto hey, in your training, bill you you want you want to build good habits. But that... if if If you only just take that at face value, there may not be much meaning behind it. So I'm curious to know when you say build good habits, and that's the the subline with with with with Sega goaltending, what does that mean to you?
00:27:31
Speaker
Just means like, like for me, showing up with your best foot forward, right? You're always like, doesn't matter if you're training or you're in a game or you're on your own, you're still giving you your best, right? There's some days where sometimes you might slack off, right? But don't make it two days in a row.
00:27:52
Speaker
right If you want to build a good habit, you can't miss two days. You got to be building whatever habit you're doing consecutively. right And it takes 21 days to kind of build a habit.
00:28:03
Speaker
It takes 90 days of consistency to actually build something. It takes about three years for it to build a lifestyle and like actually something you can go off of. But like you have to build it daily. So you know going back to shuffle, shuffle, T-Push, if you build your foundation off your shuffle, shuffle, T-Push, then you're going to be getting the pucks better. You're going be getting in positions better. You're going be able to be more reactive and more mobile better than just if we're sliding around in terms of that, right? Like that's, that's kind of the basic build good habits that I go to is like, Hey, you make the safe, but yeah, let's recover to the feet, right? Let's, let's get there. Let's get, let's beat the players to the puck because if you beat the players to the puck, then you got a second to look around, right? If you're not building that habit to be better than, know,
00:28:50
Speaker
McDavid, let's say, right, because he's going to coming in on you. He's going to triple DQ. If you're not building the habit of I got to beat him or I got to be dry saddle to the puck so he can't make that pass or if he makes that pass, I'm ready for whoever to receive it. If you're not building that habit now and you're just sliding into the posting in our VH while it's on the ring outline, then that's kind of where you're going be.
00:29:19
Speaker
Right. If that makes sense. Yeah, no, like you're you you're right. And like, we have the luxury up here watching McDavid every other night. and and It's awesome watching him. There was a video that went out a while ago.
00:29:35
Speaker
And it was somebody on Twitter chirping at McDavid saying that he could stop him whatever. And then, so was it was, it was, it was like this whole ad thing for something. it was like this whole kind of ah ah social media thing where ah set McDavid went up against like five different goalies. One of them being this guy who was just talking a lot of smack and, ended up just embarrassing him but just yeah i i i get it it would be an honor and a and and a dishonor to be to be to be lit up by to be lit up by me david like that literally yeah yeah like it would be yeah just to be on the ice would be awesome but yeah to oh yeah
00:30:18
Speaker
To get the sunburn, I'm not sure. Yeah. I remember skating out with Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagne a long time ago. it was like the Canadian Tire Kids program that they had at West Emmett Mall here.
00:30:30
Speaker
And yeah, it was it was it it wasn't like goalie centric, but it was like this whole kind of player development thing. And I still have the jersey line around, so I'm not trying to sure where it is.
00:30:41
Speaker
um Awesome. Awesome. no doubt it was it was it was great and at the at the end of it you could ask him a question and we had and that was the same day when the older skills competition happened in the morning so we went from the skills competition to the ice in the afternoon and my question to them was what did you guys think of the skills competition and i blanked on it this is oh goalie what's your question like ah
00:31:06
Speaker
Oh, no, not not my greatest moment. I'll say that. um Okay. So you talked about already keeping costs affordable for parents, which I think is a huge, huge, huge thing for goalies. We know that up here. And I'm sure the entirety of the goalie union doesn't matter where you are, knows that for sure. Yeah.
Growth through Word of Mouth
00:31:29
Speaker
you the The other part of your mission statement with that in keeping costs affordable is using word of mouth and recommendations. um Just how big of that, mean like you were saying already, you know with pete with with parents willing to you know to sponsor you with with oil money and you know to to invest and to develop and build the brand that you have now.
00:31:54
Speaker
We know it up here with true North goaltending, how important social media and and where the mouth is, but for our counterparts down South, how, how big of that is, is, is, is for you guys, is especially in a place like cow town.
