Looking Back on My USA Hockey Gold Certification Journey
As USA Hockey prepares to recognize its next group of Gold Level Goaltending Coaches at the National Goaltending Symposium in Boston this August, I’ve been reflecting on my own Gold Certification process and what it has meant for my coaching.
In May 2024, I traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to attend the USA Hockey National Goaltending Symposium and complete the final requirements for USA Hockey’s Gold Level Goaltending Certification—the highest level within USA Hockey’s goaltending coaching pathway.
The process began nearly a year earlier. Monthly Zoom sessions, assignments, and ongoing collaboration with coaches from across the country, led by USA Hockey National Goaltending Coach Steve Thompson. The work consistently pushed us to look beyond on-ice training and think more broadly about how goalies develop within an organization.
My project, overseen by Brad Johnson, focused on building a support system for goaltenders and their families within an organization. That included information sharing between families, gear exchange opportunities, and a “big brother, big sister” style mentorship model connecting older and younger goalies.
The goal was to reduce the isolation that often comes with the position and create a stronger network around the goalie. Development doesn’t happen in isolation—it happens in the environment around the athlete.
The Arizona High School Hockey Association (AHSHA), led by Kenny McGinley, helped sponsor my travel to Minneapolis so I could attend the symposium. I’m grateful for that support and for organizations in Arizona that continue to invest in coach education and development.
There were ten coaches in our Gold cohort. One of them was fellow Arizona goalie coach and mentor Hiroki Wakabayashi, whose presence made the experience even more meaningful from a local perspective.
The symposium itself was two days in Minneapolis, and the final requirement was a presentation of my project to a group of peers, which challenged us to clearly communicate not just what we built, but why it matters and how it can be applied inside real organizations.
One of the more meaningful parts of the week was getting to spend time around NHL goaltender Ryan Miller. I grew up in Arizona, but my dad is from Buffalo, so we watched a lot of Sabres hockey in our house. Getting the chance to talk about our kids and goalie development with someone I watched growing up added a full-circle moment to the week.
It was a reminder of how many people are doing positive work in our game and in the goaltending position.
What I took from the process is still what drives my coaching today: if you want better goaltenders, you have to build better environments around them.
That continues to shape everything we do at Snowman Goaltending. Technical development matters, but so does structure, communication, and the support system around the athlete.
Thank you to USA Hockey, Steve Thompson, Brad Johnson, AHSHA, Kenny McGinley, Hiroki Wakabayashi, Ryan Miller, and the families and goaltenders who continue to trust us with their development journey.