Goalie view on skating out

by barbaragarn

Guest blog by Eli Montalvo 

I will be honest: being a goalie can get quite annoying sometimes. I love the position, but the constant pressure to be at an ice time was getting to me. I am very envious of how a forward or defender can get away with not showing up and no one notices. It’s always more fun when a goalie is there. Look how many times a JMS skate needs a goalie.

As a goalie, I know that if I agree to play a game, I have to be there. If I can’t make it, for any reason, I have to spend time calling/texting/emailing and begging someone to cover for me. If I don’t show up, even though I attempted to get my time covered, it’s frowned upon and you end up on the ice times bad list.  

Because of this I decided to give playing out a shot. I got my pennies together and purchased some player gear. I will be honest, I am having a blast doing it. I love the freedom to just pack a small bag and throwing it in the car! I dont have to worry about being a magician to make the bag fit into my trunk. I love the talking and 

camaraderie on the bench. That is something that I had never experienced. Another great thing is that if I mess up on the ice, someone else covers for me.

Skating out is  a different kind of carefree fun. I will never give up being a goalie, but I envy you forwards!