00:32:11
Speaker
Like word of mouth is everything. Like, yeah, I, uh, I've only wanted to build it like word of mouth or people who come in and enjoy it. right Actually, today um we had one goalie. He was coming on the ice after our session and his mom stopped me and said, are you Saga goaltending?
00:32:34
Speaker
And I said, yes, we are here. And we do this every every Sunday, 11.15. Come on in. And she said, well, I was in a ah store, ironically B&P Cycle, but I wasn't there that day. um But one of my associates gave her my card and said, you know,
00:32:52
Speaker
check him out. Right. So yeah it she was there this week and then she ended up being on nice time after us, but and she watched us and it was like, yeah it's in the store, but that word of mouth is still huge. Right. Like it's just yeah everything. Right. So that's,
00:33:10
Speaker
Everything that I've kind of built everything off of is word of mouth, right? just I want to provide a a good service. And the more that I don't have to rely on ads and, you know, billboards and all that kind of stuff, it keeps the cost down for for other parents. Like, i i think I waited four years before actually getting a real, like, a Well, I waited three years before getting website and I've just recently changed that website.
00:33:40
Speaker
ah Like because of costs like ah I can't go on the behind the scenes stuff. I was like, you want X amount for this? Well, that's like, either got to increase the price $25 or I got to get three more goalies. So I'm not there yet. Right. And ah like a lot of my, and maybe it's just self doubt or something like that, but it was a lot of my things where I don't want the parents to have stress about their goalie.
00:34:12
Speaker
courting right like like I've seen many parents over the years and not so much...
00:34:23
Speaker
It's weird because when I like when i was growing up and all like that kind stuff, a lot of the money that I had around me or the teams that I played for were a lot of oil-driven money. right And then I got outside of that and saw a different side of things where the goalies who don't get that luxury...
00:34:40
Speaker
um and the the parents don't have that luxury of just everyday funds that can go to goalie coaching. I never wanted to be that stress on a parent. I don't want a parent to decide, hey, can...
00:34:53
Speaker
our kid get goalie coaching this week or do we need groceries? Right? Like, because the kid, like if they're coming to us and they're having fun and it puts a smile on their face as a parent, and like, I know that for myself, like, i want my daughter to smile, right? Like I would go to the lengths of the world for her to smile. And if that means going to gymnastics or whatever,
00:35:18
Speaker
Like, that's what I want, right? So for parents, I'm assuming it's the same thing. That's my philosophy. And if they have to put a smile on their kid's face or pay for this, obviously, worst case scenario, right? But that was still my philosophy. It's like, I want cost to be as parent-friendly as possible. because Of course.
00:35:38
Speaker
like yeah yeah what about so i guess it's what believe i mean we really obviously in the program that we have and how we with true north goaltending utilize social media the podcast being a prime example of that as well for for you how much has social media been a part of that oh it's been and a like game changer if i
00:36:04
Speaker
Well, I think I use it properly, right? But I'm always, again, in that self-doubt era of everything, was like, am I using it properly? Like you see someone with 15 million viewers and it's like, but what am I doing?
00:36:17
Speaker
Right? But then it's I go back to my roots and I'm like, no, I'm doing the right stuff. I'm building my foundation and the people that, right? But it's it's been a huge thing of just even like and share, like and share. And like,
00:36:28
Speaker
you know, I have friends who don't even play, like have goalies in the, or don't have goalies or don't have kids and they're sharing it. And like, even that just gets out there. Like i last summer I had someone reach out from Spokane and they made the drive up because we saw a Facebook post.
00:36:46
Speaker
Right. And I was like, that's cool. Like, that's really cool. it Like it's, you know, like, yeah. So it's, it's little things like that. And then that just like, I know, makes me know that I'm doing the right thing. I'm on the right track. Like, hey, you drove nine and a half hours for, you know, a camp?
Parental Dedication and Impact
00:37:02
Speaker
That's awesome. Or I got another guy and he sends me videos since they live in Saskatoon.
