“Being Goalie is the toughest job on the team.  It means you agree to take responsibility for everyone else’s mistakes.  If the puck is in front of your net it means the offence has turned it over, and the defence weren’t paying attention. If you stop them from scoring you are indeed a hero – if you don’t and they score a one timer – well your just as human as your team mates.  If they score on you off a rebound you are still a rock star because you never gave up; even when your team mates gave up on themselves.  When I stand at your end of the ice and I listen to all the parents from the opposing team cheer when you are having the worst game ever; know it breaks my heart.  Every time someone scores on you I will put my hand on the glass and you can know I am giving you a hug.  I will love you more when you are having a bad game because even if no one else notices – I see how hard you are working and I am very proud of you. I love you when you are having a good game too – but when you are having a good game you know that.  
So go out there and be a wall. and when you need a hug look at me and I will touch the glass.”

As a Goalie Mom I have walked into opposing dressing rooms of teams we wiped out and told their goalie how hard he worked and how proud he should be of his effort.  There are two games going on.  On most days when your team is having their worst day the goalie can still have his best game ever because he stopped more shots than he did last game.  It is the losses that make you a better goalie, not the wins.  The losses challenge you to push yourself farther than you thought you could. When your team is having a good game chances are as a goalie you are bored and not improving your skills. 

So play your game, judge your success by your yardstick – let your only opponent be you – at your last game.  Do not let anyone define your success  – because on a day you team wins by a landslide you know in your heart it certainly wasn’t your best game. In fact you probably could have stayed home.  When your team loses in a landslide, goes into overtime, or wins by 1 goal – you know you gave it everything you had and a little bit more. You took on your team mates failures as your own and fought with everything you had that day. Those are your best games, those are the times you showed the world you will not be defeated no matter what – because you are a goalie!