Article

By Kristi Patton

Step into an arena and everyone knows who the goalie’s parents are. The ones pacing behind the net, biting their nails or standing in the lobby as the game goes to overtime.

"Yes, my mom especially," said Olympic gold medal winning goalie Shannon Szabados. "My mom is worse than my dad, especially at the Olympics, she said she felt like throwing up."

Szabados fell in love with the position around the age of seven, at the level where everyone tries every position, and in an instant, her fate was chosen. "I think my parents were excited when they saw how much I enjoyed it and I think for them that was the main thing—having fun was the most important aspect," said Szabados.

But, it’s not easy for parents to hear, "I want to be a goalie" come out of their child’s mouth. With it comes a different set of (potentially expensive) gear, attitude towards the game and learning curve.

"Goaltending can be an expensive position, without a doubt. That said, especially in younger age groups, the cost of gear has come down substantially from what it once was and the quality has gone up...there is plenty of bang for your dollar these days and most budgets can be met," said Rod LaForme, manager at a goalie equipment store.

"Used options are there via avenues such as eBay, Craigslist and Kijiji, so if you are slightly knowledgeable and know what you are looking at, there is potential to save some money going that route. Buyers have to be careful when buying used, though...if you don’t know exactly what you are looking at, you may overpay for something that isn’t worth anywhere near what people are selling it for," warned LaForme.

The other benefit of buying new, besides having your child properly sized, is that used gear can be quite nasty. LaForme said pieces like gloves and masks can be the worst culprits with the evolution of staph infections and skin conditions.
Szabados said many minor hockey organizations now have a loaner set of gear for kids to try the position out, or there are places that will rent equipment if parents aren’t ready to fork over the money on gear.

"Once the season starts, the pressure is going to be on the goalie, that is why I suggest playing goalie in the summer and go out and have fun with it. Parents can enroll their kids in goalie school in the summer to get some basic instruction. That is exactly what I did and the same summer goalie camp where I learned, I now teach at. I think having that experience when I was younger helped me, tremendously," said Szabados.

She has had a string of success between the pipes from the AJHL to playing with the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League. Her first game was against the Vancouver Giants with Carey Price of the Montreal Canadians as her backup. In 2010, she joined Team Canada and helped them to a gold medal, shutting-out the Americans, 2-0.

"I think it’s the most unique position. It’s a pressure position and some kids like being that last line of defence and being the difference maker in a game. I also feel its also the most athletic position," said Szabados.