00:37:08
Speaker
Like, that's a, what, 10-hour drive, right? Like, yeah or eight-hour drive, right? Like, it's those things, right? That just, I find that, like, means a lot to me. Like, even one of my, actually, one of my longest goalies, he's been around since...
00:37:24
Speaker
the beginning of the new and by that i mean like he came in during covet and that was kind of right when we were doing our first shift of losing everyone to covet to building what we have now and Like he started coming from Rimby and during his time of coming, we like we had such restrictions of like we could only hour ice or half hour ice times. And like weird rules like that. You had to be in the dressing room five minutes before fully dressed and then on the ice for a half hour and then off and then de-saturday. And they drive like they leave at 430 in the morning to get there for a seven o'clock ice time.
00:38:03
Speaker
for uh and they'd be off at 7 30 and then drive back home and i was like like you're driving from edmonton to calgary nothing to take from you guys here but like that was a big eye-opener for me right like and then they stayed with me and now we have the guys coming from spokane but like all word of mouth all of like hey i know a guy who does this and go check him out and that's yeah yeah i I can't speak for us, but i and and if if Nathan was here, I'm sure you could shed a little more light into that. i i only show up wherever Nathan tells me to. I don't know what all the behind us That's fair. That's fair. There's a lot of that, but I know that like with our with our reach, because we've we've launched um our virtual goalie program really virtual goalie coaching program like a couple couple months ago
00:38:54
Speaker
And I know that that's been popular and just the the outreach that we've had with that has been phenomenal as well. So we thank everybody for for for for taking part in that with us.
00:39:06
Speaker
um Okay, so I want to dive into this quickly. We did kind of talk talk about it a little bit. um your your Your philosophy to coaching and your philosophy to goaltending. Yeah. Just kind of what does that look like to you?
00:39:24
Speaker
The philosophy for goaltending, I try to keep it as simple as possible, like stop the puck.
Philosophy of Goaltending
00:39:30
Speaker
Right? Like then at the end of the day, stop the puck. Right? Now, my goal to help you do that or help whatever is stop it as effectively as possible.
00:39:41
Speaker
Right? So what I mean by that is like if we can get the angle for or like get our angle first rather than our depth, that makes us stop the puck easier. Right? you got but that's like at the end of the day and i've told this to my junior goalies i told this to the goalies when i worked with them at sate it's like that you can practice all you want you can be lights out in practice and get all the fine tuning because that's like that's your foundation you want 99 of your saves like that and you want to save like the one percent for when you really need it and when you really need it that's when you have to do anything you possibly can to keep that little black thing out of that little red square
00:40:17
Speaker
Right? And once you do that, it's like, no one's going to care if you made 50 glove saves in the butterfly and didn't move and got the shout out. Or if you had to do an Iraq, like backflip, McTwist, whatever you want to call it, dance around Dominic Hasek style to keep the puck out. A shout out still a shout out and we're going congratulate either way. So try your best to keep the puck out.
00:40:45
Speaker
Right? Like that's... Obviously, it's easier said than done, as we all know. Right? So then once you let once you let one in, okay, cool. You let one in. Then it's past you. On to the next one.
00:40:56
Speaker
Reset. Right? Like, you can't. If it's in the past, you can't change it Right. So why dwell on it? Why? Why carry it on? It's like and I think that philosophy honestly came from when I fell through a ceiling because like that was one of the biggest things is I i really was caught up on it. Right. I was like, oh i and then starting and then starting goalie coaching, actually goalie coaching. and And then a mishap happened. And then It was like, well, you can dwell on it, but then you're stuck there forever. Why don't you just pick up and move on, right? Oh, gold got past you. Okay.
00:41:35
Speaker
You learned from it. Maybe my glove was off. Maybe my tracking wasn't right. Maybe it' was a fluke and it went off your defenseman's shin as their guy tried to pass it out. Who knows, right? Like there's so many different options, but if you dwell on that, that, oh, I should have done this or I should have done that or I couldn't have done that, then you're stuck there.
00:41:52
Speaker
And by that time, the five five more seconds went by, right? And it doesn't happen often, but how many times is it a big deal when the team scores a goal and then nine seconds later, they score another one. and It's like, oh, wow they got it so quick. Well, the goalie's still in his head. He's wondering why he didn't stop the first one.
00:42:09
Speaker
And then all of sudden, two are in, and he's like, whoa. And I've been there. Don't get wrong. I love playing. I play down in Fort McLeod for double-A in the ranch. And that is probably the most difficult team I've ever been on as a goalie.
00:42:26
Speaker
Just like in terms of the rotation, in terms of everything, of like it's it's wild. i've I've played there, and I've had a leash of six goals.
00:42:37
Speaker
I've played there and had a leash of two goals. And when you have a two goal game and yeah, like looking back at it's like, Oh, those are bad goals. I pulled myself too. But when you're in the moment and I try to reiterate this to other coaches who have had this debate with me, it's like what you think is weak and you pull a goalie on you know, let's say two goals. And we saw it in the playoffs this year with Oranger, right? Well, what does that do to his, like, his psyche, right? Like, not only does his coach not trust me, but I can't trust, like, those were two weak goals, but he's in his, like, from my standpoint, he's in his head. He's not past that. It's, He's still trying to figure it out or whatever it might be. And
00:43:22
Speaker
it in the goalie world, if you think like that, you're dead, right? If you think you're dead. So it's it's very much like, okay, one puck at a time, make the save, push, make the save, push. And then the more that you can keep it as simple as possible and as relaxed as possible, I find with still having an edge, it's going to give you the best advantage.
00:43:42
Speaker
But... That's just my take. Every goalie's, every person's different, and I could debate that for hours. Unfortunately, we don't have ours today, as much as I'm sure we'd like me to. um Can you touch on it a little bit? But i wanted to i wanted to get into a couple of other questions here as we're kind of running close to time. You talked about the Fort McLeod Mustangs. I guess if try to sum it up as briefly
Joining Fort McLeod Mustangs
00:44:06
Speaker
as we can here. Just kind of talk about how how you got into that and talk about the playoff runs that you had in the 2022-23 season and the season.
00:44:15
Speaker
for hook and okay I got into that because honestly I had a goalie ask me what it's like to try out. and for me and i'm going to i'm going to blame it all on the fall but because of the fall i forgot what it was i honestly like to try out i forgot what actually going to to camp was like and having to try because in beer league it's like yeah either i'm playing for free you're paying me or i pay you half fees like i don't have to try out so when when one of the goalies came and asked me hey what do you do for tryouts and what does what's it like i'm kind of nervous i was like well
00:44:50
Speaker
You know what? let I told him, I was like, it's been so long I forgot what it's like because he didn't know about my injuries and all all that kind stuff. But it' was like, I'm going to and try out this year for Fort McLeod. I'll let you know. And he didn't make the team.
00:45:07
Speaker
i I was the fourth goalie. So you could call a spade a spade. I probably didn't make the team either. Right. um But we went through it together and he actually, he, he improved into a way better goalie that year. And then the following year, he went off to Notre Dame and Notre Dame, he exploded his career. Now he's playing over in the the KI.
00:45:30
Speaker
um But like, Would I say it was from that experience? No, but like was able to walk through it with them and that's why I got into senior double A and the following year I thought about quitting. I was like, no, that wasn't for me. That was a waste of time, money, gas, effort, everything. And all of a sudden they didn't have goalies. So they asked me to come back and One of their goalies, me and him, had a tandem going on. and then they pulled up another one from some junior team that caught him or something like that. So we had three goalies. And I was, OK, cool. I'm going ride the the bench or the the stands for the season. Cool.
00:46:09
Speaker
And as it happened, one goalie ended up but getting promoted or a job or something like that up in Grand Prairie. So he couldn't make it anymore. The other goalie went to Winnipeg.
00:46:21
Speaker
and i became the full-time goalie and i've kind of been there ever since i've switched on and off from a full-time starter and getting a lot of games to being the away starter so it's a little bit closer to home but right yeah uh the playoff runs there and they're fun they're uh we're actually looking forward to big one against nantan next week and yeah yeah it should be fun we uh We don't like him.
00:46:48
Speaker
We don't like him. Well, well, best of luck to you on that. I wanted to I want we we were talking about this off camera and and I want to get to this here because you had asked me a question about goalies getting hit in the head. So going to get you just to kind of rehash what we were just talking about here.
The Reality of Headshots in Hockey
00:47:08
Speaker
And then we can kind of ah we can we can kind of dive into this here for a minute. OK, yeah, this might stir the pot, though. Well, that's what we're all about here. and That's what we're all about. Yeah. I'm honestly a big fan of if the goalie's in position, he's in the butterfly, headshot's okay.
00:47:28
Speaker
My take on that is a we all have helmets. B, if you don't like getting hit in the head get clearer quicker hands. And C, if you're in the butterfly, chances are your helmet is going to be under or at the crossbar, which means that it would be a save. Yeah.
00:47:42
Speaker
Now, if you're standing straight up, and I've given a lot of players a lot of ah yelling at, let's let's say yelling at, or lectures, if the goalie's standing up, I do not believe that that head is for a game. Because if you can't hit the net and it's going that far wide, then that's just a wasted shot. But if the goalie's in his butterfly, by all means, that's for a game. That's a save any day, anywhere, and we have protection for it.
00:48:10
Speaker
I mean, like look at, you know, the Michigan when that was going around for for a little while. Right. And so it it seemed to me at the time, pretty straightforward of just put your head in that little spot there. You know, this again, you're, you're, you're at, you're at that level there where, ah where the crossbar is. So why not just kind of shift your body weight up and get kind of your upper shoulder and your, and and your head into into that area. Yeah.
00:48:38
Speaker
um I mean, headshots, as we all know, suck. I've taken my fair share, and especially in beer league when it's five in a row. um But it's it's it's part of the game. I don't think realistically that there's anybody out there, I would hope, that is intentionally going around hitting goalies in the head. And if there are, I would like to have a word with them. Um, but it's, it's part of the game of hockey and, you know, like helmets, like they have those certified stickers on them, you know, that they're certified up to whatever year, whatever it says on there. I haven't totally had a look in the last few years. yeah I think it's like five years or something like that from purchase date. Yeah.
00:49:27
Speaker
Yeah. Some, some, something, something or somewhere, you know, ah along those lines. but And the biggest piece of advice, just as a general, excuse me, that I remember getting from Dustin Schwartz, who I worked with long time ago before going to the Oilers, was that if you pull off the puck and doesn't matter where you're pulling off the puck, whether it's up high in the wrist or down low, it's, You actually end up exposing more of yourself than you do protecting yourself. So if you take a shot up high and you pull away and it end ends up catching me, if you're watching on the video, I'm pointing towards kind of my neck collarbone area, which has happened where neck are kids. Um, uh,
00:50:15
Speaker
it it sucks it hurts and you think oh gee like why did i do that you know i would have had better protection if i closed my five hole properly if i had my hands pointing forward and i didn't bring them back or if i didn't exploit basically expose my jugular to the puck being shot at 40 or 50 something mile or kilometers an hour whatever that may look like right so it a I don't necessarily, I mean, yeah, I don't necessarily dislike getting hit in the head, I guess, but I don't love it either. You know, I, it's a double thing. It's not my favorite.
00:50:57
Speaker
I like, I'm with you. I, I personally don't like it cause I don't want dent my cage. Right. But, but ah like, Just tuck your chin. Yeah. You know it's going on? Tuck your chin.
00:51:12
Speaker
Like, and then get active hands. But... yeah Like helmets are designed these days to actually ah take a blow and disperse the energy properly.
00:51:25
Speaker
And if your helmet does fit properly, then you will be protected. Would I recommend, you know, 500 headshots? No, but like two or three over the course of a month, eat you'll be, you'll be a goalie.
00:51:39
Speaker
Yeah. So, you know, to to to to parents, it's it's it's easy for me to sit here and say, you know, it's it's it's part of the game, you know.
00:51:54
Speaker
Your your kid is, you know, and obviously with with concussion protocols and everything else, obviously you want to be wary of that late and like Devon was saying, you know, with that the helmets are designed, you know, to absorb that kinetic energy and disperse it um elsewhere.
00:52:12
Speaker
And yeah, i mean, it's, it's, it's, it's still part of making a save to at the end of the day. Right. And so just, yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm with you on that. You know, I, I don't, I, I think, you know, head, headshots are part of it. And if you're going to complain about it, find a different sport.
00:52:30
Speaker
right yeah yeah awesome well devon this has been long overdue and it has been a blast definitely will need a part two to this because there was a lot to unpack and i definitely think that but we have a lot of a lot more a lot more stories to share unfortunately we are out of time today um before we let you go Where can listeners find you if they do happen to find themselves in our rival territory area in the great city of Calgary? is that I kind of barfed in my mouth a little bit. um where where where Where can people find you? How can they reach out to you? And if should they want to book with SAGIT Goaltending, where can they get you at?
00:53:17
Speaker
So again, keeping costs low. I'm really personal.
Contact Information for Saga Goaltending
00:53:21
Speaker
So keep us on, or if you have Instagram or Facebook, Saga Goaltending, S-A-G-A and Goaltending. And then our website is sagagoaltending.com.
00:53:33
Speaker
And I might, I might have to clear this with Nathan on that in terms of getting links down in the show notes, but we will, ah we will, we'll see if we can do something there and we'll see if we'll, we'll see if we can get that going. But yeah, no, definitely. we Definitely. Definitely. If you do happen to find yourself in the, in the Calgary area, Saga goaltending, those guys, guys do a lot of great work down there. Follow them personally, myself over on Instagram. So ah definitely, definitely check them out. but come to edmonton we're a lot cooler so just just saying so oh dear well devon do you have any uh uh kind of parting uh um wisdom to pass on any any kind of last minute advice or anything before we uh sign off for the day just never give up never give up
00:54:20
Speaker
I'll never give up. I like it. Okay. Well, that will do it for another episode of the DIY goalie presented by true North, the gold tending. Make sure guys go follow us on your favorite social media platforms, all at true North gold tending, except for Instagram, because we like to be different. That one is Y E G goalie coach. You can follow myself on Instagram over at Monday GC. Go check us out.
00:54:42
Speaker
True north goaltending.com. We do have our week long goalie camp and as well as some other summertime goalie camps that we do have happening this August. We do have U11. I think it's a U9 U11 U7 introductory to goaltending camp in the early week of August. So we'll go check that out. You can also book us with our week long camp that we do have available as I try to pull that up on the fly here.
00:55:11
Speaker
ah Yeah, our week-long camp, August 10th to the 14th in the Beaumont, Alberta area. So if you do happen to find yourself in the Edmonton area to come check us out, again, truenorthgoaltending.com. And for all you ringette goalies out there, we are offering a weekend goaltending camp in August from the August 21st to the 23rd. So that is specifically for ringette goaltenders only. So if you do happen to be a ringette goaltender and want to get some extra development in,
00:55:40
Speaker
Again, go check us out and book your spot all at truenorthgoaltending.com. Spots are filling fast. Make sure you guys get your get your bookings in now before but before things happen.
00:55:51
Speaker
Or you can go check out, you know, Saga Goaltending, but, you know, it's fine. It's whatever. um Anyways, if you do happen to be watching over on the YouTube side of things of our little show, i thank you so much for watching and make sure you hit the subscribe button, hit the like button, hit the share button. The more goaltenders that we are able to bring together, the better. If you are want or listening over on your favorite podcasts and platforms, whether that be apple iheart or spotify again if you are a new uh listener to our little program make sure you hit the follow button as we release new episodes every tuesday uh and as if you're a returning listener hit the share button the more goalies that we're able to bring together the better helps the algorithm and all that fun stuff until then goalies make some saves this has been the diy goalie podcast on behalf of myself and devin hardy make some saves goalies we'll see you guys next time take care